New tool provides better, faster onboard PHEV performance evaluation
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ARGONNE, Ill. (July 4, 2008)—Analysis and evaluation of plug-in hybrid
vehicle performance is faster and better, thanks to a new tool developed by
Argonne engineers. Called the Argonne Real-Time Data Acquisition (ARDAQ) system,
it provides onboard data collection and diagnostics of PHEVs.
"Argonne is the nation's lead lab for the simulation, validation and
laboratory evaluation of PHEVs and the advanced technologies required for these
vehicles," said Ted Bohn, ARDAQ lead developer and an electrical engineer
in Argonne's Center for Transportation Research. "So when faced with
evaluating a vehicle's performance, we quickly realized that existing commercial
onboard data-collection systems lacked the sophistication and range of diagnostics
we require. So we developed ARDAQ."
ARDAQ was recently used by judges to determine the winner of Challenge
X, a four-year long competition among 17 university student-teams to
produce advanced vehicle powertrain technologies that increase energy efficiency
while reducing pollution.
Meanwhile, Argonne's transportation research partners, many of whom stand
at the forefront of PHEV development, seek to fine-tune and adjust their PHEV
engine systems and models for mass-market production. This new research tool
provides information on the most critical vehicle performance measures, Bohn
said.
"Because we started from scratch, we were able to configure ARDAQ with
an optimal mix of off-the-shelf components and Argonne's unique software to
support its functionality and user-friendliness," said Daniel Bocci, ARDAQ
co-developer and an electrical engineer in the Center for Transportation Research.
ARDAQ is based on Controller
Area Network (CAN) information collected on two
separate CANs. CAN technology lets microcontrollers and other devices communicate
without a host computer. ARDAQ then uses the global positioning system and
other sensors to simultaneously collect moment-by-moment data on a comprehensive
package of 25 vehicle-performance measures, including driving and engine speed;
fuel flow, use and economy; hybrid battery current; frequency of battery charge;
hybrid watt-hours per mile; PHEV watt-hours per mile; and length and distance
of trip.
Additionally, the standards for every performance measure are derived from
physics-based computations, meaning that a range of factors is taken into account
to calculate a single performance measure, said Keith Hardy, ARDAQ co-developer
and program coordinator in the Argonne Transportation
Technology Research and Development Center.
ARDAQ's eight-ounce sensor module package can be quickly installed and can
begin collecting information immediately. A month's worth of data can
be stored on a 1-gigabyte USB thumb drive. After a trip is completed, data
from the thumb drive are uploaded to a personal computer and displayed
using Google
Earth. Eventually, wireless data transmission will be added to ARDAQ.
PHEV technology forms part of President Bush's Advanced
Energy Initiative,
which emphasizes the development of technologies that can significantly reduce
the nation's dependence on foreign oil.
"The information provided by ARDAQ during the research and development
phase can provide key insight into the real world performance of these vehicles
to enable the automakers and consumers to understand the true performance enhancements
enabled by PHEV systems," Bohn said.
ARDAQ was developed to aid researchers, but it has attracted enough interest
that the laboratory is evaluating ways, such as licensing, to make the
technology more widely available.
ARDAQ's development was funded by the DOE Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy's Vehicle
Technologies Program, which supports the development
of more energy efficient and environmentally friendly transportation technology
that will enable America to use less petroleum.
Argonne National Laboratory seeks solutions to pressing national problems in science and technology.
The nation's first national laboratory, Argonne conducts leading-edge basic
and applied scientific research in virtually every scientific discipline. Argonne
researchers work closely with researchers from hundreds of companies, universities,
and federal, state and municipal agencies to help them solve their specific
problems, advance America 's scientific leadership and prepare the nation for
a better future. With employees from more than 60 nations, Argonne is managed
by UChicago
Argonne, LLC for
the U.S.
Department of Energy's Office
of Science.
For more information, please contact Angela Hardin (630/252-5501
or ahardin@anl.gov) at Argonne.
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