Electrification of systems previously dominated by internal combustion engines presents many challenges to the automotive, aerospace, machinery, and other industries.Disciplines affected include the following:
Noise, vibration, and harshness – e.g. noise quality (whines, etc)
Durability – e.g. motors, driveline durability impacted by electric motor torque profiles
Electric motor design - weight reduction, efficiency, E-M emission?
Thermal management – batteries, control units, motors
Battery technology – charge time, thermal, weight, crash safety, etc
Charging infrastructure

CAE already plays a major role in addressing these disciplines with traditional powerunits, and will no doubt enable engineers to identify solutions to the problems that arise with electrification. Existing CAE methods and processes will require adaption and innovation to support design, development, and manufacture in a timely and effective manner.

Resource Abstract

With concerns for carbon emissions becoming a critical issue, it is increasingly important to transport more commuters with public transit while simultaneously decreasing the environmental impact of transit operations. With an initial focus on the electrification of public transit, the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and Maplesoft developed a comprehensive, model-based tool that can simulate the performance of an electric bus fleet in a given city. The purpose of developing the model was to help transit authorities better understand the operational impacts of integrating this new electrification technology into their current fleets without disrupting ongoing operations. Together, NRC and Maplesoft have developed a solution for model-based decisions of transit electrification. The case presents how the use of System-level modelling plays a central role in the NRC’s Fleet Forward Methodology; a methodology developed and used by the NRC to de-risk the deployment of battery-electric buses across Canadian municipalities. By incorporating bus configurations, routing information, and a variety of other design parameters, they are able to determine the suitability of a specific route for electrification.