PACCAR

E-Truck Vehicle Controls

The electrification of trucks presents a range of intriguing vehicle control challenges. For example, integrating an electric drivetrain necessitates the development of a control architecture that seamlessly connects the electrical system with the truck's other components. In this project, the student team will build upon the control architecture design initiated in last year's capstone, utilizing industry-standard tools. The team will explore low-voltage control architectures (such as Control Area Networks and PWM) and develop the corresponding control algorithms. The primary objective is to create an embedded test bench to evaluate the control algorithm for specific subsystems. Control Architecture should be modeled to provide a software/hardware-in-the-loop optimization capability. Completion of a test bench for verifying control algorithm and documentation is required. The student team will work toward the following outcomes: 1) Refined schematic of the control architecture of the original truck. 2) Develop simulink-based software for the vehicle-level ECU. 3) A test bench which supports CAN communication with the team-selected controller (s). 4) Supporting documentation: a manual for test bench, design assumptions, design requirements/specifications, test data and result analysis, safety, and discussion and limitations of the chosen design.