DSD’s Richard Dunne examines the significance of getting to net zero and the importance of looking beyond the automotive sector to achieve it. Though there is no one size fits all solution, Dunne reviews sector considerations, best practices and varying approaches to reach net zero.

Read more here: https://edition.pagesuite-professional.co.uk/html5/reader/production/default.aspx?pubname=&edid=19b89e15-67cb-4ca2-9d33-ff5945b497c4

Publication: Future Vehicle

Author: Richard Dunne

Noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) performance and optimization for EVs is currently a focus area for many in the industry. This article highlights NVH challenges due to the complex interactions between electric powertrain components as well as DSD’s motor modeling and simulation expertise to help better predict NVH performance and any potential issues.

Read more here: https://www.emobility-engineering.com/system-level-approach-to-nvh-models/

Publication: E-Mobility Engineering

Author: Nick Flaherty

In the hunt for sustainable, carbon neutral mobility, the world of electrification is brimming with possibilities. However, navigating uncharted territory can be challenging. This article reviews the need for a knowledgeable partner that excels in full-system integration, the advantage of simulations and the benefits of sustainable materials.

Read more here: https://ehv.mydigitalpublication.co.uk/july-2023?m=63184&i=797327&p=2&ver=html5

Publication: Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology International

It’s truly an exciting and highly opportunistic time for engineers, as we build out an entirely new energy ecosystem on a global scale, full of uncharted territory and exhilarating challenges.

While much of the obvious focus is on what will be made, the engineering community is focused on how it will be made. The mix of traditional engineering and software integration has caused nearly every manufacturer in the EV space to rethink how to build their development teams to get their products to market quickly, reliably and cost effectively.

At the recent SAE COMVEC™ a panel about the “war for talent” struck a chord with our team about the challenges we face, where we find ourselves and where we’re going as engineers. With an estimated $1.2 trillion being invested in EV development through 2030, the type of engineering necessary to build not only the vehicles themselves, but the technology and infrastructure to support them is requiring an entirely new type of thinking and collaboration – along with a significant amount of hiring. As we continue to see investments taking place in our backyard, such as CNH Industrial recently announcing that it has opened a new technical center in metro Detroit to support its growing innovations in electrification, the competition for talent locally surges.

DSD has a strong history of developing powertrain technology and collaborating with OEM partners to supplement and reinforce their internal teams. Our expertise lies in having experienced and forward-thinking engineers who go into a project with an open mind to find the right solution for a specific application. With years of expertise in the segment, our company has continued to evolve our EV propulsion capabilities and excels at developing motors and controls for the automotive, aviation, commercial vehicle, off-highway and defense industries.

The COMVEC panel drew attention to the obvious need for expanding engineering talent, training and hiring, but also of having partners in place to supplement manufacturers where needed.

Further, a recent Automotive News story cited the 35% increase in STEM-related jobs during the past 20 years, which is expected to increase even further during the next decade. The pressing question is whether there will be enough incoming talent to meet the demands of the industry. There are programs  locally in place to help curb  the issue, for example, the Detroit Regional Chamber Foundation and MICHauto recently were awarded a $2 million grant to support the growth and development of high-tech talent in Michigan, spanning automotive, mobility and technology sectors, but some of these measures will take a significant amount of time.

With the substantial investment in the move to EVs, our customers must determine if they should build or expand their internal product development teams, work with trusted partners or both. It’s an interesting position for companies like DSD. The company can be hired to supplement internal programs or be contracted for turnkey development.

DSD routinely supports clients with our trusted engineering team members – having them work on-site with the customer team. This can be extremely beneficial when projects come in and there just isn’t time to find the perfect candidate for the job. And since there are more opportunities than there are engineers suited for positions, finding the right hire and having them commit can take time – something that manufacturers don’t always have.

Of course, a key concern with outsourcing projects through contractors can be that once the project is over, the knowledge behind that project goes with it. In an effort to collaborate at the deepest level and facilitate the creation of rapid and effective teams, our clients take the IP with them upon a project’s completion.

DSD’s advantage lies in the fact that we understand what our customers need and fully realize that what they need today, may change drastically in 12 months. Further, the company has the flexibility, capability, and expertise to work in multiple segments and on multiple projects across multiple regions at the same time. This allows us to pivot easily and ramp teams up or down to align with client needs.

We understand the difficulties of deciding whether or not to staff up or collaborate with companies like DSD to supplement an existing workforce, and we are prepared to help our customers navigate that decision, helping them minimize the risk and maximize the ROI.

• Drive System Design, with engineering centers in the UK and USA, provides premium engineering services to automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, defense and aviation industries
• Acquisition enables Hinduja Tech to expand its eMobility services from development to production
• Drive System Design to continue as an independent entity within Hinduja Tech and Hinduja Group

CHENNAI, India – December 6^th, 2022 – Hinduja Tech (HT), a world-class engineering services company, acquired Drive System Design (DSD), an award-winning and globally trusted engineering consultancy known for developing innovative solutions for electrified propulsion systems. DSD currently provides advanced engineering to automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, defense and aviation industries from locations in the United Kingdom, the United States, and Asia.

The acquisition enables Hinduja Tech to provide end-to-end electrified propulsion systems design and development capabilities, enhancing its full-vehicle design and development position.

“The acquisition of Drive System Design is an important milestone in Hinduja Tech’s growth journey in the eMobility Industry. DSD has been focused on futuristic powertrain technology (ePT) since its inception over 15 years ago and has a state-of-the-art infrastructure in the UK and United States,” said Kumar Prabhas, CEO, Hinduja Tech. “Both of these markets have high-end engineering talent and are leading the charge in the transition to electric mobility. As this demand increases, the combination of HT and DSD strengths will enable offering the best-in-class eMobility solutions for global markets.”

HT has been rapidly expanding its position in the outsourced engineering services industry with 70+ clients globally and is aiming to accelerate its growth to meet the surging demand for electric mobility. With the acquisition of DSD, HT will add cutting-edge design and testing labs, along with advanced engineering capabilities, in the UK and United States.

“We believe that HT is the right partner at the right time and see this as a tremendous opportunity for the long-term future and expanded capabilities of DSD,” said Mark Findlay, CEO of Drive System Design. “As part of the HT family, DSD will be able to increase its reach through HT’s global business model and full vehicle development and integration expertise. It is an ideal complement to DSD’s advanced engineering capabilities in transmission, driveline, motor design, power electronics and simulation.”

About Hinduja Tech

Hinduja Tech, part of the multi-billion dollar Global Business Conglomerate, Hinduja Group, is the integrated Product Engineering and Digital Technologies Solutions provider for the mobility industry with a proven global delivery model. As a partner of choice, Hinduja Tech works with leading automotive organizations (OEMs & Tier-X Suppliers) and disruptive mobility players in the USA, India, Mexico, Canada, Europe, China, and Japan. Hinduja Group has its presence in over 38 countries and employs a total of 200,000 people. Hinduja Group has a significant presence in Commercial Vehicle Engineering & Manufacturing verticals.

HT Global Office Locations: US, India, Mexico, Canada, UK, Germany, Japan, China, and Romania

Drive System Design (DSD), a company specializing in the rapid engineering and development of electrified propulsion systems and Alvier Mechatronics, an engineering service company with special competence in advanced materials and production methods for sustainable, high-volume applications, are joining forces to provide the mobility industry with engineering services to support sustainable electrified propulsion solutions across automotive, commercial vehicle, off-highway, marine and aerospace applications.

The two companies signed a joint operating agreement to combine DSD’s expertise in full electrified propulsion system design encompassing simulation, prototyping and validation, with Alvier Mechatronics’ industry-leading capabilities in powder metallurgy and electromagnetic design. This collaboration will unlock significant improvements in the development of electrified systems, and bring innovative turnkey solutions to the industry, including:

• Speed-to-market increase by combining metallurgical and electromagnetic phases of development and reduced prototype lead-time.
• Sustainability improvements in the use of CO2, resulting in an overall reduction during the development process, to complement both companies’ ability to reduce CO2 production during system operation.
• Expertise from the combined experience and resources of Höganäs AB, DSD and Alvier Mechatronics.

“This collaboration will capitalize on the combined skills and capabilities of each company to serve our new and existing customers in exciting ways,” said Daniel Hervén, CEO, Alvier Mechatronics.

“Working with Alvier Mechatronics is a great opportunity for DSD to diversify its contribution to the advancement of sustainable electrified propulsion across an array of critical industries,” said Mark Findlay, managing director, DSD. “It is a company with trusted capability in the industry, and we look forward to pushing the boundaries of sustainable electrification.”

About Alvier Mechatronics:

Alvier Mechatronics is part of the Höganäs Group, market leader in metal powder. As a start-up company founded in 2018 with the ambition to develop knowledge driven eDrive solutions Alvier Mechatronics offers companies a fast track to build high-performance and integrated eDrive solutions through advanced engineering services. From concept ideation through design, simulation, validation and prototyping to building a-samples, we use a systematic approach to obtain lower weight and a reduced number of parts while increasing overall efficiency.

For more information, visit alviermechatronics.com.

Drive System Design (DSD), a company specializing in the rapid engineering and development of electrified propulsion systems and associated technologies, has developed a new method and strategic plan to better support clients in designing and developing electric motors and inverters that best fit their needs.

DSD has observed that many motor and inverter manufacturers, as well as system integrators, often take their electrification development programs directly to a dynamometer (dyno) test cell, only to uncover critical issues that need to be overcome, which can stop the programs in its tracks. With this seemingly direct approach, months are added to the project timelines in order to find and fix unforeseen integration issues.

To help save its customers months of time and tens of thousands of dollars, while ensuring a more robust, reliable concept before ever touching a dyno test cell, DSD has created a new Motor Control Development Method consisting of four key phases that it will now implement for most electric motor and inverter development projects.

“There is immense benefit in minimizing project risk by following our four-phase approach. Too often, a push to be first-to-market ends up incurring more cost and time,” said Jon Brentnall, president, Drive System Design. “Ultimately, this approach will enable our customers to be first-time capable, meaning they will be set up for a successful pairing of the inverter and motor once the product reaches the dyno test cell. This will speed up final validation and significantly reduce the risk of needing extra hardware iterations, saving our customers both time and money while delivering a more high-quality product.”

Below is a look at DSD’s four-phase approach, with many companies currently skipping from Phase 1 to Phase 4:

• Phase 1 – Concept evaluation and design with advanced co-simulation. During this phase, control algorithms, finite element analysis (FEA) motor models and the power electronics model are designed and developed. A closed loop advanced co-simulation of the entire system will then be performed. By driving the system model with more representative control signals rather than simpler idealized inputs, early-stage identification of electromagnetic challenges along with accurate early-stage data for larger system analysis activities like noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), can be achieved.
• Phase 2 – Detailed design and validation with Control Hardware-in-the-Loop (C-HIL). DSD will utilize inverter control board hardware with deployed software and a real-time simulation of the motor model. The C-HIL hardware emulates motor behavior and sensor feedback such that a large proportion of the software and low voltage hardware validation can be performed. This phase allows for development and validation of safety monitoring and fault handling without risking hardware failures. Software development time is reduced for subsequent phases through bug fixing at this stage.
• Phase 3 – Component level testing with Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (P-HIL). At this stage, a large proportion of the inverter validation will take place by running full power through the inverter with deployed software and utilizing a battery and a high voltage motor emulator. The motor is modeled but real current and power is being pushed through real inverter hardware to validate its power stage and control. When a novel motor design is in the manufacturing stage, DSD can leverage its open platform inverter, to quickly and efficiently develop, calibrate and validate the motor controls for that application in this phase of testing.
• Phase 4 – System level testing and validation on a dyno test cell. The motor will enter the dyno test cell at this stage as a final system validation and characterization utilizing inverter and motor hardware as well as the battery emulator. Going through the previous stages ensures this phase will be as short, cost effective and efficient as possible.

As an initial investment to fulfill its new motor development strategy, DSD has acquired a C-HIL rig, which will be housed at its technical center in Farmington Hills, Michigan. Additionally, DSD will be partnering with the Auburn Hills-based rig supplier to have access to their P-HIL rig and motor emulator, with plans to invest in one of its own next year.

“Real-world issues can now be predicted or reproduced and solved prior to – or in parallel with – dyno or test cell work,” said Brentnall. “This new approach and equipment will further advance DSD’s turnkey capability of delivering motor controls and electrification across a range of markets.”

Through DSD’s method, customers will now be able to better optimize their time, as a large proportion of the inverter software and hardware can be developed and validated through Phase 2 and 3 while the motor hardware is being made. Further, the method is adaptable for various vehicle types, including automotive, trucking, off-highway, defense and aerospace.

With the immense value of taking a more comprehensive approach to motor and inverter design and development like DSD’s, the company predicts that most companies tackling similar projects, including key competitors, will adopt a similar approach in the next five to 10 years.

DSD has been officially presented with its Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade

Drive System Design (DSD) has been officially presented with its 2020 Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in International Trade following delays due to the pandemic. The award recognises the sustained growth of the company, which over the three years prior to the pandemic achieved substantial year-on-year growth with overseas sales rising 155%.

“We are delighted to be presented with such a prestigious award and I am hugely proud of everybody at the company, without them, this would not be possible,” said Mark Findlay, Managing Director of Drive System Design. “The award goes someway to reflect the amazing achievements of our team, who are developing state-of-the-art electric propulsion technologies. They are directly contributing to a greener more sustainable future, right here in Warwickshire.”

Tim Cox, His Majesty’s Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire, and the Royal Family’s representative for the area said, “Warwickshire is at the heart of the automotive industry in the UK and Drive System Design is an excellent example of top British engineering in the area. The Queen’s Awards are the highest honours for a UK business and bring with them a great level of credibility and prestige. Drive System Design is thoroughly deserving of this accolade.”

The Queen’s Awards for Enterprise, the most prestigious business award in the UK, was established in 1965. The International Trade category recognises outstanding growth in overseas earnings and rewards companies for demonstrating steep year-on-year growth internationally. The Awards celebrate the success of exciting and innovative businesses that are leading the way with pioneering products or services.

DSD is at the leading edge of British engineering, developing next-generation electrified powertrains for the world’s leading vehicle manufacturers and global Tier 1 suppliers. The company employs 80 people at its headquarters in Leamington Spa, which has grown by more than 10% in the last 12 months alone. Internationally it has 120 employees, with a technical centre in North America and locations in Asia and Australia.

Drive System Design to present a paper on the approach at the 2022 JSAE Annual Congress

Leading electrified powertrain engineering consultancy, Drive System Design (DSD), has developed an innovative simulation method that highlights potential NVH issues of electric drive units (EDU) whilst the design is still model-based.

“The move from ICEs has significantly lowered the acceptable level of NVH in vehicles and as a result, late-emerging and costly NVH issues are now more common in the industry,” said Jordan Craven, Senior Engineer at Drive System Design. “Highly integrated EDUs with complex interactions between multiple components makes it very challenging to predict and identify the source of NVH issues. It is critical for cost and time to market that they are identified before committing to physical prototypes.”

DSD has developed a system-level modeling approach using component and sub-system correlation tests to accurately simulate NVH behavior. The company can accurately model anisotropic components and complex joints, which is critical to understanding how individual components interact at a system level. The approach has successfully been used on current development projects to identify NVH issues that would have otherwise been missed at this stage.

As an independent consultancy, DSD works with a range of OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers from different industries exposing it to a variety of technologies and applications. This has culminated in an extensive and ever-growing knowledge base, which is used to continually improve the accuracy of the model.

“Meeting consumer expectations on NVH is becoming increasingly challenging for vehicle manufacturers,” said Craven. “Virtual analysis and validation of the design using our method provide manufacturers with greater confidence that they will meet the necessary targets. It has been proven to significantly reduce the need for post-production fixes that can lead to a compromised product.”
The company will be presenting a paper on this new approach at the 2022 JSAE Annual Congress held in Yokohama, Japan. The paper is entitled “Challenges in optimizing system NVH performance of electrified powertrains through developing correlated component models”. It will be presented in the “Latest Noise and Vibration Technologies and Sound Design Technology” session held between 12:35-15:15 (local time) on May 26th.

Drive System Design will also be exhibiting at the event as a member of the Advanced Propulsion Centre’s UK ‘GREAT’ Pavilion. The stand (Stand 1) will be host to some of the UK’s leading technology providers.

DSD has developed an innovative simulation method that highlights potential NVH issues of electric drive units (EDU) whilst the design is still model-based.

An assembled motor is tested to correlate NVH response.

“The move from ICEs has significantly lowered the acceptable level of NVH in vehicles and as a result, late-emerging and costly NVH issues are now more common in the industry,” said Jordan Craven, Senior Engineer at Drive System Design.

Simulated modal response of electric drive unit (EDU) to transmission and motor excitation

What are the most significant engineering challenges ahead for electrification, and how DSD is handling new requests for electrified propulsion system test & development?

Automotive Testing Technology International interviewed David Kelly, Development and Testing Director at DSD.

There are three significant engineering challenges to be considered:
1. Range
2. Cost
3. Time-to-market.

New propulsion systems must be designed, tested and optimized more effectively than any predecessors. This requires a new engineering method based on a complete system approach.

Designing the best individual components does not necessarily result in the best product.

We have pioneered a simulation process to optimise an EV powertrain for cost and range as a complete system. The Electrified Powertrain Optimization Process (ePOP) evaluates thousands of powertrain permutations and enables clients to “back the right horse” in the concept phase, significantly reducing risk.

A system approach can also help with NVH optimization, where many challenges remain. It requires the characterization of objectionable noise in the vehicle cabin and the effective correlation of all that includes back to powertrain excitation and response. This expands the analysis environment enormously and relies on tools that can generate and process large amounts of data then present the output in a way that can be used to make decisions.

If you want to know more, get in contact with us today.