Electrification of transportation presents a paradigm shift and a key enabler for the future 21st century city concept. “More” electric planes, ships, cars, and trains are finding more interest and are receiving increased attention from policy makers and researchers globally. In the UAE, the government has setup plans to develop suitable infrastructure for autonomous electric vehicles under the “UAE Green Agenda 2015-2030.” At least 25% of vehicles on the road in the UAE need to be electrically propelled vehicles by 2030. Yet, a number of obstacles still exist that make electrically propelled vehicles less attractive compared to internal combustion engine vehicles. One of the biggest challenges in this domain has to do with the limited energy storage capabilities of batteries. The energy density of current Li-ion batteries is still far-less than that of gasoline, which significantly limits the driving distance. In addition, the high cost of battery packs, relatively long-charging time required, and relatively short lifetime are all challenges that need more attention.
This project will consider the system and component level performance of a conventional electric vehicle powertrain system, which basically consists of 1- Storage Unit (Battery Pack) 2- Power Electronic Drive Circuit 3-Electric Motor 4- Speed Step-Down Gear Box 5- Control Circuitry. On a component level, special attention is allocated to the design of the propulsion motor were the development of a high-speed, magnetically geared in-wheel electric motor for direct drive connection will be pursued. Power conversion efficiency, size, and mass are some major metrics to be considered in the design process. A proto-type should be built and tested at the end of the project.
