Abstract
Research Objective
The ongoing electrification of the drive train leads to major structural changes in the automotive development. More and more so far non-automotive technologies obtain key positions in the vehicle development. Therefore a closer and deeper cooperation between OEMs and suppliers or research institutes, which provide these technologies, is expected and has to be supported. The objective of this contribution is to develop a method for planning and designing a distributed validation environment (DVE) to support the challenge of future validation. A DVE describes a validation environment, where at least one part of it (e.g. simulation model, test bench) is off-site.
Methodology
An investigation of validation environments has been carried out between several German project partners, which are all working in different fields of automotive engineering. The information was then analyzed and structured according to a description model from different points of view e.g. systemic interdependencies of the validation environments (VE) based on the IPEK X-in-the-Loop-Approach. In the second step based on a created infrastructure catalogue of the project partner possible designs of the DVEs are developed. These DVEs are then illustrated in different diagrams showing the system in development for a specific use-case.
Results
Different forms of DVEs will be modeled in a framework consisting of a description model and different depictions of the interdependencies. These diagrams for specific structures of DVEs are based on the IPEK XiL-Approach. Thereby, the design of suitable DVEs can be supported in the product development process. Examples of specific DVEs are given and classified into the framework. They can be set up over the whole development process for best flexibility and efficient usage of overall resources. DVEs assist the engineer in creating a continuous validation tool chain from the simulation to testing procedures with physical prototypes in collaborative product development. In the context of the product generation development in the automotive industry this is important to take full advantage of the synergy effects between each product generation of each supplier and the OEM.
Limitations of this study
This contribution is only about modeling and methodology for creating DVEs. There is no detailed analysis given about the feasibility of specific DVEs. Especially, the quality of data transmission and the network structure in a DVE have to be considered for this issue.
What does the paper offer that is new in the field including in comparison to other work by the authors?
The framework for describing a DVE is new and supports the corresponding realization. Previous work just deals about the feasability of a specific application. Further, a model for representing DVEs is presented and used to show interdependencies under different views.
Conclusions
A new framework for describing the DVEs is presented and is used to design specific configurations. Different types of diagrams based on the IPEK XiL-Approach are developed to show the structure for a specific VDE. With the enhanced understanding of DVEs a distributed vehicle development can be supported.
Keywords : Validation, X-in-the-Loop, Distributed Vehicle Development, Distributed Validation Environment