Chip Simulation for Virtual ECUs

QTronic User Conference 2018

Virtual ECUs and Applications
18th of October, Berlin, Germany

Dr. Yutaka Murata

Honda R&D Co., Ltd.

Automotive R&D Center

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 Contents

 Background
 Concept of model based simulation environment
 Engine simulation model
- ECU model
- Combustion model
- Catalyst model
 RDE simulation combined with vehicle simulation model
 Summary

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 2018 model new Civic

Fuel economy (CO2) Modified NEDC 1.6L diesel engine

91 g/km (6MT, Sedan)
93 g/km (6MT, Hachback)
109 g/km (9AT)

Exhaust emissions
Euro6d-TEMP

Civic

Passed RDE regulation and achieved 91 g/km

 RDE definition

Chassis RDE
dynamometer

Vehicle speed profile Fixed Depends on vehicle, driver, route, and traffic
Environment (Ta, Pa) Fixed Depends on season, weather, wind, and altitude
Straight, w/o gradient Depends on curves, altitude, road surface, passengers,
Road load force
(w/o PEMS) and baggage (with PEMS)
Repeatability with w/o

Difficulty to check RDE performance at all conditions during development

 Method for calibration and validation

Easy to simulate
Validation in real world
and calibrate
Chassis dynamometer Engine test bed Model
Tests on road (vehicle) (engine) (engine)
+ vehicle simulation + vehicle simulation + vehicle simulation

EiL (Engine in the Loop) MiL (Model in the Loop)

PEMS
Vehicle simulation: consideration of road load force change
due to curves, altitude, and road surface (weather, wind)

Necessity of model utilization for efficient development

 Contents

 Background
 Concept of model based simulation environment
 Engine simulation model
- ECU model
- Combustion model
- Catalyst model
 RDE simulation combined with vehicle simulation model
 Summary

6
 Flowchart of model utilization
Vehicle simulation
Vehicle simulation
(NEDC, WLTC, RDE)
etc. Vehicle model
Driver model
Route model
Traffic model
Ne, Te, Gear, V, etc.

Dynamic Engine simulation

Transient statistical
measurement combustion Synthetic
Experiment Boundary Dynamic (environmental model ECU Catalyst gas flow
definition finder DoE engine bench) model model test bed Calibration target
Base maps, environmental
corrections, controllers,
aftertreatment control etc.

Silver Simulation and Vehicle

software optimization Verification test
.hex

.a2l
.map

Coupling of vehicle simulation and engine simulation

 Engine simulation model

Combustion model
Vehicle
(Dynamic data based
simulation
statistical model)
Ne
Te Inputs: Outputs:
Tw Ne (Engine speed) Emissions,
Ta Te (Brake torque) temperatures,
Pa Main injection timing etc.
Gear Fuel injection pressure including
V VGT opening sensor values
HP-EGR valve opening fed back to Catalyst model
ECU model LP-EGR valve opening the ECU (LNT physical model)
Intake throttle valve opening model
Intake shutter valve opening
Tw (Coolant temperature)
Ta (Ambient temperature)
Pa (Ambient temperature) Engine Tailpipe
Combustion mode signal outlet emissions
emissions

Combination of ECU, combustion, and catalyst models

 Contents

 Background
 Concept of model based simulation environment
 Engine simulation model
- ECU model
- Combustion model
- Catalyst model
 RDE simulation combined with vehicle simulation model
 Summary

9
 Chip simulation for virtualize an ECU
HEX
.hex
Control for ECU
.obj
specification
Variables .mexw64
.a2l
setting
Scheduler .txt
MATLAB/Simulink
MAP file .map S-function
spec.
txt

Driver file (CAN, AD, etc.)

Virtual ECU
Real ECU (Chip simulation)

Control logic part

(Reuse possible)

Driver part
(Reuse impossible)

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Simulation based on HEX without control model and C code

 Combustion modeling approach

Physical model Statistical model

(0D-3D) (Empirical model, DoE model)

Use case: concept study, Use case: calibration,

advanced research
Necessity of parameters tuning based on measurement
data
Higher number of adjustment parameters
High predictive accuracy even at model extrapolation
region
High dimension -> low calculation speed
Suitable for engine hardware development and
phenomenological analysis
validation
Necessity of engine hardware and training data
Lower number of fitting parameters
High predictive accuracy at model interpolation region
High calculation speed
Suitable for model based engine calibration
(optimization)
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Statistical model is suitable for efficient calibration at later stage of development

 Advantage of dynamic DoE model

Steady state DoE model Dynamic DoE model

System input

System input
Measured input Measured input

time step
time step

Current
Current
Steady-state model Dynamic model
System output

System output
Measured output Measured output
Model output Model output

Time Time

 Steady state prediction  Transient prediction including time lag of

 Model fitting based on averaged measurement apparatus
measurement data  Model fitting based on recorder
measurement data
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Dynamic behavior expression considering histories of system input and output

 Dynamic DoE for combustion model

Engine
speed

Main injection timing

injection
Upper boundary

quantity
Fuel

Lower boundary
pressure injection
timing
injection Main
Fuel

pressure
Boost
Fresh

mass

Space filling test design

air

including steady state test design

LP-EGR
temperature fraction
Coolant

Time (sec) 13

Space filling methodology for the Gaussian Process Modeling (GPM)

 Dynamic modeling for engine combustion

Model structure for learning time dependent behavior:

Regression model with additional inputs and outputs from past time steps

Input
Input
Output

Reference:
T. Huber, M. Hanselmann, and T. Kurse: Use of Data Based Models to Predict Any RDE Cycles - Challenges,
Experiences and Results, 8th Emission Control Conference, Dresden (2016)
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Identification of nonlinear and time-dependent system

 Predictive accuracy of engine model
Urban Rural

Vehicle
speed
Motorway
Engine
NOx (mg/s) Measurement outlet

NOx (mg/s)
Simulation

Tailpipe

Soot (mg/s) Model input: engine speed, brake torque,

Measurement coolant temp., ambient temp., and ambient pressure
Soot (mg/s)

Simulation

gfuel (g/s)
Measurement
gfuel (g/s)

Simulation

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Achievement of quantitative emissions prediction at RDE

 Contents

 Background
 Concept of model based simulation environment
 Engine simulation model
- ECU model
- Combustion model
- Catalyst model
 RDE simulation combined with vehicle simulation model
 Summary

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 RDE-compliant virtual engine calibration

Requirement Requirement Allocate req. Engine Verification Validation

analysis to function emission
simulation
Regulation Vehicle
change simulation ECU modeling Powertrain
Virtual engine
自車情報

dynamic
calibration
速度生成（横制御）

レ ーン情 報

test bed
行動指針決定

軌道
将来予測

経路生成（縦制御）

WLTC
RDE …
Virtual prototype Vehicle
validation
H/W Measurement H/W modeling

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Utilization of virtual calibration and validation

 Vehicle simulation for RDE route
Route
Digitalmap
Digital map Simulation
Simulation
Rural

Motorway

Urban

Altitude

Urban
Urban Rural
Rural Motorway
Motorway

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Generation of vehicle speed by vehicle, driver, route, and traffic models

 Model based RDE performance evaluation
Vehicle, driver, route, and traffic models
←Vehicle simulation
Vehicle speed, engine speed, brake torque, and gear shift position
←Engine simulation
NOx, Soot, CO2 etc.

Altitude

Vehicle speed (km/h)

Altitude (m)
Vehicle speed
Tailpipe NOx
Rural

Motorway

Engine speed (rpm)

Gear shift position Brake torque
Engine speed

Torque (Nm)
Urban

Time (sec)
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Achievement of emission prediction with vehicle and engine simulation

 Evaluation of emission robustness

Simulation

6MT Total
Total 9AT (Urban+Rural+Motorway)
(Urban+Rural+Motorway)

Urban 6MT

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Validity confirmation of hardware selection and calibration data settings

 Summary

It is a challenge to sufficiently validate RDE performance under all conditions through

road tests during vehicle development due to wide range of validating conditions.

A model based development technology was established to simulate, verify and

calibrate the emissions performance of a vehicle.

RDE performance could be accurately predicted by coupling a vehicle driving

simulation with an engine simulation that includes an ECU model, combustion model
(dynamic data based statistical model), and exhaust aftertreatment catalyst model.

Use of the simulation model enabled robust validation of RDE performance under
various conditions that assume driving on actual roads.

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Thank you very much for your kind attention.

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