Driveline Model

1 . A system for modelling a driveline, wherein the driveline comprises a plurality of components, the system comprising:

a component-efficiency-processor ( 104 a, 104 b ) configured to:

receive a component model ( 102 a, 102 b ) for one or more of the plurality of components; and

generate a component-efficiency-map for the one or more components based on the received corresponding component model ( 102 a, 102 b ); and

a driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) configured to generate a driveline-efficiency-metric ( 108 ) for the driveline based on (i) the component-efficiency-maps for the one or more of the plurality of components, (ii) a driveline-layout ( 110 ) representative of a layout/inter-engagement of the plurality of components, and (iii) one or more driving-profiles.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor is configured to generate one or more additional driveline-metrics based on the received corresponding component model ( 102 a, 102 b ), wherein the one or more additional driveline-metrics are representative of one or more of the following characteristics: packaging size, power rating, durability, driveability, noise and vibration characteristics.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the component-efficiency-processor ( 104 a, 104 b ) is configured to generate the component-efficiency-map based on a component-detail-level ( 114 ).

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the component-efficiency-processor ( 104 a, 104 b ) is configured to:

make different physical or mathematical assumptions when generating the component-efficiency-map based on the component-detail-level; and/or

change the number of points used for generating the component-efficiency-map based on the component-detail-level.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the component models comprise component-form-information representative of physical dimensions of the associated component, and the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to:

generate a driveline-packaging-metric based on (i) the component-form-information for the one or more of the plurality of components, and (ii) the driveline-layout.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to:

convert one or more driving-profiles from the time-domain into a non-time-varying form; and

generate the driveline-efficiency-metric ( 108 ) based on the non-time-varying form of the one or more driving-profiles.

7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to generate the driveline-efficiency-metric for the driveline based on a time-varying mass of a vehicle associated with the driveline over the one or more driving-profiles.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the driving-profile comprises information about the time-varying mass of the vehicle.

9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to generate the driveline-efficiency-metric for the driveline based on a variable gradient associated with the one or more driving-profiles.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein the driving-profile comprises information about the variable gradient.

11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is configured to apply a tractive force equation when generating the driveline-efficiency-metric ( 108 ), wherein the tractive force equation is configured to determine tractive force required for a time-varying mass and/or a variable gradient associated with the one or more driving-profiles.

12 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to:

process a plurality of different drivelines and generate one or more driveline-metrics for each of the plurality of drivelines;

use the driveline-metrics to select a driveline, considering one or more of a range of performance targets.

13 . The system of claim 12 , in which the plurality of drivelines have variations in one or more or the following inputs:

driveline-layouts;

component models;

component-efficiency-maps;

component parameters;

wherein each combination of inputs represents a different driveline.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor ( 106 ) is further configured to:

process a driveline with a plurality of different control parameters and generate one or more driveline-metrics for each of the plurality of control parameters;

use the driveline-metrics to select a set of control parameters, considering one or more of a range of performance targets.

15 . A driveline-efficiency-processor for a driveline comprising a plurality of components, wherein the driveline can be operated according to a plurality of control-states-of-operation, wherein the driveline-efficiency-processor comprises:

an analysis-block configured to:

receive a plurality of component-efficiency-maps that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of components in the driveline;

receive a driveline-layout representative of a layout/inter-engagement of the plurality of components;

provide as an output, a set of operational-matrices for each component, wherein the set includes a matrix for each control-state-of-operation; and

a control-strategy-application-block configured to:

receive the set of operational-matrices;

receive a driving-profile that represents a plurality of vehicle-operational-requirements;

process the driving-profile and the set of operational-matrices for each component to determine one or more control-state-maps;

for the one or more control-state-maps, process the driving-profile and the set of operational-matrices for each component to determine a driveline-efficiency-metric; and provide as an output, data representative of (i) a control-state-map associated with the driveline-efficiency-metric; and/or (ii) the driveline-efficiency-metric.

16 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 15 , wherein the matrix for each control-state-of-operation in the set of operational-matrices comprises information about the efficiency of an associated component for a plurality of vehicle operational requirements.

17 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 15 , wherein the control-strategy-application-block is configured to:

a) determine a latest-control-state-map;

b) determine latest-component-efficiency-values for the driveline over the driving profile based on the set of operational-matrices and the latest-control-state-map; and

c) determine whether or not the latest-component-efficiency-values satisfy a predetermined criteria; and

if the latest-component-efficiency-values satisfy the predetermined criteria, then:

determine the driveline-efficiency-metric based on the latest-component-efficiency-values and the latest-control-state-map; and

provide as an output, data representative of (i) the latest-control-state-map; and/or (ii) the driveline-efficiency-metric;

if the latest-component-efficiency-values do not satisfy the predetermined criteria, then:

determine a revised latest-control-state-map based on the latest-component-efficiency-values and return to step b).

18 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 17 , wherein each control-state-map defines one or more switchover-thresholds between different control-states-of-operation, and wherein the control-strategy-application-block is configured to determine a revised latest-control-state-map by modifying the switchover-threshold(s).

19 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 17 , wherein the control-strategy-application-block is configured to determine the latest control-state-map by:

determining a net-battery-charge-increase value over the driving-profile for a plurality of control-state-maps;

comparing the net-battery-charge-increase values with each other or a predetermined threshold; and

based on the comparison, selecting one of the plurality of control-state-maps as the latest control-state-map.

20 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 17 , wherein the control-strategy-application-block is configured to determine the latest-control-state-map at step a) using initial-component-efficiency-values.

21 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 15 , in which the control-strategy-application-block is configured to calculate the driveline-efficiency-metric and control-state-map using an iterative process:

process the set of operational-matrices for each component and initial component-efficiency-values to determine an initial driveline-efficiency-metric for each control-state-of-operation;

process the initial driveline-efficiency-metric for each control-state-of-operation in order to determine an initial control-state-map;

optionally, alter a power-threshold-line between different control-states-of-operation to achieve a specified target value of net-battery-charge-increase over the driving profile;

calculate updated component efficiency values over the driving-profile using the control-state-map;

compare the component efficiency values over the driving-profile with those calculated in a previous iteration (or, in the first iteration, with the initial component-efficiency-values);

if the component efficiency values over the driving-profile have not converged to within a defined limit, repeat the process from the beginning using the updated component efficiency values;

if the component efficiency values over the driving-profile have converged to within a defined limit, provide as an output data representative of (i) a final control-state-map and/or (ii) the final driveline-efficiency-metric.

22 . The driveline-efficiency-processor of claim 15 , wherein the control-states-of-operation comprise one or more of:

(i) one of a plurality of modes of propulsion;

(ii) one of a plurality of gear ratios; and

(iii) one of a plurality of power-split-modes-of-operation.

23 . A method of modelling a driveline, wherein the driveline comprises a plurality of components, the method comprising:

receiving a component model ( 102 a, 102 b ) for one or more of the plurality of components; and

generating a component-efficiency-map for the one or more components based on the received corresponding component model; and

generating a driveline-efficiency-metric ( 108 ) for the driveline based on (i) the component-efficiency-maps for the one or more of the plurality of components, (ii) a driveline-layout ( 110 ) representative of a layout/inter-engagement of the plurality of components, and (iii) one or more driving-profiles.

24 . A method of processing for a driveline, wherein the driveline comprises a plurality of components, and wherein the driveline can be operated according to a plurality of control-states-of-operation, wherein the method comprises:

receiving a plurality of component-efficiency-maps that are associated with respective ones of the plurality of components in the driveline;

receiving a driveline-layout representative of a layout/inter-engagement of the plurality of components;

determining a set of operational-matrices for each component, wherein the set includes a matrix for each control-state-of-operation; and

receiving a driving-profile that represents a plurality of vehicle-operational-requirements;

processing the driving-profile and the set of operational-matrices for each component to determine one or more control-state-maps;

for the one or more control-state-maps, processing the driving-profile and the set of operational-matrices for each component to determine a driveline-efficiency-metric; and

providing as an output, data representative of (i) a control-state-map associated with the driveline-efficiency-metric; and/or (ii) the driveline-efficiency-metric.

25 . A computer program configured to perform the method of claim 23 .

26 . A computer program configured to configure the system of claim 1 .

27 . A computer program configured to configure the system of claim 15 .