ecoLIFE~3: An Approach for a Resource-Efficient Dimensioning of Vehicle Components based on a Holistic Optimization with Real Life Load Data: Paradigm Shift in Transmission Engineering Based on Big Data

摘要

According to the state of the art, vehicle components are designed to meet specific requirements regarding their useful lifetime based on standardized testing procedures. However, these procedures are defined by a very small group of drivers who by far exceed the average loading condition of components. That reduces drastically the overall resource efficiency. The Institute for Mechatronic Systems in Mechanical Engineering of the TU Darmstadt (IMS) and its spin-off COMPREDICT GmbH are working jointly on this problem and propose an innovative approach for an overall efficient right-sizing and lightweight design process in automotive engineering, so-called ecoLIFE~3. The main idea of this patent-pending and purely softwarebased method is that the global vehicle fleet becomes part of a continuously monitored optimization problem within a knowledge-based development process. By that, future vehicle components are designed within a multi-objective optimization based on a holistic approach considering among others monetary costs and CO_2-footprint. In that sense, a paradigm shift is introduced in vehicle components dimensioning, for which an equal or even higher level of reliability together with lightweight design and cost-neutrality are reached at the same time. This is done by so-called load & lifetime monitoring and, eventually, replacing components for the most extreme drivers while balancing this with the monetary advantage of smaller dimensioned parts.