Sizing tool for rapid optimisation of pack configuration at early-stage automotive product development

The specifications that define an automotive development project are established at an early point in the process and define the direction of such a development, and changing these decisions becomes more costly the further the project progresses. Tools to enable better consideration of choice can help prevent this. The tool presented is designed to aid with the decisions needed when embarking on the development of a vehicle that incorporates electric-vehicle technologies and the important choices made regarding the battery pack required by such a vehicle. The tool incorporates a sizing model for determining the number of cells and the configuration required to meet a specified battery requirement. The tool then uses a 1-d model to determine some of the basic thermal and power characteristics that can then be used to inform other parts of the design specification. When attached to a database containing cell information, the tool can pre-select candidate cells to meet the requirement, and rapid execution time of the tool means that it can be used to quickly compare between cell choices, at a level understandable by all stakeholders in the decision making process.