Summer School | Innovative Technologies in Automotive Engineering

The advanced module Alternative Vehicle Propulsion Systems covers alternative concepts for the propulsion of road vehicles. The importance of alternative drive concepts for the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions as well as the potentials and challenges are discussed.

During the course the different alternative drive concepts will be presented. On the engine side, these include unconventional designs of internal combustion engines with the consideration of alternative fuels (alcohol, natural gas, hydrogen) as well as gas turbines, Stirling engines, fuel cells and electric drives. Furthermore, the different types of continuously variable transmissions and power split drive structures will be discussed. Regenerative drives such as electric drives, pressure accumulator drives, flywheel drives and hybrid drives are another focus of the lecture. The different structures of hybrid drives will be taught as well as fuel cell and battery electric vehicles.

The advanced module Automated Driving aims to teach the technical basics of (full-)automated driving. The topic "automated driving" is structured and a general overview is given. This includes the history of automated driving, a current evaluation of its social aspects, the social framework in which automated vehicles are developed and used, the legal framework as well as the economic challenges and potential benefits.

The different levels of automation and connectivity of automated vehicles are explained according to different classification schemes. A functional architecture of automated vehicles will be introduced. An insight into the current state of developments is given. In addition, various components of the sensors required for automated driving will be presented, and the computer-aided processing of the data collected by the vehicle will be explained. Within the framework of a case study, the acquired knowledge is applied to independently develop automated driving functions in a test environment and to test their functionality.

The lecture deals with the different principles of the energy conversion as well as the main requirements on combustion engines, fuel cells and electric machines. On the basis of standard cycles, the thermodynamic coherences of the combustion engine process are shown. It also deals with the definition of the different efficiencies. The application of these coherences is carried out by dealing with important characteristic values for the layout of combustion engines. Under consideration of a classification of the combustion engines selected aspects of the engine technology are observed.

Furthermore the basic principles of electrochemical energy conversion in a fuel cell are introduced and influences on the operational behavior as well as important characteristic values are discussed. Conclusive the physical principles of electrical machines are approached and different machine types and their characteristic maps are introduced. The content introduced in the lectures is intensified in exercises based on practical examples.