IEEE VTS Motor Vehicles Challenge 2020 - Deadline Approaching

The fourth IEEE VTS Motor Vehicles Challenge is focused on a heavy-duty hybrid electric vehicle called ECCE, powered by a 30kW PEM fuel cell, 540V 16F ultracapacitors and a 540V, 73Ah battery pack. The fuel cell, the ultracapacitors and the traction motors are connected to a 540Vdc bus via power converters. The battery is directly connected to the dc bus.

The challenge is to propose an Energy Management Strategy (EMS) to reduce the hydrogen consumption and to increase the lifetime of the energy sources. A Matlab-Simulink model of ECCE and its control will be provided to the participants. Both industrial and academic teams are welcomed to propose their own EMS. Two power profiles are provided to evaluate the EMS. However, the solutions will be scored using a third secret profile.

Important dates:

• December 15th 2019: closing date for registration, you can start to work right now. The participation is free.
• February 8th 2020: Energy Management Strategy submission deadline
• February 29th 2020: Results

The participants will be invited to attend the 2020 IEEE VPPC conference. This competition is open to everyone (students, academics, industry). A participant must be a VTS member at the time of registration in order to receive the grant.

"In October 2016, a first international challenge devoted to the energy management of a fuel cell/battery vehicle was launched during the 2016 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (50 participants from 14 countries). Following the success of this first initiative, IEEE VTS and US DOE Argonne National Laboratory has proposed a second challenge focused on the energy management of a Range Extender Electric Vehicle, the Chevrolet Volt (98 participants from 19 countries). The third edition, organized by the SNCF (the French railway company), focused on a dual mode locomotive received solutions from 101 participants from 15 countries," stated the Challenge Committee - Prof. Javier Solano, Prof. Samir Jemeï, Prof. Loïc Boulon, Prof. Luis Silva, Prof. Daniel Hissel and Prof. Marie-Cécile Péra.

"Today, we are very proud to bring this new challenge. The top scoring participants will be distinguished and invited to present their results in a special session at the 2020 IEEE Vehicle Power and Propulsion Conference (VPPC) in Gijón, Spain," the Challenge Committee's statement concluded.