ProTRon
| Team proTRon | |
|---|---|
|
|
| motto | A project. Future to the goal. |
| founding | April 2006 |
| place | trier |
| Students | 70 |
| Employee | 6th |
| including professors | 6th |
| Website | www.protron.fh-trier.de |
The proTRon team is an interdisciplinary project at Trier University with the aim of developing future-oriented energy-saving vehicles. At the Trier location, the team consists of students specializing in mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, computer science and communication design. Since 2013 there has been a cooperation with the product design department of the Osnabrück University of Applied Sciences , which supports the project.
The "Team proTRon" project
history
In April 2006, the technology department decided to compete in the prototype class of the Shell Eco-Marathon 2007 in Nogaro in the south of France . Around 250 teams from Europe and North Africa take part in this international competition every year. A first experimental vehicle called proTRon was developed for this purpose. The term proTRon emerged from the synthesis of prototype and Trier.
In 2008 the starting signal was given for the new AERIS vehicle suitable for everyday use. The team thus took part in the UrbanConcept class of the Shell Eco Marathon from 2009. The objective was to meet the minimum requirements of the regulations and to adapt to higher requirements. This includes suitability for road use, the design for two people and the gain in know-how in processing materials with carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP).
Milestones of the proTRon team
- 05.2006 Project start: Development of the first vehicle concepts
- 05.2006–05.2007 proTRon I: Development and construction of the first vehicle
- 04.2007 Hannover Messe : Premiere of the vehicle at the Dassault Systèmes stand
- 05.2007 1st participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2007 - best newcomer since 1977
- 06.2007 Environment Week : Presentation of the vehicle at the invitation of the Federal President in Bellevue Palace Gardens, Berlin
- 09.2007 Future Radar Award: A recognition and sponsorship award from the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (1st place, research category)
- 05.2007–05.2008 Optimization of the proTRon I: Reduction of the total weight through optimized lightweight construction as well as increased efficiency in the drive train
- 05.2008 2nd participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2008
- 10.2008 Project start proTRon AERIS: The knowledge gained so far is used in the construction of a vehicle suitable for everyday use
- 11.2008 Karmann Design Workshop : Creation of a specification sheet and decision to build a two-seater as well as development of the first design studies
- 05.2008–05.2009 Optimization of proTRon II: Adaptation of the control strategy to the new event location EuroSpeedway Lausitz
- 12.2008–05.2009 AERIS vehicle construction: Thanks to the experience from previous years, the production of carbon fiber components could be further professionalized.
- 04.2009 Hannover Messe: The project will be presented at the stand of the company Natus and that of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate
- 05.2009 3rd participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2009 - Best German team; Highly Recommended Design Award for the AERIS
- 05.2009–05.2010 Optimization of proTRon III and proTRon AERIS: Construction of lighter wheel arches and development of a HIL system for the proTRon III; The drive of the AERIS has been optimized in terms of maintenance friendliness and functionality
- 05.2010 4th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2010 - Best German team; 2nd place in the overall ranking UrbanConcept
- 12.2010 Euromold : The team presents itself with both vehicles at the world fair for tool and mold making
- 04.2011 Hannover Messe: The project will be presented with the proTRon AERIS vehicle at the state of Rhineland-Palatinate's stand
- 05.2011 5th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2011 - Best German Team; 1st place overall UrbanConcept; World record for AERIS 2 with CO 2 emissions of less than 2 g / km
- 05.2011 The Minister of Science Doris Ahnen honors the successes at the Shell Eco-Marathon 2011 and speaks of a "really well-deserved reward for innovative and future-oriented thinking and action".
- 05.2012 6th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2012 - best German team; 2nd place overall prototype
- 06.2012 Environment Week : Presentation of the vehicle at the invitation of the Federal President in Bellevue Palace Gardens, Berlin
- 05.2013 7th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2013 Rotterdam - 2nd place overall UrbanConcept
- 05.2014 8th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2014 Rotterdam - 2nd place overall UrbanConcept, 3rd place overall Prototype
- 05.2015 9th participation: Shell Eco-Marathon 2015 Rotterdam - 2nd place overall UrbanConcept
successes
proTRon
| year | class | Evolutionary stage | Range [km / l] | Range [km / kWh] | Placement in class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon I | 1800 | 202 | 5th place |
| 2008 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon II | 2592 | 292 | 3rd place |
| 2009 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon II | 3178 | 358 | 3rd place |
| 2010 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon II | 2614 | 294 | 3rd place |
| 2011 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon III | 3465 | 390 | 3rd place |
| 2012 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon III | 3179 | 358 | 2nd place |
| 2013 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon IV | - | - | DNF |
| 2014 | Prototype Hydrogen | proTRon IV | 2995 | 337 | 3rd place |
proTRon AERIS
| year | class | Evolutionary stage | Range [km / l] | Range [km / kWh] | Overall rating (UrbanConcept) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | UrbanConcept Hydrogen | AERIS I | - | - | DNF |
| 2010 | UrbanConcept Hydrogen | AERIS I | 701 | 79 | 2nd place |
| 2011 | UrbanConcept "plug-in" | AERIS II | 2071 | 233 | 1st place |
| 2012 | UrbanConcept "plug-in" | AERIS II | 1648 | 185 | 3rd place |
| 2013 | UrbanConcept Solar Electric | AERIS III | 3010 | 338 | 2nd place |
| 2014 | UrbanConcept Battery Electric | AERIS III | 1946 | 219 | 2nd place |
| 2015 | UrbanConcept Battery Electric | AERIS IV | 205 | 2nd place |
vehicles
proTRon IV
Technical specifications
- Total weight: approx. 37 kg
- Fuel cell power: 300 W.
- C w value: 0.1
- area exposed to flow: 0.22 m²
- Dimensions: L 3.5 m; B 0.5 m; H 0.5 m
- CAN bus with telemetry and diagnostic functions
- Two electric motors drive the rear wheel directly via an integrated gearbox.
- Control units, specially developed and adapted for the proTRon
- Body and wheels made from CFRP using a vacuum infusion process.
proTRon AERIS IV
Technical specifications
- Total weight: approx. 145 kg
- Accumulator : 20.9 Ah at 16.5 V ( LiFePo4 )
- C w value: 0.18
- area exposed to flow: 1.02 m²
- Dimensions: L 3.5 m; B 1.3 m; H 1.1 m
- Photoactive area: 0.65 m²
- Seats: 2
- Road legal according to class L7e
- Top speed: 30 km / h for the Eco-Marathon ; 45 km / h in traffic
- CAN bus with telemetry and diagnostic functions
- Board computer with data logger
- Radio-controlled light and signal system
- Front-wheel drive via two electric motors
- Recuperative braking
- Double wishbones at the front
- Wheel suspension in hybrid construction (aluminum-CFRP)
technology
Lightweight construction
In order to significantly reduce the weight of a vehicle, it is possible to reduce the use of materials by optimizing the structure of the load-bearing components. The use of alternative materials such as aluminum and fiber-reinforced plastics enables masses to be reduced. In contrast to metallic materials, the force absorption of fiber materials such as glass or carbon fibers is not homogeneous, but rather depends on the orientation of the fibers. In this way, the strength of a component can be adjusted in relation to its requirements. The weight of the component can be further reduced without reducing the strength by deliberately removing material from the areas with low loads. Against the background of overall energy efficiency and cost reduction, hybrid structures made of different materials and construction methods will also be examined in the future.
Energy-efficient drive
The drive is purely electric and is adapted to the specifications of the vehicles. The necessary electrical energy for the proTRon is provided by a hydrogen-powered PEM fuel cell , while the AERIS is powered by a mix of battery and photovoltaics. The chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen separates charges and thus generates voltage. In order to be able to operate a fuel cell as well as a battery and PV cells efficiently, an adaptation to the performance data of the vehicle is necessary. This is done by specially developed control units and optimized ancillary units, which in the proTRon were integrated together with the fuel cell in an exchangeable rack. Powerful electric motors are used to convert electrical into mechanical energy, which can both drive and decelerate the vehicle via a transmission. To decelerate, the motors work in generator mode and feed energy back into the capacitor banks (supercaps). The energy gained in this way can be fed back into the drive if required. In order to implement an efficient overall concept, all individual components have been optimized in terms of their operating point. The AERIS draws its driving energy from a battery pack of the latest generation. State-of-the-art LiFeP technology is used. This guarantees short charging times, a long service life and high capacity.
Driving resistance and aerodynamics
Energy efficiency is directly related to the terms driving resistance and aerodynamics . In order to achieve the lowest possible air resistance in both vehicles, students examined and optimized their flow properties. This optimization was carried out with the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software Ansys Fluent, a high-end calculation tool that is also used in the automotive industry. Through constant optimization of details, C w values of 0.1 (proTRon III) and 0.18 (proTRon AERIS) could be achieved. Values that are achieved in the automotive industry are around 0.25. In parallel to the aerodynamically optimized body shape of the AERIS, a lightweight chassis suitable for everyday use was developed, which is based on modern cars. In addition to the statutory BOKraft regulation (turning radius 6 m), attention was also paid to reducing friction when cornering and thus keeping energy losses low. Furthermore, in-house developed wheels made of carbon fiber reinforced plastic and resistance-optimized tires are used in both vehicles, which are both light and roll with little friction.
Ergonomics and safety
The interpretation of all ergonomic influencing variables on driver and front passenger such as seat position, accessibility of control elements, field of vision according to the regulations and entry / exit was carried out on the virtual model in the CAE system CATIA V5 . A powerful module was available for this purpose, with the help of which virtual human models for the analysis of the human-product interaction could be created and simulated. In order to improve the safety of the occupants, the carbon fiber structure of the vehicle is adapted to the loads in order to improve both active and passive safety. In the next step, the vehicle is to be tested for crash safety on the test facilities of the Trier University of Applied Sciences in order to guarantee an acceptable safety potential in road traffic with the lowest possible weight.
design
With a length of 3.5 m, width of 1.3 m and height of 1.1 m, the AERIS complies with the maximum permissible dimensions of the Shell Eco-Marathon, but goes far beyond the required minimum standards in its possible uses. The interior offers space for two people with luggage and impresses with its attractive materials.
Individual evidence
- ↑ L'essentiel Online: 2000 kilometers with one liter of fuel , May 30, 2011.
- ^ Trierischer Volksfreund: The dream of all drivers , May 23, 2012
- ↑ a b Wochenspiegel: Computer science and environmental protection: two topics; an overlap ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , Aug 30, 2013.
