Integrating Hardware In The Loop Into University Automotive Engineering Programs

With the recent increase in complexity of today’s automotive powertrains and control systems, Hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulation has become a staple of the vehicle development process in the automotive industry. For university vehicle design and engineering programs to stay relevant, the industry development process must be mirrored in a low cost, efficient manner. HIL has been outside of the realm of possibility at universities due to the complex modeling techniques and information required, as well as the prohibitive cost. Supplying universities with low cost, function development-based HIL systems reduces the vehicle development time by parallelizing the process while educating students on cutting-edge vehicle design techniques. Reducing the complexity of the hardware reduces the overall utility however lessens the cost associated with networking Electronic Control Units (ECU). Also, developing simpler, lower fidelity models reduces required computing resources and cost. This paper will explore the required system configuration as well as the optimal fidelity of the models to allow for function development at the university with a low overall cost. As well, the paper will focus on the introduction of the HIL system into the university vehicle development process and the benefits of utilization.