Naturalistic Driving Observation for Energetic Optimization and AccidentAvoidance

Completed Research Projects

EN-WIN

The EN-WIN (Using electric mobile trucks economically and sustainably) project is funded by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection through its “renewably mobile” program (Erneuerbar Mobil). EN-WIN aims to obtain the first ever target/actual comparison for the use of light to heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles by recording and analyzing typical, daily real driving data (driving distances, stop numbers, payloads, area, traffic, weather and interior data, etc.) as well as the planning data of logistics service providers. Until now, very little practical and experience data has been collected on heavy-duty electric commercial vehicles.

The project's overall goal is to develop, test and prototype a practical methodology that allows daily vehicle deployment to be controlled in such a way that the electric commercial vehicles used are always assigned to the routes/tours that make the most ecological and/or economic sense. To achieve this and gather the necessary experiential data, all test vehicles (and the corresponding benchmark vehicles) are outfitted with an axle load weighing system which makes it possible to collect data related to the dependence of the vehicle’s range and load capacity.

Economic and sustainable use of electric commercial vehicles is an important contribution to achieving the climate and energy aims in the transport sector. Over the course of 18 months, field tests under real conditions will be conducted, providing a direct comparison between conventional and battery-electric trucks. EN-WIN is characterized by the high quality of data expected from the project, its long test phase, as well as the broad range of tested electric trucks with permissible total weights of 3,5t, 7,5t, 18t and 26t. The use of vehicles with a permissible maximum weight of 12t is simulated.

The research project will also create a prototype for a prognosis model specifically for tours undertaken by electric commercial vehicles and applied in the tour and schedule planning of the three participating logistics companies as well as in real-life praxis. Additionally, partners from science and industry are developing an electric commercial vehicle with a permissible maximum weight of 26t and will implement it in the test phase under real conditions.

Partners:

  • Fraunhofer IML (lead organization)
  • TUB – FVB
  • Fulda University
  • Florida Eis
  • Ludwig Meyer Logistik

Website: www.en-win.de

Duration: January 2017 to December 2019

AMPERE

Project partners:

  • TU Berlin Chair of Automotive Engineering
  • Adam Opel AG
  • Vattenfall Europe Innovation GmbH

Duration: January 2013 to December 2015

AMPERE is a joint project of Adam Opel AG, the Vattenfall Europe Innovation GmbH and Technische Universität Berlin and evaluates and analyzes the day-to-day use of over 300 range-extended vehicles. The employed Opel Ampera has an electric range of 40 - 80 km and can also use its internal combustion engine to power a generator to drive longer distances. This European fleet test of electric vehicles thus delivers valuable information about the use of such electric vehicles and infrastructure under real conditions.

In a first step private participants will be identified and classified. A subsequent survey in combination with data recording will be used to analyze the real usage behavior. Based on the findings, recommendations will be made to optimize specifications for future electric vehicles as well as for better integration into the electric economy. This project analyzes the real usage behavior with regards to economic and ecologic aspects

and aims to answer the following questions:

  • What can we learn from day-to-day life about the meaningful use of electric vehicles?
  • Which motives to buy an electric car can be deduced from the usage of an E-REV?
  • How do the different operating modes of an electric vehicle affect the energy saving potential compared to a conventionally powered vehicle?
  • Does the electric range of the Opel Ampera meet actual user requirements?
  • How big would the energy saving potential be if the battery capacity were determined by individual customer requirements? How would that affect the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)?
  • Which conclusions, based on actual user charging behavior, can be drawn about the demand on the infrastructure?
  • How important are renewable energies for users in terms of mileage as well as for use at home/the office?
  • How great is the absorption potential for (excess) power from renewable energies? How can additional actions (e.g. rating) influence this potential?
  • What impact does access to (or lack of) charging stations in public and semi-public space have?
  • What are the demands on load management as a result of vehicle charging?

Streetprobe

The aim of the StreetProbe funding project is to provide a cost-effective and efficient system for the early detection and recording of road damage and its development over time throughout the German road network. This is intended to reduce maintenance costs and future investment expenditure for the German road network, and to increase the performance and safety of roads and the satisfaction of road users.

Road condition recording is an ideal area of research to test the possibilities and limits of vehicle-assisted measurement and analyses procedures using a practical example: Generally, measurement runs and walk-throughs are carried out at regular intervals to identify and assess road damage and to recommend a course of action for possible reconstruction. This process is can be costly and imprecise. At the same time, repair/maintenance costs increase exponentially with the degree of damage.

This challenge has motivated TU Berlin to use the sensor technology that is already (or will soon be) in vehicles to assess road condition. The central objective is to enable a comprehensive and timely assessment of the condition of the pavement, including its development over time, with the involvement of a large number of vehicles.

The following questions are central to achieving this:

  • What method(s) can be used to provide an extensive, near-real-time pavement condition survey?
  • What are the minimum sensor and fleet size needed to achieve the central objective?
  • How do sensor signals need to be processed using digital signal processing and subsequent classification in the vehicle so that it is possible to transmit data from multiple vehicles in a fleet?
  • Can options for increasing driving comfort or road safety for drivers and passengers be derived from the applied process, and what (additional) requirements must be met to achieve this?

Project partners:

  • Robert Bosch GmbH
  • BaSt - Federal Highway Research Institute
  • Durth Roos Consulting GmbH
  • TU Berlin Chair of Electronic Measurement and Diagnostic Technology (MDT)
  • TU Berlin - FVB
  • 3D Mapping Solutions GmbH

Website: streetprobe.de

Duration: May 2016 to February 2019

komDRIVE

Project name: Electrification potential of commercial vehicle fleets as a decentralized energy source for urban distribution grids

Project partners:

  • TU Berlin Chair of Automotive Engineering
  • TU Berlin Chair of Sustainable Electric Networks and Sources of Energy
  • TU Berlin - Zentrum Technik und Gesellschaft
  • Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH (IEK-STE)
  • Zentrum für Sonnenenergie- und Wasserstoff-Forschung Baden-Württemberg

Duration: September 2013 to August 2015

Currently, it can be assumed that the traffic performance of the urban commercial transport sector will increase significantly over the next decades. Because electric engines are still unprofitable for heavy load transport in urban areas, diesel engines dominate the scene. As a result, the discussion about alternative drives primarily concentrates on passenger transport, although - in contrast to private users - commercial fleet operators fulfill many important requirements which make them ideal pioneer users for electric vehicles. By unilaterally focusing on passenger transport, the chance for an electrified urban commercial transport sector to contribute to a low-emission urban transport concept in the future is wasted.

The increasing proportion of decentralized power generation is leading to significantly increased requirements for the power distribution grid. Supply from distributed production units can locally lead to voltage range deviations and exceed maximum allowable utilization of network components. A further challenge for the production of electric energy from renewable resources (e.g. wind and sun) is safeguarding the balance between volatile generation and usage (production and consumption). As result, measures are needed which adjust consumption and storage of energy. Storing electric energy is quite problematic, however: either because there are not enough adequate geological formations available (compressed air energy storage power station, pumped storage energy storage station), energy storage is often only possible short term (e.g. balance wheels) or storage generates high costs (e.g. stationary battery storage units).

The komDRIVE project is meeting these challenges and developing a holistic strategy in order to

  • solve the problem of ongoing dominance of CO2 intensive diesel engines in the commercial transport sector in combination with its expected growth in traffic performance as well as
  • solve the problem of electric energy storage, taking the increased proportion of decentralized generated electric energy (locally produced energy) into account.

 

DRIVESS

DRIVESS is a European research project to study the ability of elderly people to drive a car in cooperation with the Swiss Working Group on Accident Mechanics (AGU), ETH Zürich and the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI). In Switzerland and other countries it is mandatory for the elderly to regularly have their ability to drive a motor vehicle tested. At the moment the Swiss do not have standardized test, instead a practicing physician is forced to rely on more or less subjective criteria.

The goal of DRIVESS is to develop an objective procedure that can be used to assess one’s ability to drive a motor vehicle. To achieve this, the relationship between different neuropsychological and medical testing procedures as well as driving ability is being studied. Results from naturalistic driving observations and driving simulator examinations are being compared to results from saccade measurements and attention tests. Driving tests on a defined route along public roads under normal conditions are conducted, providing insight into the required specific skills of the driver as well as possible testing methods. With the help of the driving simulator it is possible to simulate critical situations without danger or risk of injury.

Project partners:

TU Berlin Chair of Automotive Engineering
Arbeitsgruppe für Unfallmechanik (AGU)
ETH Zürich
Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI)

Duration: April 2012 to November 2013

Ecargo

ProjektEcargo - CO2 emission savings through the use of e-vehicles in commercial vehicle fleets

Duration: October 2012 to December 2014

Ecargo is a project by Volkswagen AG researching the possibilities to integrate alternative drives in commercial vehicle fleets. In addition to environmental aspects and optimization potential this project also researches the requirements of the individual user and the acceptance of such drives. The project findings will allow a more accurate prediction of future market perspectives.

TU Berlin is a subcontractor in the Ecargo project.

Contact information

Office TIB 13