F O C U S 2 1 FROM VARIANT CALIBRATION TO HYBRID OVERALL DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS The spectrum of electrification-related services AVL offers its customers is huge. Gerhard Kokalj: “In the context of overall development projects, the activities AVL is able to provide range from software and component development to hardware integration. We finish with the calibration work, but our specialists are involved in the project right from the start – which means from the moment the software functionality is specified.” If a vehicle’s drive system hardware has already been decided upon, AVL will also exclusively take care of software development and calibration. “In cases where all drive system components are already physically available, we create the control software before we do the calibration,” the head of Hybrid Calibration explains. Should an existing drive architecture be adapted to a certain vehicle, this is done in the context of a variant calibration – a job which is also performed by AVL, both for conventional powertrains and hybrid drives. DEFINING THE VEHICLE CHARACTER BY THE GEAR SHIFTING STRATEGY To obtain an optimal calibration result, a clear definition of the vehicle’s character, i.e. the brand DNA, is needed. “This means that we have to implement the objectives the OEM has defined for its particular vehicle or its brand as precisely as we can in the course of the calibration. When it comes to defining the DNA, the gear shifting strategy is a key factor,” Gerhard Kokalj adds. To make the gear shifting strategy objectively measureable, AVL has developed a new patented methodology (objectivized shift strategy analysis), which is currently exclusively being used by AVL in powertrain development. “By developing this methodology, we have managed to establish special criteria > AVL HyHab methodology on the chassis testbed. > Shift Strategy Assessment Criteria
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