Module Code - Title:
EE4041
-
ELECTRIFICATION OF TRANSPORT
Year Last Offered:
2025/6
Hours Per Week:
Grading Type:
N
Prerequisite Modules:
Rationale and Purpose of the Module:
This module will provide the understanding and skills required: to analyse the fundamental drivers behind the electrification of transport; to evaluate the current state of the art in electric drive systems including drivetrains, power electronics, energy storage options, charging and infrastructure requirements.
Syllabus:
Rationale for electrification of transport: climate change, pollution, energy security, economics.
Electric vehicles: passenger car, light van/truck, heavy goods vehicles, train passenger/freight, industrial, marine, aviation.
Power and Energy calculations: rolling resistance, aerodynamic Drag, gradients, auxiliaries.
Main components: energy storage, electric motors and drivetrain, power electronics, auxiliary functions.
Energy storage: Chemical energy, fuels, electrochemical cells, fuel cells, Li-Ion cells, energy densities, economics.
Battery stack of a typical electric vehicles: Battery modules, battery management systems, cell balancing, protection, safety and state of charge/health.
Recharging: Principle of constant current/ constant voltage/constant power methods, charging modes for electric vehicles, infra-structural requirements, and national charging infrastructures.
Ongoing and future directions of electric vehicles
Learning Outcomes:
Cognitive (Knowledge, Understanding, Application, Analysis, Evaluation, Synthesis)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
Describe the main components of a range of electric vehicles types and draw and label a schematic of the high voltage wiring in a modern electric vehicle including the safety and protection circuits. Calculate the power requirements for a vehicle based on speed, weight, aerodynamic drag and environmental conditions. Enumerate and evaluate energy densities for a range of energy storage technologies. Draw and label main components of a modern battery management systems and describe what the functions it provides are, and how they are achieved.
Enumerate and describe the recharging modes for modern battery and hybrid electric vehicles and calculate recharge rates and power transfer levels.
Affective (Attitudes and Values)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an appreciation of how electric vehicles play a role in a sustainable electricity grid. Discuss the relative advantages, disadvantages and future prospects for energy storage technologies in sustainable transport applications.
Psychomotor (Physical Skills)
On successful completion of this module, students will be able to:
N/A
How the Module will be Taught and what will be the Learning Experiences of the Students:
Research Findings Incorporated in to the Syllabus (If Relevant):
Prime Texts:
Ali Emadi (2014)
Advanced Electric Drive Vehicles
, Edited By Ali Emadi, ISBN 9781315215570 Published October 2, 2014 by CRC Press
M. Ehsani, Y. Gao, and A. Emadi (2009)
Modern Electric, Hybrid Electric, and Fuel Cell Vehicles: Fundamentals, Theory, and Design
, Second Edition, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press, ISBN: 978-1-4200-5398-2, Aug. 2009.
Other Relevant Texts:
Programme(s) in which this Module is Offered:
Semester(s) Module is Offered:
Autumn
Module Leader:
thomas.conway@ul.ie