MapleSim Drives Higher Fuel Efficiency in Cars

Sept. 16, 2011 - PRLog -- Bangalore, INDIA : AS RELEASED BY Maplesoft™, Waterloo, Canada, 15 September 2011: Maplesoft™ announced the MapleSim™ Driveline Component Library, a collection of components for driveline modeling applications. Built with the involvement of several transmission manufacturers, this MapleSim add-on covers all stages in the powertrain, from the engine to the differential, wheels, and road loads, as well as vehicle dynamics.

MapleSim is a physical modeling and simulation tool built on a foundation of symbolic computation technology. It efficiently handles all of the complex mathematics involved in the development of engineering models, including multi-domain systems, plant modeling, and control design. With MapleSim, engineers develop high-fidelity, high performance models in a fraction of the time it would take with other tools.  By using MapleSim together with the MapleSim Driveline Component Library, engineers can mix the best of physical models and empirical data to maximize model fidelity, optimize designs, and improve overall vehicle fuel efficiency.

One major advantage of this library is that the components use an acausal approach to model development, where the user can simply connect the components together in the required configuration without worrying about issues like torque direction and load flow. These issues are resolved automatically by the underlying solver. This makes it much easier, and significantly faster, to produce models of any complex transmission configuration from prebuilt components, compared to using traditional signal-flow simulation tools.

The library also provides an option that allows power losses to be readily incorporated into the model, either through external calculations or through the use of empirical look-up tables. For example, energy loss in the powertrain can occur due to tooth meshing, bearing friction, slip, and other factors.  This approach allows the user to maximize the fidelity of the model while introducing losses in a manner that best reflects how the loss data was acquired during testing.

“As automotive manufacturers strive to improve fuel efficiency of their vehicles, they’ve found that the transmission is one of the major sources of power loss,” says Paul Goossens, Vice President of Application Engineering at Maplesoft.  “Engineers are putting a lot of effort into assessing where power is lost, and what can be done to improve overall efficiency. MapleSim and the MapleSim Driveline Component Library greatly reduce the time and effort required for these tasks, and making it much easier for transmission manufacturers to reduce power loss through improved designs. The result will be more efficient vehicles on the roads.”

About Lanika Solutions

Lanika Solutions is a leading provider of high-performance technical software & hardware tools for engineers and scientists across Industries and academia. Its product offerings and support reflects the philosophy that given great tools, clients can simplify development, increase productivity, and dramatically reduce time to market. Lanika Solutions’ suites of technical products help clients to quickly solve practical problems within the framework of the premier products and services they provide.

Lanika Solutions partners with reputed principals developing industry leading solutions. Currently, Lanika Solutions is partnered with Maplesoft, Reactive Systems, Lyrtech, Visualization Sciences Group (VSG), Breault Research Organization (BRO), ExpertControl, Sigma Technology and DCG/ Powersys Solutions. Lanika Solutions offerings have been selected as the leading products available to scientists and engineers in their respective application areas. Lanika Solutions will continue to expand its offerings through organic growth in related technology/market segments as other premium solutions become available.

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About Maplesoft

Maplesoft™ is the leading provider of high-performance software tools for engineering, science, and mathematics. Its product suite reflects the philosophy that given great tools, people can do great things.

Maplesoft’s core technologies include the world’s most advanced symbolic computation engine and revolutionary physical modeling techniques. Combined together, these technologies enable the creation of cutting-edge tools for design, modeling, and high-performance simulation.

Maplesoft’s products help to reduce errors, shorten design times, lower costs, and improve results. The Maplesoft product suite includes Maple™, the technical computing and documentation environment, and MapleSim™, the high-performance, multi-domain modeling and simulation tool for physical systems.  

Engineers, scientists, and mathematicians use Maplesoft products to enable them to work better, faster, and smarter. Maplesoft’s customers include Ford, BMW, Bosch, Boeing, NASA, Canadian Space Agency, Canon, Motorola, Microsoft Research, Bloomberg, and DreamWorks, covering sectors such as automotive, aerospace, electronics, defence, energy, financial services, consumer products, and entertainment. With Toyota, Maplesoft founded the Plant Modeling Consortium to promote the development of new design techniques for automotive and related industries.

Visit http://www.maplesoft.com to learn more.