Innovative Approach to Hybrid Vehicle Design Is Featured in U-M Short Course

ANN ARBOR, Mich., April 30 -- Participants in the unique short course "Design and Control of Hybrid Vehicles" set for May 28, 2008-30 at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor will leave with new skills and tools that they can use to dynamically analyze, simulate, and design for hybrid vehicles. In many cases, this dynamic design approach yields significant savings in comparison to other methods.

This dynamic method has been used in designing six different concept vehicles over the last eight years in research sponsored by the Automotive Research Center, General Motors, Chrysler, and the Eaton Corporation. In one particular design, without added cost, they achieved fuel efficiency that is 46% better than the non-hybrid version and 16% better than that typically produced using rule-based control.

The course covers overall integration of the hybrid vehicle and how systems work together. It is unique because of its focus on modeling and control instead of hardware components. The design method has many other vehicle powertrain applications in addition to hybrids.

Using a hands-on approach, case study examples, and simulation exercises, attendees will learn how to build dynamic models for hybrid vehicle concepts. Everyone who attends will receive several Matlab(R) Simulink(R) hybrid vehicle models.

It will be taught by Huei Peng, University of Michigan Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of Interdisciplinary and Professional Education Programs (InterPro) and Zoran Filipi, University of Michigan Research Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Assistant Director of the Automotive Research Center.

More information about "Design and Control of Hybrid Vehicles" and how to register is available at UMICH or call (734) 647-7200.

The short course is sponsored by Michigan Interdisciplinary and Professional Education (InterPro), part of the College of Engineering at the University of Michigan, which develops and delivers programs and services for engineers, managers, and technical professionals including graduate degree programs, distance learning, non-credit public short courses, professional certification programs, and conferences.