A modified boost converter applied to the programmable test bench for Electric Vehicles´ load simulation

This paper presents a Programmable propulsion control and load simulator for electric vehicles, using a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The propulsion control involves the Indirect Field Oriented Control (IFOC) and the Space Vector Pulse Width Modulation (SVPWM) techniques, both applied to an Induction Motor. The load control is based on the modeling of the Electric Vehicle (EV), including aspects of aerodynamics, different speeds and inclination degrees. The implementation of the load control is performed through a Direct Current Machine (DCM) that is controlled by a Modified Boost Structure (MBS). The methodology adopted for this work includes a brief survey about state of the art, simulations in a MatLab-Simulink^® environment and an experimental prototype. The project was validated by computational simulations and experimental tests aiming at a comparative analysis between the theoretical and practical aspects, based on a reduced model that allowed adjusting the demands of a real electric car (Fiat Seicento Elettra EV) to the laboratory conditions usually available. Both simulation and experimental results have presented a great approximation, which is a good indicator of the technical viability of the developed project.