Longitudinal Acceleration MATLAB Simulation

As Electric Drivetrain Lead, I developed a longitudinal acceleration simulation using MATLAB to analyze how various vehicle parameters influence straight-line performance and acceleration events for the FSAE competition. This simulation played a key role in selecting critical vehicle components, including the motor for the CP25E vehicle.


The simulation took into account a wide range of parameters, such as vehicle mass, weight distribution, wheelbase, final drive ratio, aerodynamic characteristics, motor specifications, and weight transfer effects. The output data included detailed tractive effort plots, maximum speed, 75m track acceleration time, and traction-limited speed, which I used to assess overall vehicle performance.
Tractive effort plot output for Emrax 208 Motor and mu = 1.7

Using this simulation tool, I was able to perform sensitivity analyses by sweeping vehicle parameter values to observe their impact on performance. This approach allowed me to identify optimal parameter ranges that maximize performance.

Final Drive Ratio & Mu Sweep


Cl & Cd Sweep

The simulation also played a pivotal role in selecting the motor for the CP25E vehicle. By evaluating various motor options with the simulation, I was able to identify the motor that provided the best combination of acceleration performance and efficiency, tailored to the vehicle's design.

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