Thesis Worker at Volvo Cars
Welcome to explore the world of Volvo Cars by writing your thesis with us! As a thesis worker in our organization, you are supported by a supervisor who follows you during your project. All thesis projects are arranged in business-critical areas and therefore you will be able to contribute to our company purpose – providing freedom to move in a safe, sustainable and personal way – from day one!
About this opportunity - Background
As electric vehicles (EVs) and battery energy storage systems (BESS) become integral parts of household energy systems, optimizing their charging and discharging to balance energy consumption and grid constraints is crucial. A home energy management system (HEMS) can control the charging and discharging of an EV or a residential BESS, while considering household consumption, PV production, and grid fuse limits. However, the dynamic nature of energy usage requires a robust simulation tool that can accurately test different scenarios and optimize the system’s response in real-time.
This project will focus on developing a simulation tool in Simulink to model the interaction between a HEMS, an EV, a residential BESS, and household energy consumption with real-time data. The tool will enable testing of different scenarios and ensure that the HEMS is robust in providing user preferences while adhering to grid constraints.
Scope of the thesis work
The objective of this thesis is to develop a simulation tool in Simulink that integrates a home energy management system with an EV and a residential BESS. The tool will simulate real-time energy management, considering household consumption, PV production, and fuse protection at the point of connection to the grid. It will allow the system to perform optimization of EV charging and discharging while balancing household loads and maintaining grid fuse limits.
Scope
• System modeling: Develop a Simulink model that integrates HEMS, EV, BESS, household consumption, PV production, and grid connection.
• Real-time simulation: The simulation will use real-world data with a time resolution of 1 second for household consumption and PV production. The model will simulate 15-minute intervals in 1 minute to allow faster testing and optimization.
• Optimization: Integrate a control system that optimizes EV and residential BESS charging and discharging based on household energy usage, grid limits (e.g., 25A fuse), and user preferences (e.g., expected State of Charge (SOC) at the departure).
• Robustness testing: Test the robustness of the HEMS by running different scenarios, such as fluctuating household loads or varying PV production, and ensure that user preferences and grid safety are met.
Key Tasks
Simulink model development:
• Develop a Simulink model integrating EV and BESS charging/discharging with the HEMS, household energy consumption, PV system, and grid fuse limits.
• Implement real-time simulation, running 15-minute intervals in 1 minute for efficient testing over long periods and run the simulation for 12 to 48 hours.
Data integration:
• Use provided real-world data for household energy consumption and PV production with a 1-second resolution.
• Incorporate grid fuse protection (25A limit) and phase balancing constraints into the model.
Optimization and control:
• Integrate optimization algorithms for EV and BESS charging/discharging that dynamically respond to household loads while maintaining grid fuse and phase balancing limits.
• Ensure that the system accounts for the EV’s SOC and adjusts the optimization accordingly.
Testing and validation:
• Run multiple scenarios (e.g., varying household loads, different PV production levels, and user preferences) to test the system’s robustness.
• Ensure the simulation tool can handle real-time data and optimize the system in accordance with user-defined goals and grid constraints.
Performance evaluation:
• Analyse the performance of the HEMS in different scenarios, particularly how well it adapts to the changes that fuse protection, load balancing, or phase balancing could impose, while achieving user preferences.
• Validate the tool’s accuracy in reflecting real-world conditions and ensuring safety and efficiency in energy management.
Outcome:
The developed simulation tool will enable real-time modelling of charging and discharging of EVs and residential BESS in conjunction with a home energy management system, considering household consumption, PV production, and high-level control features such as fuse protection, load balancing, or phase balancing. The tool will provide a platform for testing the robustness of the home energy management system and optimizing the system, ensuring that user preferences are met while maintaining grid safety and efficiency.
Reporting
Regular progress reports will be provided throughout the project. A final report will detail the simulation tool development, testing results, and recommendations for future work.
What you´ll bring
• Education: Master’s in electrical engineering, power systems, energy systems, or a related field
• Knowledge of energy systems and power systems.
• Strong programming skills in MATLAB, Python, or other relevant languages.
• Experience with Simulink modelling
Duration
• The work will start in January 2024 to be discussed
• The duration for this thesis work is 20 weeks.
• 30 ECTS (academic credits) if in agreement with your Thesis Advisor in University
• This thesis is to be conducted 1 Student.
Be part of the change – apply today!
Applications should include your CV and a brief personal letter stating your interests within the given area and your thoughts and credentials. We are continuously screening applications and will fill the position as soon as we find a good match. So do not hesitate to send in your application.
Apply as soon as possible but no later than 2024-11-30
Please note that due to GDPR applications via email will not be accepted.
If you want more information about the project or simply learn a bit more about the team, please reach out to:
Manager, Jacob Edvinsson at jacob.edvinsson@volvocars.com
Supervisor, Ali Fotouhi at Ali.Fotouhi@volvocars.com
Who are we?
Everything we do starts with people. Our purpose is to provide freedom to move, in a personal, sustainable and safe way. We are committed to simplifying our customers’ lives by offering better technology solutions that improve their impact on the world and bringing the most advanced mobility innovations to protect them, their loved ones and the people around them.
Volvo Cars’ continued success is the result of a collaborative, diverse, and inclusive working environment. The people of Volvo Cars are committed to making a difference in our world. Today, we are one of the most well-known and respected car brands, with over 40,000 employees across the globe. We believe in bringing out the best in each other and harnessing the true power of people. At Volvo Cars your career is designed around your talents and aspirations so you can reach your full potential. Join us on a journey of a lifetime as we create safety, autonomous driving and electrification technologies of tomorrow
