Challenge

The research and development division of an international automobile manufacturer hired MPR Associates to test a series of algorithms that the client thought would prove to increase fuel efficiency in its vehicles by controlling the vehicle's cabin temperature. MPR won this project because of a strategic alliance with National Instruments, Inc. (NI), a leading manufacturer of data acquisition automation and control equipment.  MPR, which had competed against the manufacturer's internal R&D division, was selected to develop a system to implement the logic and show its results based on the specifications of a smaller scale industrial application. 

One of the first challenges for MPR was to compile several algorithms that had been pieced together from separate vehicles into a manageable study.  Because MPR's team was working with an embedded system, there were also specific software challenges that MPR had to address effectively.  The team had to develop and tune the control algorithms for the various system components. 

Approach

MPR was charged with developing a control and test system that replaced the vehicle’s HVAC system control and monitored the system’s performance.  This enabled the client to optimize the control algorithm to increase fuel efficiency.  Because MPR's team was working with portions of the control algorithms from a number of vehicles integrating the algorithms was more difficult.  Therefore, the MPR team chose to develop an executable version of the algorithm that allowed the user to manually enter data that would be provided by the HVAC system and to see the algorithm's response.  This ensured that the algorithm operated as the client intended before it was incorporated into the final system. 

Using National Instrument’s FieldPoint module, MPR designed the modular to quickly replace various aspects as needed.  An HVAC control system was used to test the vehicle's temperature.  The system used a central controller to command and monitor the remote terminal unit controllers and communicate with a laptop, which was used as the operator interface.  In developing the test system, which was to measure temperature throughout the vehicle cabin, MPR delivered a test platform using a laptop in the backseat and a wireless monitor in the front seat.  MPR also designed a user interface on a touch screen for use during testing, which allowed the user to tune the algorithms and immediately see the results.

MPR used LabVIEW to develop two programs.  The first program, embedded in the FieldPoint controller, acquires data and controls the system.  The second program, which was used on the laptop computer, controls the user interface in full test mode, communicates with the embedded program and archives test data.

Solution

MPR provided the control and data acquisition system that allowed the client to evaluate their concept for improving fuel efficiency.  The client then used MPR's system to perform its own testing.  MPR worked in collaboration with the client to develop the system so that it met specific testing needs, which included determining the correct algorithms, allowing the client to change certain tuning parameters and logging the results.

Benefits

In four months, MPR completed this project and provided the client with a test system for use in confirming that the new algorithm adequately controlled the vehicle cabin temperature and reduced fuel consumption.  MPR's decision to use NI FieldPoint modules proved to be a cost-effective approach for the client.  The data acquisition equipment specified by MPR's competitors on the project was the traditional DAQ cards that are typically used in laboratory testing.  Although the data rate of these cards is much higher, the cost is also greater than what was required for this application.  MPR recommended using the NI FieldPoint modules, which are designed for industrial control applications and have a lower data rate, because they were still fast enough for this application and cost-effective.

MPR also achieved significant time savings by using National Instruments' LabVIEW to program the system software.  This is a programming language developed by the same company that manufactures the hardware, which enabled the MPR team to quickly develop software that seamlessly communicated with the hardware.