Andrew Williams

Name: Andrew Williams

Research Title: Quantification of Plausibility Cross-checks in Safety Related Control System Architecture Design in Automotive Applications

Name of Director of Studies: Dr. Manjit Singh Srai

Key Contact Details - Email: andy.r.williams@rdvs.co.uk

About the Project: The research aims to prove that close correlation can be demonstrated between the Plausibility Cross-check (PCc) quantification method developed during the study of automotive control systems at the system architecture concept stage, and the Single Point Fault Metric and Latent Fault Metric calculated during verification of the final design.

This work ensures that a number of architecture proposals can be analysed quickly and in a quantifiable way at the start of the design project, allowing the most appropriate architecture to be taken forward into the detailed design lifecycle.

Research Activities: Methodology development for the quantified analysis of vehicle system architectures.

Application of the method on various vehicle systems (battery management systems for electric vehicles, isolation measurements systems for electric vehicles / hybrid vehicles).

Full evaluation of final electronic control unit design to calculate the final single point fault and latent fault metrics as defined in ISO26262.

Findings: The method gives a high confidence level at the start of the project that the architecture selected through a quantitative selection process is capable of achieving the safety goals and their associated Automotive Safety Integrity Level (ASIL) targets.

The early adoption of an architecture capable of meeting the required ASIL targets will require fewer iterations in the design phases of the lifecycle, thereby reducing the likelihood of late design changes. The method has been applied in both new vehicle architectures and also the retrofit of an electric drive system into an existing diesel powered vehicle.

Achievements: Presentations given at 4th Advanced Powertrain Symposium (2011), Vector UK Conference (2012) SIAT Conference (India 2013) conferences. The methodology is now used at work with a number of customers to perform initial architecture analysis and offer proposals for improvement which increase safety and offer benefits in terms of reduced development times and improved unit/design costs.

Affiliations: R&D Vehicle Systems