With over two decades of engineering expertise, Alma Automotive emerges as your trusted partner for the analysis, design, and development of electronic devices tailored to various market sectors, including motorsport, automotive, industrial, and aerospace. Alongside our extensive knowledge base, we take pride in our diverse and cross-functional skills, enabling us to offer a full-service approach to managing your products. We handle everything from evaluating technological feasibility to electronic and mechanical design, from producing both large and small batches to conducting electrical and functional testing.
Over the past two decades, we have honed our ability to create targeted algorithms to achieve specific results across a wide range of sectors. With our team of highly specialized developers and engineers, we identify challenges and resolve them with the utmost precision, always striving for excellence. Our experts delve into complex mathematical operations to optimize functionality in any project, utilizing programming languages such as Matlab, Simulink, or Labview.
Furthermore, we offer post-processing services for data acquired through common tools in the automotive and industrial fields, including Matlab, LabVIEW, Diadem, Wintax, INCA MDA, Concerto, and more.
Alma Automotive also excels in designing tailor-made mathematical models for simulations, thus avoiding costly experimentation in terms of time and resources. We can even enhance and refine models previously developed by our clients.
Your excellence is our mission.
Capabilities
Product development
- Computer-aided electronic and mechanical design for electronic boards
- Software development expertise in C, C++, Python, and JavaScript
- Creation of graphical interfaces for PC host, cloud, and HMI
- Prototyping: quick results for field testing
- Custom device production, in single or multiple batches
- Supply of customized End-of-Line (EOL) testing equipment with automation software
Driveline-Vehicle Modeling
- 4 wheels and 2 wheels vehicles capabilities
- Detailed driveline models, with the ability to simulate torsional oscillations: used for traction control strategies definition (SIL, up to>40 dof)
- Simplified 0-d control-oriented driveline models for HIL systems with the integration of internal combustion engine and/or electrical motors. Capabilities of simulate hybrid layouts, dual clutch, dumpers, elastomeric couplings, differential, 2-4WD, CVT.
- Detailed vehicle dynamics models (effect of wheel torque/steering angle on vehicle behavior, effect of electric motor torque on vehicle stability) up to 12 dof
- Simplified 0-d control-oriented vehicle models for HIL systems. Capabilities of simulate longitudinal and lateral vehicle dynamic, steering effect, rigid and dynamic (Pacejka) tyres behavior, boundary conditions (wind, grade, road friction…)
- Driver models for speed tracking purpose and lateral path tracking
Internal Combustion Engine & Electric Motors Components Modelling
- Detailed models of ICE portions/components to define control or diagnostic algorithms
- Detailed models of electric motors portions/components to define control or diagnostic algorithms
- Ancillaries and secondary systems: Dual Mass Flywheel, turbocharger, tank/canister circuits, internal EGR
- Complete combustion process with statistical approach on knock phenomena
- Test-bench joints modeling for torsional vibration evaluation
- Engine thermal modeling for thermal management
- EV Battery model and thermal behavior
- Sensors modeling (UEGO, in-cylinder pressure, etc.)
- Actuators modeling (Throttle, pumps, hydraulic and electrical valves, etc.)
Control and Diagnostic algorithms
- Development of Engine Management Systems for Gasoline, Diesel and advanced combustion (PCCI, HCCI, RCCI, TJI, SACI)
- Torque management: torque (and combustion phase) estimation based on engine speed measurements
- AFR control: cylinder-by-cylinder control with a single lambda sensor
- VVA/VVT control for optimal efficiency
- Traction control for best performance
- Spark Advance/AFR control for best performance
- Fuel management: fuels, water and H2 with single or multiple injections logics
- Misfire detection estimation based on engine speed measurements/ion current signal analysis
- Knock diagnosis by means of microphones, ion current, accelerometers, in-cylinder pressure signals
- Leak detection in the fuel circuit
Engine-Vehicle Behavior analysis
- High-speed camera acquisition and synchronization with engine signals: the system has been used for various purposes, such as sliding clutch evaluations, air entrainment into engine lubricant
- Turbocharger speed estimation based on acoustic emissions
- On-board stereoscopic image acquisition of tyres for deformation evaluation
- Torque-meter based on shafts torsion
Engine calibration
- Ion signal controller: definition of ion current-based indexes for best correlation with pressure signal
- Optimal parameters calibration (common rail) methodologies
- Development of custom tools (standalone or to be integrated in testbench management systems) for calibration
- Automatic calibration of Prail and VVT (Intake, Exhaust) for GDI engines (Matlab-INCA)
- SCR control parameters calibration
- Complete engine calibration on the test bench for complex engines (GDI, turbo, roots, VVT, EGR, etc.) on Alma Automotive test facilities
