Universal Hybrid Powertrain Controller for Integrated Hybrid and Electric Powertrains

Gentiam Consulting is developing a Universal Powertrain Controller (PTC) designed to optimize and manage hybrid powertrain systems for both ground vehicles and aviation applications. Current powertrain systems rely on custom integration, which is time-consuming and costly, leading to challenges in adapting new technologies to existing and new vehicle designs. The PTC aims to solve this problem by offering a highly configurable solution capable of seamlessly integrating electric motors, batteries, fuel cells, engines, thermal systems, and more. The PTC optimizes power flow, enhances fuel economy, and ensures dynamic stability and fault management across various vehicle types, including UAVs, VTOLs, ground vehicles like the Bradley Fighting Vehicle, and others. The development approach for the PTC is phased to ensure thorough testing and validation. Phase I focuses on simulation and Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) testing, integrating the PTC software within an emulated environment to simulate its functionality across multiple vehicle platforms. This phase also includes Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing to verify the controller's hardware and real-time performance. Phase II introduces the CopperBird and IronBird test benches to validate the PTC's control architecture and overall system integration, ensuring the controller is ready for on-vehicle testing. Phase III involves on-vehicle tests and prepares the PTC for commercial product adoption, including retrofits and upgrades to existing defense platforms. The final product will support a wide range of hybrid and electric vehicles, enabling dynamic power management to optimize performance, efficiency, and range. It allows seamless switching between power sources, improving operational flexibility for various mission profiles. Additionally, the PTC will contain the supervisory control over power conversion, conditioning, and delivery for different loads and sources, allowing for peak power bursts and efficient operations over extended ranges. It enables hybrid vehicles capable of stealth operations by minimizing thermal signatures through silent, battery-only operation. Gentiam's internal resources and parallel development efforts, including advanced system modeling, SIL, and HIL test environments, bolster the project. The team's extensive experience in powertrain system development across various vehicle platforms positions them well to deliver a PTC that accelerates the development and integration of hybrid and electric powertrains in both civil and defense applications.