Maria Chiara Rondano

Ph.D. candidate in Ingegneria Meccanica , 41st cycle (2025-2028)
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (DIMEAS)

Profile

PhD

Research topic

Electrification of Agricultural Tractor Vehicles

Tutors

Keywords

Vehicle design / Progetto del veicolo
Finite element analysis / Analisi a elementi finiti
Machine design / Progetto di macchine

Biography

The growing interest towards the improvement in terms of performance and efficiency in working vehicles is pushing the academic research community and the manufacturers of these machines towards new challenges in the field of mechanical engineering.
Nowadays, the use of optmized hybrid and electric powertrains is demonstrating its effectiveness in satisfying these needs, but is still open the discussion which set against each other solutions fully electrified and hybrid ones where the joint cooperation of thermal engines and electric solutions can improve the overall characteristics of the machine. Recently, also in the frame of paradigma 5.0, in the field of working vehicles autonomoud methods of autonomous drving is a new and demanding task. Especially in the field of agriculture, construction and handling are characterized by very hostile working conditions, requiring specific design and optimization strategies to protect the most critical subsystems.
The adoption of electro-mechanical components and new driving algoritm in these harsh environment requires a specific knowledge in estimating the effects on their functionalities. The development of electric powertrains opens also these type of machines towards the application of innovative technologies for automatic guidance and task accomplishment in unstructured environments which still represents an open discussion due to the variability of the terrain conditions.

The main objectives of the research can be anticipated schematically as follows:
- Mechanical design and simulation of working vehicles
- Mechanical design of powertrains and subsystems for electric-hybrid applications in working vehicles
- Design and development of test benches for electric powertrains performance evaluation
- Development of test procedure to simulate mechanical loads from field experimental data
- Field tests and measurements in the frame of paradigma 5.0
- Design and simulation of vehicle dynamic behaviour in unstructured environments with deformable ground. Evaluation of the benefits of electric systems in improving vehicle performance in case of deformable ground
- Design and simulation of mechanical performance of battery pack solutions to be used in working vehicles solutions
- Development of data acquisition systems for field tests.