Innovative analysis method in the development process of mechatronic systems at the example of electrical powertrains

The increasing electrification of powertrains within automotive vehicles is driven by the demand of alternative drivetrains and modern vehicle concepts. Based on this development trend, mechatronic systems within automotive engineering are gaining more importance. Simultaneously, quality and safety requirements become very challenging for car manufacturers as well as car suppliers regarding the decrease of default risk and increase of component reliability. In this context, the safety-relevant aspects in the development of mechatronic systems have to be considered. The high number of technical properties and complex connections of mechatronics systems in the development of modern vehicles requires innovative analysis and valuation methods. Classical analysing methods, such as Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Fault Tree Analysis (FTA), represent the state of the art. The aforementioned methods have been developed considering classical approaches and they suited for mechanical products in the past. However, the requirements of safety standards can only be fulfilled in combination with different analysis methods, which lead to redundancy and low efficiency. Therefore, conventional analysing methods do not provide satisfying solutions for complex mechatronic systems. A modern development process for mechatronic components requires a new, innovative analysis method to optimize the behaviour and fail functions within the system, to recognize hazardous situations, to evaluate their consequences, as well as to define measures to optimize the whole development process.