Shareholders, Supervisory Board and management bodies ...

02
Annual Report 2008
Management report
Structural report
20
Annual Report 2008
Konzept (DG Demo Network Concept) project in 2008. In cooperation with Austrian system operators,
researchers at the Energy Department developed flexible voltage management strategies
aimed at maintaining supply quality even where there is a high proportion of distributed electricity
generation. The outcome of the project was four innovative voltage control concepts which keep
voltage within the specified limits and maintain security of supply even under conditions of increased
distributed generation. Large-scale grid simulations were used to validate the new control concepts,
and demonstrated that they were both technically and economically feasible. Not only did they
enable a considerably higher density of decentralised generators to be integrated than with conventional
methods, but in the network areas observed the alternative approaches were actually three
to five times less expensive than the current strategy of network expansion. The next step will be to
tailor the control concepts still more closely to real operational requirements, and validate them in
practice over one to three years of demonstration operation.
2.1.6.3 Mobility
The Mobility Department focuses on developing solutions for environmentally sound, safe and cost
and energy efficient mobility. The department‘s stands out for its holistic approach which involves
taking a systemic view of vehicles, infrastructure and personal transport. This in turn opens up new
research perspectives.
Light alloy frames and bodies, and electric drives for alternative vehicle design concepts
Zero noise and exhaust emissions are the striking feature of the innovative sports model developed
in 2008 by motorcycle manufacturer KTM Sportmotorcycle AG and the drive technology experts at
the Mobility Department. Thanks to a powerful intelligent electric drivetrain that suits a wide range
of riding conditions, the performance of the new motorcycle is comparable to that of conventional
counterparts.
The brief for the first zero emission KTM Enduro was to combine maximum performance and range
with minimum vehicle weight. Developing the drivetrain involved selecting appropriate battery
technology, designing the battery system including battery management, developing a safety and
control concept, and designing an optimised electric motor. Following promising trials, the zero
emission prototype has moved from the research to the production ready development stage.
Energy-efficient mobility demands new drive technologies and lighter vehicle structures. The
department therefore focuses on novel methods for designing safe lightweight vehicle assemblies
made of aluminium and magnesium alloys. Thanks to the greatly reduced machining costs in comparison
to conventional body shells, the space frame — a structure consisting of extrusion sections
and cast nodes — is ideally suited to low and very low volume production. The aim is to create
space frames for a new generation of lightweight vehicles with alternative drives that meet existing
safety standards.
The simulation based development of a space frame structure for a lightweight electric drive vehicle
was completed in 2008. The basic appearance of the vehicle was the starting point for defining the
“packaging” — the exterior dimensions, wheelbase, and the position and weight of the electric motors,
battery and driver. The project team developed software to compute stresses when cornering
and braking, among other parameters. The packaging also determines the interior space provided
by the frame. A body frame using light alloy profiles and cast nodes was virtually developed for this
space and the other specifications.
Dynamic optimisation of transport systems
Dynamic management and guidance of large numbers of people is essential for the success of
major events. The RAVE control system uses objective, automatically captured data to manage traffic
flows at important hubs (such as railway platforms and entrances). Specially developed control
rules translate information on traffic volume into instructions for portal management. Intelligent
management like this maximises traffic throughput — for example, at large-scale events — and