VDS GROEP T

VDS GROEP T organises the second networking event on Wednesday February 18 in Leuven at 20h00. Main topics for this evening are the presentation of our plans for the future and a sneak preview of the VISION GT prototype. As a premium partner you will be the first to receive the most recent news and updates on the VDS project. On the agenda:

• 20h10 Patricia Ceysens - Flemish minister of Economy, International trade, Science and Innovation
• Arthur D’Huys - general manager of GROEP T
• Arthur Vijghen - VDS GROEP T Team leader: VDS GROEP T Reloaded
• Core partner - VDS GROEP T partnership
• Pieter Roels - VDS GROEP T Project manager: VISION GT Preview
• 21h30 Reception

The event takes place on campus Vesalius at GROEP T (A. Vesaliusstraat 13, Leuven, Belgium). You’re welcome to park your car free of charge on-site (access via the Dekenstraat side entrance).

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VDS GROEP T organises the second networking event on Wednesday February 18 in Leuven at 20h00. Main topics for this evening are the presentation of our plans for the future and a sneak preview of the VISION GT prototype. As a premium partner you will be the first to receive the most recent news and updates on the VDS project. On the agenda:

• 20h10 Patricia Ceysens - Flemish minister of Economy, International trade, Science and Innovation
• Arthur D’Huys - general manager of GROEP T
• Arthur Vijghen - VDS GROEP T Team leader: VDS GROEP T Reloaded
• Core partner - VDS GROEP T partnership
• Pieter Roels - VDS GROEP T Project manager: VISION GT Preview
• 21h30 Reception

The event takes place on campus Vesalius at GROEP T (A. Vesaliusstraat 13, Leuven, Belgium). You’re welcome to park your car free of charge on-site (access via the Dekenstraat side entrance).

Continue to the networking event page.

VDS GROEP T launched its first online newsletter. The team will publish four newsletter per annual. Each team briefly discusses the state of affairs, we provide a list of new partners, and a calendar of upcoming events. You can follow one of these links to download the newsletter of Q4/2008:

VDS GROEP T Newsletter Q4/2008 (low-res PDF, 1,53 MB)

VDS GROEP T Newsletter Q4/2008 (high-res PDF, 5,00 MB)

The VISION GT is a plug-in electric 5-door cross-over vehicle, based on the VISION 200 design. Our engineers mainly focus on the core business sub-systems: the design, development and production of a lightweight frame, high-efficient electric motor and the motor controller. The integration of these three essential parts will be combined with a substantial number of sub-systems from a donor vehicle: the VISION GT integrates the mechanical drive train, suspension, interior, steering and several electronic control units. The battery pack, drive train architecture and body panels will be co-developed by partner companies.

The VISION GT, the second VISION prototype, is going to show VDS GROEP T’s engineering qualities. Both interior and exterior will be functional in the first place, because of the technical/scientific approach. Similarly, the overall ergonomics and comfort of the end-user are considered less important. Nevertheless, we consider the safety and comfort of the driver a key objective, due to the planned endurance tests.

With respect to the VDS VISION, the VISION GT will be a 100% electric vehicle – not a hybrid. It can also board five adult people, instead of six.

Mid summer of 2008, VDS produced the first VISION prototype in the Turin, Italy. Based on this experience, VDS GROEP T now develops a second prototype, the VISION GT. It will be assembled in spring 2009. The prototype will effectively be used for drive tests and endurance tests. The VISION GT will be a VDS GROEP T car: it will show the lightweight frame, electric motor and motor controller to the maximum. The power train, power steering, suspension and braking systems will be incorporated from another existing car. Our researchers won’t focus on these integration components; the innovative sub systems have our priority.

This academic year, the frame team will focus on composites in particular. They want to develop and build a 100% carbon composite frame. Our researchers also explore the possibilities of flax fibres, because they have an impressive low life cycle impact – which is the de facto target of VDS GROEP T. The frame will be produced in cooperation with several industrial partners.

The motor team finished the design of the PMSM motor in September 2008. This motor is obviously controller by the PMSM controller, which will be finished in Q2 2009. The production of the Switched Reluctance Motor is scheduled in Q1 2009. The VISION GT will be driven by a 30 KW SRM motor. The SRM motor has significantly better results in the life cycle analysis, compared to all other electric motors. Next to a cheap, fast and environment friendly production, it has a very high efficiency while in use.

The motor controller team will focus on two specific domains: the hardware implementation of the PMSM controller algorithm – both controller and high power electronics – and the first develop cycle of the SRM algorithm. In Q2 2009 VDS GROEP T will show their PMSM controller, and a first version of the SRM algorithm.

Leuven September 22 2008 – Vehicle Design Summit (VDS), the very first university knowledge network for the automobile industry, launched the VISION's first prototype in Turin. The VISION 200 is presented at the prestigious DREAM Expo at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile in Turin, Italy, until the end of November. The expo selected 50 cars of the future to be showcased at the Museo Nazionale dell'Automobile. The car stands side to side with famous classic cars of Bertone, Ferrari and Maserati.

The 200 is the first prototype in a line of cars to be expected over the coming years. The final version, a hybrid plug-in car weighing less than 600 kilograms, has an energy-equivalent of 1.2l/100km and a 20%-reduction in lifecycle costs compared to current standards.

VDS is an international project for which Group T collaborates with major international universities such as M.I.T. (US), Harvard University (US), TU Delft (The Netherlands) and Tsinghua University (China) to develop the car of the future. VDS GROEP T plays a key role in the project as it takes care of the frame, the electrical engine, and the motor controller.

The lull before the storm. At the moment, all VDS GROUP T Members are studying themselves to death. Still, no one is 100% focussed: the VDS Europe Design Review is coming up.

On January 23, not even a day after their final exam, the frame team and I will travel to sunny Milano, to stay there for over three weeks. Objective: define and build the first Vision mock-ups. The frame team will start with defining the design space. Simply said, Thijs, Pieter, Jan and Stijn will define the location of each component by placing it into a 1-day-built frame. Next, they will build a first generation prototype (or mock-up) of the frame, based on the results of the design space frame and based on the concept art drawings of the VDS TU Delft Team.

All other Design Review participants will split up into four teams. Managed by the VDS Org Team, advised by leading industry advisors, four automotive mock-up designs will be built: the eMotion, the Safety, the India and the China. I will take care of on-site coverage, making our partners visible to the world and supporting the frame team in all possible ways. The motorteam won't participate in the Design Review. These days they are putting all their effort in the design of the electrical motor and controller.

We would like to thank all our partners in advance. We would like to thank Makita in special, for delivering their professional high-end power tools. The frame team will need every possible power tool to build their frame properly. We also want to thank our distribution partner Mols, for using a Ford Galaxy car and a Mercedes Sprinter truck. Powered by Mols trucks, we're more confident than ever, to engage the VDS challenge!

Arthur was born as the first child of four more to come on August 31 1984 in Heerlen, located in the south of the Netherlands. He grew up and went to school in Valkenburg. After his third year of the highschool he went to a boarding school in Maaseik, Belgium. He then went to Leuven to study electromechanical engineering at GROUP T in Leuven. At the moment he still lives in Leuven, together with his girlfriend Leen (already seven years and both still in love).

Being the leader of several projects Arthur discovered his management capabilities during the past years. This year he was selected and chosen to be the leader of the VDS GROUP T Team. He supervises both technical teams and is in charge of shared tasks, including infrastructure, logistics, events, finance, public relations, sponsorship and marketing.

Hobbies: Computer, Music, PC-games, Piano, Hanging out with friends, ...

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It was January 20 1986, when Jan made his first steps into this world. After graduating high school in 2004, he decided to study for Master of Industrial Science in Electromechanical Engineering. When the time came to decide what to do as master thesis, he noticed the opportunity to implement it in a big project, this project.

A technical challenge with a clear goal you can work towards, coupled to the factor of teamwork is what this guy needs.

Hobbies: Football (Am: soccer)

www.linkedin.com/in/jannolens jan.nolens

Maarten Vanhove was born on the 22nd of November in the year 1986, after a scientific education at the Saint Peterscollege in Louvain it was clear that the engineering genes were passed on. Group T became an obvious choice for his higher education. Especially the interesting projects that this school promotes were a big part in the decision to join the VDS-project. Next to the world improving character that this project surrounds, there is the international aspect that made the biggest impression on Maarten, working together with universities all over the world, who wouldn’t dream about that? After hours you probably can find Maarten behind the bar at Eclips, Old Market, where he works as a bartender.

Hobbies: Cinema, music, books

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