The EV Certificate program consists of 15 credit hours (five courses). LTU requires two core courses taken by all certificate enrollees, and permits students to select three additional courses from a still‐developing pool of technical electives. All courses will be offered at the 5000‐level allowing both qualified upper‐level undergraduate and graduate students the opportunity to enroll in these courses, and will be structured to meet Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) and Higher Learning Commission (HLC) requirements.
Required Courses
Electric Vehicle Architecture and Systems
This course presents the major and sublevel critical components of EV, including energy storage (battery pack and modules), electric motors, power conversion units (PCU), power electronics, and relates them to the other traditional features of automotive design such as suspension, steering, chassis, body, passenger cab, etc.
Electric Vehicle Safety
This course introduces the sources of safety risks in an EV to manufacturer personnel, future service and repair personnel, and possible first responders. The emphasis will be on safety regulations and safety standards relating to the manufacture and testing of battery systems for thermal run‐away and electrical shock and common control methods used to reduce or eliminate risk. Vehicle service and maintenance, and owner safety (charging etc.) issues will also be covered.
Technical Electives
Battery Applications for Electric Vehicles
This course provides an overview of batteries and their chemistries, along with the design and typical manufacturing process of cells, modules/packs. It also addresses high voltage component design and energy management and battery management systems. Battery module and battery pack testing, performance and related charging and discharging issues will be covered. The necessary thermal management and protection features will also be addressed.
Electric Machines
This course focuses on the design and analysis of electric machines, including motors, generators, and associated power electronic drive systems. Capabilities and limitations of different types of electric machines, such as permanent magnet and induction machines in various drive applications, will be discussed. Fundamental of electromechanical, power electronics, and control theory in the context of electric drive systems will be covered.
Power Electronics
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the critical role that power electronics play in the operation, efficiency, and performance of electric vehicles. This course explores the overview of the system architectures and the working principle of electric vehicles, specifically into the key roles played the power electronics, learn about power converters, operation to enhance performance, reduce energy consumption, extend the range of electric vehicles, battery management systems, and about future trends in the development of electric cars.
Vehicle Sensing and Controls
This course emphasizes automotive electronics architecture and focus on networks used in an automotive system with the study of vehicle controllers, automotive bus systems, On‐Board Diagnostics (OBD) systems, controller area network (CAN), sensors, actuators, and selected topics in power control.
Thermal Management in EV
This course concentrates on common thermal issues, and their management technologies and methods for on‐board thermal management of batteries and related control systems.
EV Testing & Data Acquisition
The course will address electrical, control and hardware within EVs. The course will have a strong emphasis in vehicle systems testing, data acquisition, and sensors deployed for development performance and design specification compliance.