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The new freedoms in design that electric powertrains offer lead to a wide variety of configurations to consider when developing an electric vehicle (EV) from scratch. Furthermore, the strong relation of the battery size with vehicle weight, range and performances leads to a set of interrelated dependencies that can result in many design loops to fulfil the vehicle targets, market constraints and regulations simultaneously. The paper presents a pre-design tool to assist the electric vehicle development process by representing the different constraints and the possible feasible solutions in a single plot with the need of a small amount of inputs accesible to assess at pre-design phase. As a result, the tool depicts a set of feasible vehicle configurations that could fulfil the targets easing the interaction and loops among different expertise areas. To better assist selection, it also provides a sensitivity analysis of the performances to selected inputs and the user can introduce a cost function depending on vehicle weight and battery size. The tool is based on the vehicle longitudinal dynamics equations and equations that model the market and regulations constraints. It is aimed at providing an overview of the main specifications for component selection avoiding detailed vehicle modelling in the early pre-design phase at which the vehicle characteristics and even powertrain architecture are unknown. Finally, the tool results quality is evaluated by further developing one of its solutions for passenger car in four different vehicle configurations with the simulation software vemSim and AVL Cruise. The results of the simulations are compared to the solution of the pre-design tool to evaluate the level of fidelity and the deviations in the final result that can appear depending on the final architecture, components characteristics and control strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the effect of feeding seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum) to dairy cows on milk mineral concentrations, feed-to-milk mineral transfer efficiencies, and hematological parameters. Lactating Holstein cows (n = 46) were allocated to 1 of 2 diets (n = 23 each): (1) control (CON; without seaweed) and (2) seaweed (SWD; replacing 330 g/d of dried corn meal in CON with 330 g/d dried A. nodosum). All cows were fed the CON diet for 4 wk before the experiment (adaptation period), and animals were then fed the experimental diets for 9 wk. Samples included sequential 3-wk composite feed samples, a composite milk sample on the last day of each week, and a blood sample at the end of the study. Data were statistically analyzed using a linear mixed effects model with diet, week, and their interaction as fixed factors; cow (nested within diet) as a random factor; and data collected on the last day of the adaptation period as covariates. Feeding SWD increased milk concentrations of Mg (+6.6 mg/kg), P (+56 mg/kg), and I (+1,720 μg/kg). It also reduced transfer efficiency of Ca, Mg, P, K, Mn, and Zn, and increased transfer efficiency of Mo. Feeding SWD marginally reduced milk protein concentrations, whereas there was no effect of SWD feeding on cows' hematological parameters. Feeding A. nodosum increased milk I concentrations, which can be beneficial when feed I concentration is limited or in demographics or populations with increased risk of I deficiency (e.g., female adolescents, pregnant women, nursing mothers). However, care should also be taken when feeding SWD to dairy cows because, in the present study, milk I concentrations were particularly high and could result in I intakes that pose a health risk for children consuming milk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]