An energy-efficient electrical system for vehicles

Today’s cars are computers on wheels: they comprise up to 80 embedded computing systems and many gigabytes of software that control all types of components and extra technical features, everything from braking assistance systems over CD players to navigation systems. And control units will be responsible for a growing number of functions, which means that the number of embedded systems in vehicles will continue to increase. This development has one main disadvantage: on-board computer systems consume a significant amount of energy, and therefore have a negative impact on fuel consumption. To increase the energy efficiency of control units, the units themselves can be designed in a more efficient manner. At the same time, the vehicle’s electrical system, which enables the interplay of devices can be designed with greater efficiency in mind.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Communication Systems ESK in Munich offers a broad range of solutions for energy efficiency. Over the course of the “Dynasoft” project, ESK researchers have developed adaptive methods which allow embedded computers to carry out functions only when the driver actually needs them. For instance, the parking assistant remains turned off on the highway, while cruise control is switched off when drivers are parking their cars. Scientists working on the “SEIS” project, which stands for “Security in Embedded IP-based Systems”, have taken a different approach. Thanks to new ways of controlling the operations of sub-networks, control units that aren’t needed can be switched off, and this reduces energy consumption.

Fraunhofer Institute for Communication Systems ESK
Hansastr. 32 | 80686 München | www.esk.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Dipl.-Inform. Marc Zeller | Phone +49 89 547088-324 | marc.zeller@esk.fraunhofer.de
Press:  Susanne Baumer | Phone +49 89 547088-353 | susanne.baumer@esk.fraunhofer.de

Commercial traffic can open the door to electromobility

Despite numerous initiatives, electromobility has yet to achieve a major breakthrough in the area of passenger vehicles. Has the industry been focusing on the wrong market? “When compared with private passenger cars, e-mobility is already very attractive for commercial vehicles,” says Professor Martin Wietschel of the Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI in Karlsruhe. Over the past year, researchers at the institute have examined and analyzed 350 commercial driving profiles across Germany. “For up to one million small delivery trucks and cars, it would make sense for operators to switch from the internal combustion engine to electric drives in the future.” This would be a fourth of all commercial vehicles in Germany. E-vehicles make sense in any situation where the vehicles are in use on a daily basis, and where plannable routes of a limited distance are the norm. This is the case, for instance, with package delivery or outpatient care services.
Together with the partners of the “Regional Eco Mobility 2030 (www.rem2030.de)” innovation cluster, Wietschel has already created a comprehensive database. “Until now, there have hardly been any data on the driving patterns of commercial vehicles in cities. Private passenger vehicles have been the main focus,” says the head of the Energy Management department at ISI. The cluster has a broad interdisciplinary set-up that includes not only research institutes, OEMs, municipalities, and associations. “The market analysis also provides us with data that will enable us to develop a modern city vehicle, one that will combine battery and fuel cell technology and integrate intelligent software solutions,” says Wietschel in explaining the goals of REM 2030.

Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI
Breslauer Straße 35 | 76139 Karlsruhe | www.isi.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Prof. Dr. Martin Wietschel | Phone +49 721 6809-254 | martin.wietschel@isi.fraunhofer.de
Press: Anne-Catherine Jung | Phone +49 721 6809-100 | anne-catherine.jung@isi.fraunhofer.de

Digital signature: stored for eternity

While ink signatures on paper may not last forever, they do keep for several decades. The situation is different for digital signatures. Since they are based on a series of the digits 0 and 1, they remain legible for a long period of time. However, even today’s best signature algorithms cannot provide long-term protection from forgery. Once the applied signature algorithm no longer meets current security standards, fake signatures cannot be distinguished from the original, and the signature becomes worthless. For this reason, digital signatures must be adapted to security standards in time. To this end, ArchiSoft software can provide effective support. It was developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT in Darmstadt and brought to market by AuthentiDate and intarsys.

Germany’s Federal Network Agency establishes which algorithms are deemed secure in its annual algorithm catalog. According to this catalog, two very widespread algorithms will lose their security rating at the end of 2015. Until now, every digital document whose signature is no longer adequate has had to be certified with an external agency’s timestamp. Since each timestamp costs several cents, the costs of having inadequate signatures can skyrocket when millions of documents need to be certified. ArchiSoft helps solve this problem by grouping documents in such a manner that all documents can be certified with a single timestamp. Rather than costing thousands of euros, doing this costs only a few cents.

Fraunhofer Institute for Secure Information Technology SIT
Rheinstraße 75 | 64295 Darmstadt | www.sit.fraunhofer.de
Contact: Michael Herfert | Phone +49 6151 869-329 | michael.herfert@sit.fraunhofer.de
Press: Oliver Küch | Phone +49 6151 869-213 | oliver.kuech@sit.fraunhofer.de