Jerome Meisel

Power System Level Impacts of PHEVs

This paper presents investigations into various aspects of how plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) could impact the electric power system. The investigation is focused on impacts on the power system infrastructure and impacts on the primary fuel utilizations due to PHEV charging. The investigation is presented in terms of examples of typical systems. Methodologies are presented for computing loss of life of distribution transformers, which sets the basis for needed expansion or upgrades of systems with PHEV penetration. In addition, a methodology is presented for evaluating the impact on primary fuel source utilization considering all the operating constraints of an electric power system. Examples of fuel utilization impact are presented for various levels of PHEV penetration. In general, PHEVs cause a shift of fuel utilization from petroleum to less expensive fuels utilized by electric power utilities.

Power System Level Impacts of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Using Simulation Data

This paper presents an investigation into an aspect of how plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) could impact the electric power system. The investigation is focused on the impact of the additional electrical load PHEV charging will have on primary energy source utilization and subsequent environmental air pollution (EAP) as emissions are transferred from vehicle tailpipes to powerplants. A methodology is presented for evaluating the impact on primary energy source utilization, considering all the operating constraints of an electric power system, as well as, the realistic operation of PHEVs. Examples of energy source utilization impacts are presented for various levels of PHEV penetration on a specific power system. In general, PHEVs cause a shift of fuel utilization from gasoline to, a more diversified fuel source, utilized by electric power utilities. The results are particularly sensitive to the generation mix of the specific power system simulated.

A new undergraduate course in energy conversion and mechatronics at Georgia Tech

This paper describes a new course in mechatronics that has been developed and introduced in the School of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Georgia Tech. The course is designed to serve as an introduction to electromechanical energy conversion and power electronics for both ME and EE students. The course has been designed for students with no background in this area beyond basic sophomore physics. The paper describes the goals of the course and gives an outline and description of both the lecture and laboratory portions of the course.

A Practical Control Methodology for Parallel Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrains

This paper presents an original control algorithm for a parallel plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle powertrain. Two operational strategies using this algorithm are designated as EV/CS (battery-only operation followed by charge sustaining operation) and CD/CS (charge depleting blended operation followed by charge sustaining operation) with the same control algorithm used throughout both. An algebraic mapping of three observable variables outputs a single motor torque-command that can either propel or regeneratively brake the vehicle. This mapping is on-line feasible in real time, avoiding the use of look-up tables or some computationally complex optimization approach involving searches over an admissible control space. Another important feature of this methodology is that the highly developed engine and transmission controls of non-hybrid powertrains are essentially maintained. Using a Simulink model, the fuel economy and SOC (state-of-charge) as a function of driving distance for both strategies are presented. Most importantly, results of recorded on-road SOC data are included that shows practicality on a real vehicle in a real driving situation over 96 miles. Also presented are simulated and real driving acceleration results.

Optimization of the Fuel Consumption of a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

In this paper we present a novel control strategy for optimal power management of parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles based on fuel efficiency. In particular, the proposed strategy optimally distributes the required drive torque between the available power sources, which in the present study consist of an electric motor and an IC engine. This is achieved by first estimating the power demand at the wheels and then determining a set of solution points that meet the constraints from which the optimal solution is subsequently chosen. This allows determining the optimal IC engine’s torque and electric motor’s current, which are the outputs. The strategy was implemented in a simulation software package and compared with a commonly used thermostat strategy. Compared to the thermostat strategy, the optimization strategy reduced the fuel consumption by 55.7 % on a highway cycle and by 42.4 % on a city cycle.

Evaluation of the Through-the-Road Architecture for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Powertrains

This paper investigates the through-the-road (TTR) powertrain architecture and its suitability for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (PHEVs) in the passenger vehicle category. The advantages and disadvantages of this architecture with respect to cost, sizing, control and manufacturability are contrasted against those of conventional architectures. The comparison extends into powertrain configurations used in recent commercial vehicles, such as the Toyota Prius and the Chevrolet Volt. The research includes the characterization of the mechanical dynamics and constraint equations of each architecture to quantify the control requirements. It is found that the TTR architecture excels in terms of manufacturability, and its ability to blend the motor and engine torques independently.

Design of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle

As part of the EcoCAR: The next challenge student competition, the Georgia Tech (GT) team is designing a hybrid vehicle to be integrated into a production stock 2009 Saturn Vue. The team chose to use E85 in a spark-ignition engine with lithium ion batteries and employ GMs 2-mode hybrid transmission (2-MT). The preliminary results in terms of performance, emissions, and fuel economy are presented.