Jimi Tjong

Reduced-Order Electrochemical Model Parameters Identification and SOC Estimation for Healthy and Aged Li-Ion Batteries Part I: Parameterization Model Development for Healthy Batteries

The current phase in our transportation system represents a paradigm shift from conventional, fossil-fuel-based vehicles into the second-generation electric and hybrid vehicles. Electric vehicles (EVs) provide numerous advantages compared with conventional vehicles because they are more efficient, sustainable, greener, and cleaner. The commercial market penetration and success of EVs depend on the efficiency, safety, cost, and lifetime of the traction battery pack. One of the current key electrification challenges is to accurately estimate the battery pack state of charge (SOC) and state of health (SOH), and therefore provide an estimate of the remaining driving range at various battery states of life. To estimate the battery SOC, a high-fidelity battery model along with a robust, accurate estimation strategy is necessary. This paper provides three main contributions: 1) introducing a new SOC parameterization strategy and employing it in setting up optimizer constraints to estimate battery parameters; 2) identification of the full-set of the reduced-order electrochemical battery model parameters by using noninvasive genetic algorithm optimization on a fresh battery; and 3) model validation by using real-world driving cycles. Extensive tests have been conducted on lithium iron phosphate-based cells widely used in high-power automotive applications. Models can be effectively used onboard of battery management system.

Automotive Internal-Combustion-Engine Fault Detection and Classification Using Artificial Neural Network Techniques

In this paper, an engine fault detection and classification technique using vibration data in the crank angle domain is presented. These data are used in conjunction with artificial neural networks (ANNs), which are applied to detect faults in a four-stroke gasoline engine built for experimentation. A comparative study is provided between the popular backpropagation (BP) method, the Levenberg-Marquardt (LM) method, the quasi-Newton (QN) method, the extended Kalman filter (EKF), and the smooth variable structure filter (SVSF). The SVSF is a relatively new estimation strategy, based on the sliding mode concept. It has been formulated to efficiently train ANNs and is consequently referred to as the SVSF-ANN. The accuracy of the proposed method is compared with the standard accuracy of the Kalman-based filters and the popular BP algorithms in an effort to validate the SVSF-ANN performance and application to engine fault detection and classification. The customizable fault diagnostic system is able to detect known engine faults with various degrees of severity, such as defective lash adjuster, piston chirp (PC), and chain tensioner (CT) problems. The technique can be used at any dealership or assembly plant to considerably reduce warranty costs for the company and manufacturer.

Reduced-Order Electrochemical Model Parameters Identification and State of Charge Estimation for Healthy and Aged Li-Ion Batteries—Part II: Aged Battery Model and State of Charge Estimation

Recently, extensive research has been conducted in the field of battery management systems due to increased interest in vehicles electrification. Parameters, such as battery state of charge (SOC) and state of health, are of critical importance to ensure safety, reliability, and prolong battery life. This paper includes the following contributions: 1) tracking reduced-order electrochemical battery model parameters variations as battery ages, using noninvasive genetic algorithm optimization technique; 2) the development of a battery aging model capable of capturing battery degradation by varying the effective electrode volume; and 3) estimation of the battery critical SOC using a new estimation strategy known as the smooth variable structure filter based on reduced-order electrochemical model. The proposed filter is used for SOC estimation and demonstrates strong robustness to modeling uncertainties, which is relatively high in case of reduced-order electrochemical models. Batteries used in this research are lithium-iron phosphate cells widely used in automotive applications. Extensive testing using real-world driving cycles is used for estimation strategy application and for conducting the aging test. Limitations of the proposed strategy are also highlighted.

Implementation Challenges and Solutions for Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition Combustion in Diesel Engines

Homogeneous charge compression ignition (HCCI) combustion in diesel engines can provide cleaner operation with ultralow NOx and soot emissions. While HCCI combustion has generated significant attention in the last decade, however, till date, it has seen very limited application in production diesel engines. HCCI combustion is typically characterized by earlier than top-dead-center (pre-TDC) phasing, very high-pressure rise rates, short combustion durations, and minimal control over the timing of the combustion event. To offset the high reactivity of the diesel fuel, large amounts of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) (30–60%) are usually applied to postpone the initiation of combustion, shift the combustion toward TDC, and alleviate to some extent, the high-pressure rise rates and the reduced energy efficiency. In this work, a detailed analysis of HCCI combustion has been carried out on a high-compression ratio (CR), single-cylinder diesel engine. The effects of intake boost, EGR quantity/temperature, engine speed, injection scheduling, and injection pressure on the operability limits have been empirically determined and correlated with the combustion stability, emissions, and performance metrics. The empirical investigation is extended to assess the suitability of common alternate fuels (n-butanol, gasoline, and ethanol) for HCCI combustion. On the basis of the analysis, the significant challenges affecting the real-world application of HCCI are identified, their effects on the engine performance quantified, and possible solutions to overcome these challenges explored through both theoretical and empirical investigations. This paper intends to provide a comprehensive summary of the implementation issues affecting HCCI combustion in diesel engines.

Clean combustion enabling with ethanol on a dual-fuel compression ignition engine

In this work, ethanol is applied as the main energy source (up to 95%) on a high compression ratio (18.2:1) diesel engine for improvements in engine efficiency and exhaust emissions, especially at high engine loads. The intake port injection is applied for ethanol fuel delivery along with directly injected diesel pilots as the ignition source. In order to investigate the impact of ethanol on diesel engines operating in the dual-fuel mode, systematic engine experiments are carried out to study the combustion process, engine emissions, and fuel efficiency. The test results indicate that at medium engine loads (8–10 bar indicated mean effective pressure), the increasing use of ethanol offers substantially enhanced homogeneity of the cylinder charge and leads to a greater extent of premixed burning; as a result, the smoke emissions reduce drastically compared to those of the diesel baseline tests. However, the increasing use of ethanol generally results in higher incomplete combustion products. The near-top dead center injected diesel pilots are effective to control the ignition timing and combustion phasing, which provides desirable combustion controllability. At high engine loads, the clean combustion is enabled through the optimization of the engine intake pressure, exhaust gas recirculation, and the fuel ratio to achieve NOx emissions < 0.2 g/kW h and smoke emissions < 0.01 g/kW h. The load capability of the engine operating on ethanol as the primary energy source is demonstrated up to the engine full load (19.5 bar indicated mean effective pressure) with low NOx (0.2–0.7 g/kW h) and smoke ( <1 FSN) emissions.

Adaptive temperature monitoring for battery thermal management

Battery thermal management is crucial for avoiding disastrous consequences due to short circuits and thermal runaway. The temperature inside a battery (core temperature) is higher than the temperature outside (skin temperature) under high discharge/charge rates. Although the skin temperature is measurable, the core temperature is not. In this paper, a lumped thermal model is considered to estimate the core temperature from skin temperature readings. To take into account uncertainties in thermal model parameters, which are bound to occur as the battery ages, an adaptive closed-loop estimation algorithm called the adaptive Potter filter is derived. Finally, computer simulations are performed to validate the adaptive Potter filters ability to track the skin and core temperatures under high charge/discharge current pulses and model mismatches.

Empirical Study of Simultaneously Low NOx and Soot Combustion With Diesel and Ethanol Fuels in Diesel Engine

Diesel low temperature combustion (LTC) is capable of producing diesel-like efficiency while emitting ultra-low nitrogen oxides (NOx ) and soot emissions. Previous work indicates that well-controlled single-shot injection with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is an operative way of achieving diesel LTC from low to mid engine loads. However, as the engine load is increased, demanding intake boost and injection pressure are necessary to suppress high soot emissions during the transition to LTC. The use of volatile fuels such as ethanol is deemed capable of promoting the cylinder charge homogeneity, which helps to overcome the high soot challenge and, thus, potentially expand the engine LTC load range. In this work, LTC investigations were carried out on a high compression ratio (18.2:1) engine. Engine tests were first conducted with diesel and LTC operation at 8 bar indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP) was enabled by sophisticated control of the injection pressure, injection timing, intake boost, and EGR application. The engine performance was characterized as the baseline, and the challenges were identified. Further tests were aimed to improve the engine performance against these baseline results. Experiments were, hence, conducted on the same engine with secondary ethanol port fuelling (PF). Single-shot diesel direct injection (DI) was applied close to top dead center (TDC) to ignite the ethanol and control the combustion phasing. The control sensitivity was studied through injection timing sweeps and EGR sweeps. Additional tests were performed to investigate the ethanol-to-diesel ratio effects on the mixture reactivity and the engine emissions. Engine load was also raised to 16.4 bar IMEP while keeping the simultaneously low NOx and soot emissions. Significant improvement of engine control and emissions was achieved by the DI+PF strategy.

An engine cycle analysis of diesel-ignited ethanol low-temperature combustion:

Modification of the fuel–air charge properties has the potential to improve the load range of low-temperature combustion with ultra-low nitrogen oxide emissions (less than 0.2 g/kW h) and ultra-low smoke emissions (less than 0.01 g/kW h). The ignition characteristics of the cylinder charge are altered by injecting the highly reactive diesel fuel into a homogeneous lean air–fuel mixture of low-reactivity fuel. The ethanol–diesel combination has been of particular recent interest since ethanol is a renewable biofuel. The additional advantages of ethanol include excellent anti-knock properties, high volatility and reduction in the compression work through charge cooling. In this work, a detailed investigation using diesel-ignited ethanol experiments was conducted on a high-compression-ratio (18.2:1) diesel engine. The emissions, the combustion performance and the thermal efficiency characteristics are analysed at different values of the exhaust gas recirculation, the intake boost pressure, the ethanol fraction and the diesel injection timing. The empirical investigations supported by detailed zero-dimensional engine cycle simulations indicate that a diesel injection timing close to top dead centre provides direct control over the ignition timing across the engine load range. The nitrogen oxide–soot trade-off of conventional diesel combustion, which is affected by exhaust gas recirculation, is minimized to achieve clean combustion over a wide load range (indicated mean effective pressure, 4–17 bar) with increased ethanol fraction and moderate intake dilution through a combination of modulation of the exhaust gas recirculation level and an increase in the intake boost pressure. The operation at low loads is constrained by the minimum diesel amount necessary for stable and efficient combustion while progressively retarded combustion phasing is necessary at higher loads to satisfy the physical engine constraints (peak cylinder pressure, less than 170 bar; peak pressure rise rate, less than 15 bar/deg crank angle). The improved understanding of this combustion strategy through experimental and theoretical research provides the necessary guidance for obtaining clean efficient full-load operation (demonstrated at an indicated mean effective pressure of 19.2 bar).

Lignin Reinforcement in Thermoplastic Composites

Lignin has been investigated as a matrix, reinforcing filler, and a coupling agent in various thermoplastics. Mostly, it has been examined with polypropylene and polyethylene matrices. Several properties of thermoplastic composites and blends have been evaluated focusing on the influence of lignin addition at their various concentrations. This chapter will present a literature review of lignin incorporation in thermoplastics.

Steady State Engine Test Demonstration of Performance Improvement With an Advanced Turbocharger

Heavy EGR required on diesel engines for future emission regulation compliance has posed a big challenge to conventional turbocharger technology for high efficiency and wide operation range. This study, as part of the U.S. Department of Energy sponsored research program, is focused on advanced turbocharger technologies that can improve turbocharger efficiency on customer driving cycles while extending the operation range significantly, compared to a production turbocharger. The production turbocharger for a medium-duty truck application was selected as a donor turbo. Design optimizations were focused on the compressor impeller and turbine wheel. On the compressor side, advanced impeller design with arbitrary surface can improve the efficiency and surge margin at the low end while extending the flow capacity, while a so-called active casing treatment can provide additional operation range extension without compromising compressor efficiency. On the turbine side, mixed flow turbine technology was revisited with renewed interest due to its performance characteristics, i.e., high efficiency at low-speed ratio, relative to the base conventional radial flow turbine, which is relevant to heavy EGR operation for future diesel applications. The engine dynamometer test shows that the advanced turbocharger technology enables over 3% BSFC improvement at part-load as well as full-load condition, in addition to an increase in rated power. The performance improvement demonstrated on an engine dynamometer seems to be more than what would typically be translated from the turbocharger flow bench data, indicating that mixed flow turbine may provide additional performance benefits under pulsed exhaust flow on an internal combustion engine and in the low-speed ratio areas that are typically not covered by steady state flow bench tests.