Sanjaka G. Wirasingha

Classification and Review of Control Strategies for Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

To reduce fuel consumption and emissions in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), it is equally important to select an appropriate drive train topology as it is to develop a suitable power flow control strategy. While there are many control strategies that have been developed and presented, most are expansions of hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) control strategies and do not maximize the true potential the PHEV offers as a result of its ability to operate in electric-only mode over a significant distance. In this paper, state-of-the-art control strategies are reviewed and classified in detail. PHEV controllers mostly operate on either a rule-based or an optimization-based algorithm, each having its own advantages and disadvantages. An overview of the controllers is given, and an analysis on which strategy is more suitable to maximize PHEV performance in different drive cycle conditions is provided. Finally, a new classification for PHEV control strategies based on the operation of the vehicle is presented and verified through simulation results.

Power Management of an Ultracapacitor/Battery Hybrid Energy Storage System in an HEV

To overcome the power delivery limitations of batteries and energy storage limitations of ultracapacitors, hybrid energy storage systems, which combine the two energy sources, have been proposed. A comprehensive review of the state of the art is presented. In addition, a method of optimizing the operation of a battery/ultracapacitor hybrid energy storage system (HESS) is presented. The goal is to set the state of charge of the ultracapacitor and the battery in a way which ensures that the available power and energy is sufficient to supply the drivetrain. By utilizing an algorithm where the states of charge of both systems are tightly controlled, we allow for the overall system size to reduce since more power is available from a smaller energy storage system

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle developments in the US: Trends, barriers, and economic feasibility

There is a growing interest in Plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) concepts for private, public, and utility services across the USA. This has encouraged the establishment of a number of small companies providing expertise and components for evaluation and demonstration system vehicles, and interest by auto manufacturers in future mass-produced PHEVs. In this paper, we present the principles of Plug-in hybrid electric operation, discuss the practical implementation issues associated with the various technology platforms, and propose power-train options for various classes of vehicle. We also discuss current US hybrid and PHEV trends, summarize major national and state projects, the charging impact on the power grid, vehicle-to-grid technology (V2G) and other related technologies.

Classification and review of control strategies for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

In order to reduce fuel consumption and emissions in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), it is equally important to select an appropriate drive train topology and to develop a suitable power flow control strategy. There are many control strategies that have been developed and presented. Most of them are expansions of hybrid electric vehicle control strategies and do not maximize the true potential the PHEV offers as a result of its ability to operate in electric only mode over a significant distance. In this paper, state-of-the-art control strategies are reviewed and classified in detail. PHEV controllers operate mostly on either a rule based or optimization based algorithm with each having its own advantages and disadvantages. An overview of the controllers and an analysis on which strategy is more suitable to maximize PHEV performance in different drive cycle conditions are discussed as well.

Solar-Assisted Electric Auto Rickshaw Three-Wheeler

Auto rickshaws are three-wheeled vehicles that are extensively used in many Asian countries as taxis of people and goods. Although the vehicle design is well suited to the environment in which it operates, it is a crude and inefficient design. Due to poor vehicle maintenance and the use of inefficient two- or four-stroke engines with very little pollution control, auto rickshaws present a grave pollution problem in major Indian cities. This paper details the overall development of an advanced solar-assisted electric auto rickshaw. Research on the conventional auto rickshaw is presented, as well as future conceptual infrastructure designs for electric rickshaws and the recent design research, simulations, and experimental validation of the next auto rickshaw. The proposed solar/battery electric three-wheeler is meant to match and exceed the conventional vehicles performance but with a more intelligent and efficient design. We introduce the next overall design of the rickshaw in this paper as Auto Rickshaw 2.0, where the conventional vehicle is version 1.0. The technical development aim for Auto Rickshaw 2.0 is to decrease the total electric power needed for propulsion with an optimized battery system and a more efficient motor and inverter. Four system drive-train options are covered, a rickshaw prototype is built, and several configurations are simulated and analyzed in the Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR) software. Additionally, conceptual infrastructure designs are modeled and optimized in the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software.

Source-to-Wheel (STW) Analysis of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Many alternative fuel vehicle technologies, including plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), are currently being developed. Among the key reasons for their development is the increasing demand for fuel, which has resulted in increased fuel costs and brought attention to resource limitations. Fuel is also directly related to emissions and there is a conscious effort to minimize the environmental impact of vehicles. When evaluating the operational success of these technologies, it is important to consider the energy cycle of the vehicle. Source-to-wheel (STW) efficiency and emissions analysis is proposed in this paper to provide a value for comparing current and proposed vehicle technologies. The STW cycle includes the raw material production stage, transportation and storage stages of energy sources, energy transportation/storage/distribution stage, and finally the vehicle operations stage. The STW calculation is divided into two sections for ease of analysis. They are the cycle from the source of the energy to the vehicle and the cycle from when the energy is delivered to the vehicle to the work done at the wheels. They are referred to as the source-to-vehicle (STV) and vehicle-to-wheel (VTW) cycles, respectively. The impact of the vehicle manufacturing stage on this analysis will be addressed and the different approaches to integrating PHEVs into the current fleet of vehicles will also be discussed.

Comparative Investigation of Series and Parallel Hybrid Electric Drive Trains for Heavy-Duty Transit Bus Applications

In recent times, diesel powered hybrid electric vehicles have attracted their fair share of attention from automakers worldwide. It is a well-known fact that diesel hybrid technology is being used increasingly to improve the performance of a number of city transit buses. The exclusive combination of advanced diesel engines and sophisticated hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) technologies holds much promise for dramatic reductions in both emissions as well as fuel consumption. Currently, transit bus manufacturers incorporate the popularly accepted series or parallel hybrid electric drive train architectures for hybridization depending on specific performance demands. From the point of view of heavy-duty vehicular drive train hybridization, a major debate in the auto industry involves analyzing and comparing both the series as well as parallel HEV systems. Keeping this issue in mind, this paper aims to comprehensively investigate and evaluate series and parallel hybrid electric drive train topologies for heavy-duty diesel transit buses from the point of view of overall efficiency and parametric performance studies. In general, the vital proposal of this paper involves the depiction of suitability of parallel hybrid drive trains over series hybrid drive trains, more specific to city transit bus applications

Pihef: Plug-In Hybrid Electric Factor

Growing consumer expectations, legislations pushing for higher fuel economy and lower emissions, higher fuel prices, and the realization that petroleum is a finite resource are leading to groundbreaking changes in the automotive industry, such as drive train electrification. Depending on the degree of electrification, the combination of the internal combustion engine with an electric motor offers a wide range of benefits from reduced fuel consumption and emissions to enhanced performance. The potential of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) to operate in electric and hybrid modes and their ability to supplement the energy storage off the grid has made them a front runner in alternative fuel vehicle development. There is however currently no widely-accepted standard classification that provides an accurate description of the optimal size to ratio of the energy storage system. This paper presents a classification which embodies the definition of a PHEV, energy consumption, and supply from the electric power grid.

Feasibility analysis of converting a Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) transit bus to a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

It has become apparent that a shift needs to be made in the USA from traditional vehiclespsila dependency on petroleum-based fuels to a more diversified source of fuels. Government, universities, and private sectors have begun to see the importance of fuel efficiency, fuel consumption, environmental factors, and health concerns to the population. The importance of these issues has begun to necessitate the development of PHEVs and other vehicle technologies. This paper will present a detailed economic study investigating the cost savings of transit bus drive train conversions from being traditional styles using only an internal combustion engine to PHEV propulsion systems using a retrofit approach. These conversions are expected to reduce emissions by more than 50% and improve fuel efficiency by more than 100%, and subsequently lead to a substantial cost saving per converted bus. This case study is centered around the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA), however, it is relevant to the transit bus market as a whole. The CTA is the second largest public transportation system in the US, serving over 1.6 million customers each weekday. Its fleet is composed of 2,100 buses, which cover a distance of 68.5 million miles per year and consume 24 million gallons, amounting to a total cost of

Solar/battery electric auto rickshaw three-wheeler

61 million each year.