Abstract:
In this paper, two typres of increasingly more efficient and greener vehicles are analyzed and compared. These vehicles are: a proposed conceptual series-parrallel powertrain, the University of Technology, Sydney plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (UTS PHEV); and, a conventional series-parrallel hybrid electric vehicle with an internal combustion engine. The UTS PHEV requires only a single electric machine to function as an electric motor or generator in different time intervals controlled by a special energy management strategy. The UTS PHEV uses two energy storage device, the battery and the untracapacitor, which can work together effectively to maintain the state of charge at a high level in order to improve the vehicle drive performance and energy efficiency. With the assistance of a novel automatic transmission, the UTS PHEV can operate under multiple modes to suit the needs of various driving cycles including those in an emergency. A special power and energy management strategy was developed to control the power flows within the vehicle according to the desired operating mode.
