A Study on the Integration of a High-Speed Flywheel as an Energy Storage Device in Hybrid Vehicles

The last couple of decades have seen the rise of the hybrid electric vehicle as a compromise between the outstanding specific energy of petrol fuels and its low-cost technology, and the zero tail-gate emissions of the electric vehicle. Despite this, considerable reductions in cost and further increases in fuel economy are needed for their widespread adoption. An alternative low-cost energy storage technology for vehicles is the high-speed flywheel. The flywheel has important limitations that exclude it from being used as a primary energy source for vehicles, but its power characteristics and low-cost materials make it a powerful complement to a vehicle's primary propulsion system. This thesis presents an analysis on the integration of a high-speed flywheel for use as a secondary energy storage device in hybrid vehicles. Unlike other energy storage technologies, the energy content of the flywheel has a direct impact on the velocity of transmission. This presents an important challenge, as it means that the flywheel must be able to rotate at a speed independent of the vehicle's velocity and therefore it must be coupled via a variable speed transmission. This thesis presents some practical ways in which to accomplish this in conventional road vehicles, namely with the use of a variator, a planetary gear set or with the use of a power-split continuously variable transmission. Fundamental analyses on the kinematic behaviour of these transmissions particularly as they pertain to flywheel powertrains are presented. Computer simulations were carried out to compare the performance of various transmissions, and the models developed are presented as well. Finally the thesis also contains an investigation on the driving and road conditions that have the most beneficial effect on hybrid vehicle performance, with a particular emphasis on the effect that the road topography has on fuel economy and the significance of this

The mechanical hybrid vehicle: an investigation of a flywheel-based vehicular regenerative energy capture system

Capturing braking energy by regeneration into an onboard energy storage unit offers the potential to reduce significantly the fuel consumption of vehicles. A common technique is to generate electricity in the motors of a hybrid electric vehicle when braking, and to use this to charge an onboard electrochemical battery. However, such batteries are costly, bulky, and generally not amenable to fast charging as this affects battery life and capacity. In order to overcome these problems, a mechanical energy storage system capable of accepting and delivering surges of power is proposed and investigated. A scale physical model of the system, based around a flywheel, a planetary gear set, and a brake, was built and operated in a laboratory. Tests showed that the proposed system could be used to store and provide braking energy between a flywheel and a vehicle, the latter emulated by an air-drag dynamometer. This validated the operating principle of the system and its computational model. Further, a computational analysis of a full-size vehicle incorporating the mechanical energy storage system was conducted. The results showed that the utilization of this system in a vehicle, when compared with a conventional vehicle, led to reductions in emissions and fuel consumption

Urban and extra-urban hybrid vehicles: a technological review

Pollution derived from transportation systems is a worldwide, timelier issue than ever. The abatement actions of harmful substances in the air are on the agenda and they are necessary today to safeguard our welfare and that of the planet. Environmental pollution in large cities is approximately 20% due to the transportation system. In addition, private traffic contributes greatly to city pollution. Further, “vehicle operating life” is most often exceeded and vehicle emissions do not comply with European antipollution standards. It becomes mandatory to find a solution that respects the environment and, realize an appropriate transportation service to the customers. New technologies related to hybrid –electric engines are making great strides in reducing emissions, and the funds allocated by public authorities should be addressed. In addition, the use (implementation) of new technologies is also convenient from an economic point of view. In fact, by implementing the use of hybrid vehicles, fuel consumption can be reduced. The different hybrid configurations presented refer to such a series architecture, developed by the researchers and Research and Development groups. Regarding energy flows, different strategy logic or vehicle management units have been illustrated. Various configurations and vehicles were studied by simulating different driving cycles, both European approval and homologation and customer ones (typically municipal and university). The simulations have provided guidance on the optimal proposed configuration and information on the component to be used

PEMFC Optimization Strategy with Auxiliary Power Source in Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle

one of the present-day implementation of fuel cell is acting as main power source in Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle (FCHV). This paper proposes some strategies to optimize the performance of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) implanted with auxiliary power source to construct a proper FCHV hybridization. The strategies consist of the most updated optimization method determined from three point of view i.e. Energy Storage System (ESS), hybridization topology and control system analysis. The goal of these strategies is to achieve an optimum hybridization with long lifetime, low cost, high efficiency, and hydrogen consumption rate improvement. The energy storage system strategy considers battery, supercapacitor, and high-speed flywheel as the most promising alternative auxiliary power source. The hybridization topology strategy analyzes the using of multiple storage devices injected with electronic components to bear a higher fuel economy and cost saving. The control system strategy employs nonlinear control system to optimize the ripple factor of the voltage and the current and using the AOC-EMS system to improve the hydrogen consumption rate. ECMS and BERS strategy based on Time-Triggered Controller Area Network (TTCAN) also promoted to optimize hydrogen consumption rate from recovered kinetic energy while in braking regeneration mode

A toolbox for multi-objective optimisation of low carbon powertrain topologies

Stricter regulations and evolving environmental concerns have been exerting ever-increasing pressure on the automotive industry to produce low carbon vehicles that reduce emissions. As a result, increasing numbers of alternative powertrain architectures have been released into the marketplace to address this need. However, with a myriad of possible alternative powertrain configurations, which is the most appropriate type for a given vehicle class and duty cycle? To that end, comparative analyses of powertrain configurations have been widely carried out in literature; though such analyses only considered limited types of powertrain architectures at a time. Collating the results from these literature often produced findings that were discontinuous, which made it difficult for drawing conclusions when comparing multiple types of powertrains. The aim of this research is to propose a novel methodology that can be used by practitioners to improve the methods for comparative analyses of different types of powertrain architectures. Contrary to what has been done so far, the proposed methodology combines an optimisation algorithm with a Modular Powertrain Structure that facilitates the simultaneous approach to optimising multiple types of powertrain architectures. The contribution to science is two-folds; presenting a methodology to simultaneously select a powertrain architecture and optimise its component sizes for a given cost function, and demonstrating the use of multi-objective optimisation for identifying trade-offs between cost functions by powertrain architecture selection. Based on the results, the sizing of the powertrain components were influenced by the power and energy requirements of the drivecycle, whereas the powertrain architecture selection was mainly driven by the autonomy range requirements, vehicle mass constraints, CO2 emissions, and powertrain costs. For multi-objective optimisation, the creation of a 3-dimentional Pareto front showed multiple solution points for the different powertrain architectures, which was inherent from the ability of the methodology to concurrently evaluate those architectures. A diverging trend was observed on this front with the increase in the autonomy range, driven primarily by variation in powertrain cost per kilometre. Additionally, there appeared to be a trade-off in terms of electric powertrain sizing between CO2 emissions and lowest mass. This was more evident at lower autonomy ranges, where the battery efficiency was a deciding factor for CO2 emissions. The results have demonstrated the contribution of the proposed methodology in the area of multi-objective powertrain architecture optimisation, thus addressing the aims of this research

Optimal energy management for a flywheel-assisted battery electric vehicle

Battery electric vehicles are crucial to the reduction in the dependence on fossil fuels and for moving towards a zero-emission transport system. Although battery electric vehicle technology has been rapidly improving, the limited driving range and the high cost are significant impediments to the popularity of electric vehicles. The battery is the main element which affects the range and the cost of the vehicle. The batteries can provide either high power or high energy but not both. Hybridisation of the energy source is one of the methods to improve the energy efficiency of the vehicle, which involves combining a high-energy battery with a high-power source. High-speed flywheels have attractive properties and low-cost potential which makes them excellent secondary energy storage devices to be used in hybrid and electric vehicles. They are utilised to load the battery to a level so as to protect it from peak loads and to enhance its capacity and life. The flywheel is coupled to the drive line with a continuously variable transmission. This paper presents the optimal energy management strategy for a mechanically connected flywheel-assisted battery electric vehicle powertrain. The optimisation problem is complex because of factors such as the small storage capacity of the flywheel, the kinematic constraints and the slipping of clutches. Dynamic programming is used to calculate the optimal control strategy for torque distribution during operation in real-world driving cycles. The results show significant potential for reduction in the energy consumption in extra-urban and highway cycles, while reducing the peak battery loads during all cycles. The results give a benchmark of the energy-saving potential for such a powertrain and insights into how a real suboptimal controller can be designed

Review of battery electric vehicle propulsion systems incorporating flywheel energy storage

The development of battery electric vehicles (BEV) must continue since this can lead us towards a zero emission transport system. There has been an advent of the production BEVs in recent years; however their low range and high cost still remain the two important drawbacks. The battery is the element which strongly affects the cost and range of the BEV. The batteries offer either high specific power or high specific energy but not both. To provide the BEVs with the characteristic to compete with conventional vehicles it is beneficial to hybridize the energy storage combining a high energy battery with a high power source. This shields the battery from peak currents and improves its capacity and life. There are various devices which could qualify as a secondary storage system for the BEV such as high power battery, supercapacitor and high speed flywheel (FW). This paper aims to review a specific type of hybridisation of energy storage which combines batteries and high speed flywheels. The flywheel has been used as a secondary energy system in BEVs from the early 1970s when the oil crises triggered an interest in BEVs. Since the last decade the interest in flywheels has strengthened and their application in the kinetic energy recovery system (KERS) in Formula 1 has further bolstered the case for flywheels. With a number of automotive manufacturers getting involved in developing flywheels for road applications, the authors believe commercial flywheel based powertrains are likely to be seen in the near future. It is hence timely to produce a review of research and development in the area of flywheel assisted BEVs

Review of Flywheel based Internal Combustion Engine Hybrid Vehicles

Hybrid vehicles of different configurations and utilizing different energy storage systems have existed in development for many decades and more recently in limited production. They can be grouped as parallel, series or complex hybrids. Another classification is micro, mild and full hybrids which makes the distinction on the basis of functionality. The common energy storage systems in hybrid vehicles are batteries, supercapacitors and high speed flywheels. This paper aims to review a specific type of hybrid vehicle which involves the internal combustion engine (ICE) as the prime mover and the high speed flywheel as an energy storage device. Such hybrids are now attracting considerable interest given their potential for low cost. It is hence timely to produce a review of research and development in this subject. The flywheel is coupled to the drive line with a continuous variable transmission (CVT). The CVT can be of various types such as electrical, hydraulic or mechanical but usually in this case it is a non-electrical one. Different configurations are possible and the paper provides a timeline of the development of such powertrains with various examples. These types of hybrid vehicles have existed as prototypes for many decades and the authors believe that their development has reached levels where they can be considered serious contenders for production vehicles

Electric-drive vehicle emulation using advanced test bench

Vehicle electrification is considered to be the most promising approach toward addressing the concerns on climate change, sustainability, and rapid depletion of fossil fuel resources. As a result electric-drive vehicle (EDV) technology is becoming the subject of many research studies, from academia and research laboratories to automotive industries and their suppliers. However, a crucial step toward the success of EDV implementation is developing test platforms that closely emulate the behavior of these vehicles. In this dissertation, a new approach for emulating an EDV system on a motor/dynamometer test bench is investigated. Two different methods of emulation are discussed which are based on predefined drive cycle and unpredictable driving behavior. MATLAB/Simulink is used to model the test bench and simulations are carried out for each case. Experimental test bench results are also presented to validate hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) real-time performance for each method. Furthermore, to provide a more realistic approach towards EDV emulation a braking system suitable for motor/dynamometer architecture is proposed. The proposed brake controller represents a very close model of an actual EDV braking system and takes into account both regenerative and friction braking limitations. Finally, the challenges and restrictions of using a full scale test bench are outlined. To overcome these limitations, the development of an educational small scale hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) learning module is discussed which provides an ideal test platform to simulate and study both electric and HEV powertrains --Abstract, page iv