Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles -- A Vision for the Future

One of the unique advantages of plug-in hybrid vehicles is their capability to integrate the transportation and electric power generation sectors in order to improve the efficiency, fuel economy, and reliability of both systems. This goal is performed via integration of the onboard energy storage units of plug-in vehicles with the power grid by power electronic converters and communication systems. Employing energy storage systems improves the efficiency and reliability of the electric power generation, transmission, and distribution. Similarly, combining an energy storage system with the power train of a conventional vehicle results in a hybrid vehicle with higher fuel efficiency. In both cases, the energy storage system is used to provide load leveling. In this paper, viability of utilizing the same energy storage unit for both transportation and power system applications is discussed. Furthermore, future trends in analysis, design, and evaluation of distributed energy storage system for the power grid using power-electronic-intensive interface are identified

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

Integration and characterization of an electrical storage system for a hydrogen fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

Hydrogen fuel cell hybrid vehicles are an advance technology that promises to solve the energy crisis in transportation and green houses emissions. Even more, Plug-in or extended range vehicles can add diversity in energy sources. Extended range vehicles have the capability to extract energy from the grid and hence reduce the cost of operation of the vehicle. EcoCAR: the NeXt Challenge is a Noth [sic] American competition with seventeen schools participating across North America. Missouri S&T is developing a Fuel Cell Plug-in Hybrid electric vehicle which has a large lithium-ion battery able to store 16 kWh. The fuel cell powertrain is a GM donated fuel cell which includes an electric traction motor and three hydrogen storage cylinders. The proposed electrical storage system consist of five A123 modules which thermal, safety and vibrations requirements. The present work illustrates all the integration process, describes the components of the electrical storage system and presents the cost of integration. The case of the electrical storage system is designed to support 20 g of acceleration for a side and front crash and 8g of acceleration for a rollover crash, the electrical storage system modules are vibration isolated with four vibration isolators per module and a failure analysis is presented. The Missouri S&T prototype is entirely made of aluminum with a total cost of $40,656, the total weight of the system is 322.65 kg which represents an energy/weight ratio of 46.59 Wh/kg --Abstract, page iii

Ancillary Services in Hybrid AC/DC Low Voltage Distribution Networks

In the last decade, distribution systems are experiencing a drastic transformation with the advent of new technologies. In fact, distribution networks are no longer passive systems, considering the current integration rates of new agents such as distributed generation, electrical vehicles and energy storage, which are greatly influencing the way these systems are operated. In addition, the intrinsic DC nature of these components, interfaced to the AC system through power electronics converters, is unlocking the possibility for new distribution topologies based on AC/DC networks. This paper analyzes the evolution of AC distribution systems, the advantages of AC/DC hybrid arrangements and the active role that the new distributed agents may play in the upcoming decarbonized paradigm by providing different ancillary services.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ENE2017-84813-RUnión Europea (Programa Horizonte 2020) 76409

Optimal operation of an energy hub considering the uncertainty associated with the power consumption of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles using information gap decision theory

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd An energy hub is a multi-carrier energy system that is capable of coupling various energy networks. It increases the flexibility of energy management and creates opportunities to increase the efficiency and reliability of energy systems. When plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs)are incorporated into the energy hub, batteries can act as an aggregated storage system, increasing the potential integration of variable renewable energy sources (RES)into power system networks. This paper presents a new model for the optimal operation of an energy hub that includes RES, PHEVs, fuel cell vehicles, a fuel cell, an electrolyzer, a hydrogen tank, a boiler, an inverter, a rectifier, and a heat storage system. A novel model is developed to estimate the uncertainty associated with the power consumption of PHEVs during trips using information gap decision theory (IGDT)under risk-averse and risk-seeking strategies. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method maximizes the objective function under the risk-neutral and risk-averse strategies, while minimizing the objective function under the risk-seeking strategy. Results from the modeling show that considering the uncertainty associated with the power consumption of PHEVs using IGDT enables the energy hub operator to make appropriate decisions when optimizing the operation of the energy hub against possible changes in power consumption of PHEVs

An AI-Layered with Multi-Agent Systems Architecture for Prognostics Health Management of Smart Transformers:A Novel Approach for Smart Grid-Ready Energy Management Systems

After the massive integration of distributed energy resources, energy storage systems and the charging stations of electric vehicles, it has become very difficult to implement an efficient grid energy management system regarding the unmanageable behavior of the power flow within the grid, which can cause many critical problems in different grid stages, typically in the substations, such as failures, blackouts, and power transformer explosions. However, the current digital transition toward Energy 4.0 in Smart Grids allows the integration of smart solutions to substations by integrating smart sensors and implementing new control and monitoring techniques. This paper is proposing a hybrid artificial intelligence multilayer for power transformers, integrating different diagnostic algorithms, Health Index, and life-loss estimation approaches. After gathering different datasets, this paper presents an exhaustive algorithm comparative study to select the best fit models. This developed architecture for prognostic (PHM) health management is a hybrid interaction between evolutionary support vector machine, random forest, k-nearest neighbor, and linear regression-based models connected to an online monitoring system of the power transformer; these interactions are calculating the important key performance indicators which are related to alarms and a smart energy management system that gives decisions on the load management, the power factor control, and the maintenance schedule planning

DC Charging Station for Electric and Plug-in Vehicles

AbstractThis paper is focused on the evaluation of theoretical and experimental aspects related to the different operation modes of a laboratory power architecture, which realizes a micro grid for the charging of road electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The analyzed power configuration is based on a DC bus architecture, which presents the main advantage of an easy integration of renewable energy sources and buffered storage systems. A first phase of simulations is aimed to evaluate the main energy fluxes within the studied architecture and to identify the energy management strategies, which optimize simultaneously the power requirements from the main grid and charging times of different electric vehicles. A second phase is based on the experimental characterization of the analyzed power architecture, implementing the control strategies evaluated in the simulation environment, through a laboratory acquisition and control system. Then the experimental results coming from the laboratory prototype are compared with the simulation results, in order to achieve a better parameter setting of the simulation model for the analyzed structure. This preliminary analysis makes possible other simulations to be carried out on more complex architecture of micro-grids, taking into account the integration of renewable energy sources and high power buffer storage systems. Particular attention is also given to the analysis of ultra-fast charging operations and the related performance in terms of total efficiency, charging times, total power factor and power requirements from the main grid. This study represents a further step toward the new concept of smart grid scenario for electric vehicles

A New Battery/Ultracapacitor Energy Storage System Design and its Motor Drive Integration for Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This paper proposes a new energy storage system (ESS) design, including both batteries and ultracapacitors (UCs) in hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and electric vehicle applications. The conventional designs require a dc-dc converter to interface the UC unit. Herein, the UC can be directly switched across the motor drive dc link during the peak power demands. The resulting wide voltage variation due to UC power transfer is addressed by the simple modulator that is introduced in this paper, so that the motor drive performance is not disrupted. Based on this new methodology, this paper further introduces two ESS schemes with different topologies, namely 1) UC rating and 2) energy flow control. They are applicable to both lightly and heavily hybridized HEVs. Both schemes have the benefits of high efficiency (without a dc-dc link) and low cost. The simulation and experimental results validate the new methodology

The novel application of optimization and charge blended energy management control for component downsizing within a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle

The adoption of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) is widely seen as an interim solution for the decarbonization of the transport sector. Within a PHEV, determining the required energy storage capacity of the battery remains one of the primary concerns for vehicle manufacturers and system integrators. This fact is particularly pertinent since the battery constitutes the largest contributor to vehicle mass. Furthermore, the financial cost associated with the procurement, design and integration of battery systems is often cited as one of the main barriers to vehicle commercialization. The ability to integrate the optimization of the energy management control system with the sizing of key PHEV powertrain components presents a significant area of research. Contained within this paper is an optimization study in which a charge blended strategy is used to facilitate the downsizing of the electrical machine, the internal combustion engine and the high voltage battery. An improved Equivalent Consumption Method has been used to manage the optimal power split within the powertrain as the PHEV traverses a range of different drivecycles. For a target CO2 value and drivecycle, results show that this approach can yield significant downsizing opportunities, with cost reductions on the order of 2%–9% being realizable

A Hybrid Power Management (HPM) Based Vehicle Architecture

Society desires vehicles with reduced fuel consumption and reduced emissions. This presents a challenge and an opportunity for industry and the government. The NASA John H. Glenn Research Center (GRC) has developed a Hybrid Power Management (HPM) based vehicle architecture for space and terrestrial vehicles. GRC's Electrical and Electromagnetics Branch of the Avionics and Electrical Systems Division initiated the HPM Program for the GRC Technology Transfer and Partnership Office. HPM is the innovative integration of diverse, state-of-the-art power devices in an optimal configuration for space and terrestrial applications. The appropriate application and control of the various power devices significantly improves overall system performance and efficiency. The basic vehicle architecture consists of a primary power source, and possibly other power sources, providing all power to a common energy storage system, which is used to power the drive motors and vehicle accessory systems, as well as provide power as an emergency power system. Each component is independent, permitting it to be optimized for its intended purpose. This flexible vehicle architecture can be applied to all vehicles to considerably improve system efficiency, reliability, safety, security, and performance. This unique vehicle architecture has the potential to alleviate global energy concerns, improve the environment, stimulate the economy, and enable new missions