An intelligent energy management strategy for an off-road plug-in hybrid electric tractor based on farm operation recognition

Abstract Due to the growing emergence of vehicle electrification, agricultural tractor developers are launching hybrid powertrains in which energy management strategy (EMS) assumes a prominent role. This work mainly aims at developing an EMS for a plug-in hybrid electric tractor (PHET) to minimise fuel consumption and increase the operating range. The developed off-road PHET power sources are composed of a biogas-fuelled Internal Combustion Engine Generator (Bio-Gen), a photovoltaic system, and a battery pack. To control the power flow among different sources, a two-layer EMS is formulated. In this regard, initially, the farm operating mode is recognised by means of classification of a working cycle's features. Then, a control strategy based on a multi-mode fuzzy logic controller (MFLC) is employed to manage the power flow. At each sequence, the classifier identifies the farm operation condition and accordingly activates the relative mode of the MFLC to meet the requested power from the Bio-Gen. The performance of the proposed EMS has been evaluated based on three real-world typical agricultural working cycles. The results demonstrate the successful performance of the proposed intelligent EMS under farm conditions by maintaining the energy sources' operation in a high-efficiency zone which can lead to the extension of the working range and decrease fuel consumption

Euromech Colloquium 509: Vehicle Aerodynamics. External Aerodynamics of Railway Vehicles, Trucks, Buses and Cars - Proceedings

During the 509th Colloquium of the Euromech society, held from March 24th & 25th at TU Berlin, fifty leading researchers from all over europe discussed various topics affecting both road vehicle as well as railway vehicle aerodynamics, especially drag reduction (with road vehicles), cross wind stability (with trains) and wake analysis (with both). With the increasing service speed of modern high-speed railway traffic, aerodynamic aspects are gaining importance. The aerodynamic research topics comprise both pure performance improvements, such as the continuous lowering of aerodynamic drag for energy efficiency, as well as safety relevant topics, such as cross-wind stability. The latter topic was most recently brought to attention when a swiss narrow-gauge train overturned during the severe storm Kyrill in january 2007. The shape of the train head usually has largest influence on cross wind stability. Slipstream effects of passing trains cause aerodynamic loads on objects and passengers waiting at platforms. The strength of the slipstream is determined by both the boundary layer development along the length of the train and the wake developing behind the tail of the train. Since high-speed trains can be considered to be as smooth as technically possible, attention is drawn to the wake region. The wake of the train again is also one important factor for the total drag of a train. Due to the fact that trains are bidirectional, optimisation of the leading car of a train with respect to drag and cross wind performance while simultaneously minimising the wake of the train for drag and slipstream performance is a great challenge. Modern optimisation tools are used to aid this multi-parameter multi-constraint design optimisation in conjunction with both CFD and wind tunnel investigations. Since many of the aerodynamic effects in the railway sector are of similar importance to road vehicles, the aim of the colloquium is to bridge the application of shape optimisation principles between rail- and road vehicles. Particular topics to be addressed in the colloquium are: Drag, Energy consumption and emissions: Due to increase in energy cost, drag reduction has gained focus in the past years and attention will grow in the future. Pressure induced drag is of common importance for both rail- and road vehicles. The optimisation of head- and tail shape for road vehicles as well as for bi-directional vehicles (trains) is in the focus. Interference drag between adjacent components shall also be treated. Slipstream Effects: Are a safety issue for high-train operation (Prams sucked into track due to train-induced draught flows) when trains passing platforms at high speeds. For Road vehicles, the ride stability of overtaking cars is influenced by the wake of the leading trucks and busses. Common interest is the minimisation of wake effects for both rail and road vehicles. Cross-Wind Safety, Ride stability under strong winds: Both are safety issues for rail- and road vehicles. Aerodynamic forces shall be minimised (roll moment for trains and also yaw moment for road vehicles). Strategies for Vehicle shape optimisation (head, tail and roof shape) in order to minimise aerodynamic moments. Possibilities of Flow control. Optimisation strategies: Parametrisation, analyses (CFD), Optimisation tools and methods, Application to Drag, Cross-Wind, Ride stability and Snow issue

Advanced Sensing and Control for Connected and Automated Vehicles

Connected and automated vehicles (CAVs) are a transformative technology that is expected to change and improve the safety and efficiency of mobility. As the main functional components of CAVs, advanced sensing technologies and control algorithms, which gather environmental information, process data, and control vehicle motion, are of great importance. The development of novel sensing technologies for CAVs has become a hotspot in recent years. Thanks to improved sensing technologies, CAVs are able to interpret sensory information to further detect obstacles, localize their positions, navigate themselves, and interact with other surrounding vehicles in the dynamic environment. Furthermore, leveraging computer vision and other sensing methods, in-cabin humans’ body activities, facial emotions, and even mental states can also be recognized. Therefore, the aim of this Special Issue has been to gather contributions that illustrate the interest in the sensing and control of CAVs