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

Observability Conditions for Target States with Bearing-Only Measurements in Three-Dimensional Case

In target tracking with a passive sensor such as infrared seekers, angle-only information is determined. In this case no information about the range of the target is provided and unobservable system is resulted. This paper studies the observability of discrete time three-dimensional bearing-only target tracking. The target is assumed to be moving in a straight line while a single moving observer (own-ship) measures its relative (elevation and azimuth) bearing angles. By transforming the inherently nonlinear bearing measurements into a pseudo-linear form, a linear Least Squares (LS) estimator is formulated. Observability is then analyzed by studying the solvability of the associated LS problem. This approach has the advantage of providing simple unobservability conditions as opposed to other approaches in the continuous time setup. In this paper, most of motivation and problem formulation is taken from [9]. It is shown that for no maneuvering target, at least three independent measured bearings for system observability is required

Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles: Experiences in Research and Education

This paper briefly describes the research and educational activities related to a current NSF CAREER grant titled Vehicle Fleet as a Distributed Energy Storage System for the Power Grid . The PI, Dr. Ferdowsi, is an assistant professor at the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department of the Missouri University of Science and Technology (MST)

Current Sensing for Automotive Electronics -- A Survey

Current sensing is widely used in power electronic applications such as dc-dc power converters and adjustable-speed motor drives. Such power converters are the basic building blocks of drivetrains in electric, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. The performance and control of such vehicles depend on the accuracy, bandwidth, and efficiency of its sensors. Various current-sensing techniques based on different physical effects such as Faraday\u27s induction law, Ohm\u27s law, Lorentz force law, the magnetoresistance effect, and the magnetic saturation effect are described in this paper. Each technique is reviewed and examined. The current measurement methods are compared and analyzed based on their losslessness, simplicity, and ease of implementation

Estimative Current Mode Control Technique for DC-DC Converters Operating in Discontinuous Conduction Mode

A new control technique for DC-DC converters is introduced and applied to a boost converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). In contrast to conventional control methods, the principal idea of the proposed control scheme is to obtain samples of the required signals and estimate the required switch-on time. The proposed technique is applicable to any converter operating in DCM, including power factor correctors (PFC), however, this letter mainly focuses on boost topology. In this letter, the main mathematical concept of a new control algorithm is introduced, as well as the robustness investigation of the proposed method with simulation and experimental results

Synthesis of Double-Input DC-DC Converters using a Single-Pole Triple-Throw Switch as a Building Block

Hybridizing power electronic systems using an energy storage unit has gained popularity in transportation and power system applications. This task has traditionally been performed by using several independent power electronic converters. Multi-input converters, due to their reduced part count and improved efficiency, seem to be an advantageous option to replace the conventional converters. A few multi-input converter topologies have been reported in the literature; however, there is not a systematic approach to derive them. Furthermore, all possible topologies are not completely explored and it is difficult to derive new converters from the existing topologies. Hence, in this paper, a systematic approach to derive multi-input converters by using single-pole triple-throw switches as building blocks is presented

Control Strategy Optimization for a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

The efficiency improvement of parallel hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) is strongly dependent on how the supervisory control of a vehicle determines the power split between the internal combustion engine (ICE) and the electric motor of the vehicle. This paper presents a classification of current supervisory control techniques with distinction between dynamic and static control methods; a description of the simulation software ADvanced Vehicle SimulatOR (ADVISOR) with Matlab Simulink for simulation of a rule-based control strategy, and proposed optimization methods

Power Sharing in a Double-Input Buckboost Converter using Offset Time Control

Multi-input power electronic converters have been gaining popularity in applications such as renewable energy sources and hybrid electric vehicles due to their reduced component count. In this paper, a new control method is introduced and successfully applied to a double-input buckboost converter to adjust the power supplied by each one of the sources. The control scheme is based on controlling the offset time between the switching commands while switching frequency is kept constant. Theoretically, it is proved that the offset time between the switch commands has a direct impact on the amount of current drawn from each source. The proposed control method has a very fast dynamic response and improves the stability of traditional controllers. Simulation results agree with the theoretical analysis

An Event-Based Simulation Framework to Examine the Response of Power Grid to the Charging Demand of Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles

This paper describes the development of a discrete-event simulation framework that emulates the interactions between the power grid and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and examines whether the capacity of the existing power system can meet the PHEV load demand. The probability distribution functions for the arrival time and energy demand of each vehicle are extracted from real-world statistical transportation data. The power grid\u27s limited generation and transmission capacities are considered to be the major constraints. Therefore, vehicles may have to wait to receive any charge. The proposed simulation framework is justified and described in some detail in applying it to two real cases in the United States to determine certain regions\u27 grid potential to support PHEVs. Both Level-1 and -2 charging are considered

Pulse Regulation Control Technique for Flyback Converter

Pulse regulation, a fixed frequency control technique, is introduced and applied to flyback converter operating in discontinuous conduction mode (DCM). The control parameters are designed in a way that the converter operates as close as possible to the critical conduction mode. In contrast to the conventional pulse width modulation (PWM) control scheme, the principal idea of pulse regulation is to achieve output voltage regulation using high and low-power pulses. Pulse regulation is simple, cost effective, and enjoys a fast dynamic response. The proposed technique is applicable to any converter operating in DCM. However, this work mainly focuses on flyback topology. In this paper, the main mathematical concept of the new control algorithm is introduced and simulation as well as experimental results are presented