Optimal sizing and power management methodologies of energy sources for electric vehicle

Author(s)

Juliana Lopes

• Document type: Doctoral Thesis
• Press: Campinas, SP.
• Institution: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de Computação
• Defense date: 2012-10-30

Examining board members

José Antenor Pomilio; Andre Augusto Ferreira; Wanderlei Marinho da Silva; Christiano Lyra Filho; Marcos Ferretti

• Advisor: José Antenor Pomilio; Paulo Augusto Valente Ferreira

Abstract

The energy-storage system (ESS) of electric vehicles with batteries and/or ultracapacitors can add high cost or high mass to the vehicle if the number of modules of these sources is not appropriate. Two sizing methodologies applied to the ESS are proposed in this Thesis. These methodologies aim ESSs configurations of lowest mass. The obtained configurations must be able to supply power when the electric vehicle is driven in a certain profile of high value of power required. ESSs with different types of batteries and ultracapacitors are studied to achieve a broad range of choices of configurations in relation to weight and cost. Besides an ESS unity the electric vehicle has an autonomy source that can be a fuel cell or a generator/internal combustion engine unity. The first sizing methodology investigates different ESSs configurations for a Sport Utility Vehicle type. This methodology is based on Ragone curves of the sources from which the specific power and specific energy coefficients are obtained. The ESS of lowest mass is found by using these coefficients and the power required that must be constant. Among the ESSs configurations analyzed the results showed that the ESS of lowest mass is formed only by ultracapacitors modules of 165 F. The second methodology investigates configurations of hybrid ESSs for three vehicle models: one Sport Utility Vehicle, one minibus and one urban transit bus. This study aims to show the viability of using the methodology in vehicles with different physical characteristics. This methodology is highlighted by the use of nonlinear optimization to solve the ESS sizing problem whose objective function is the lowest mass of ESS. The innovative aspect of this methodology is the use of optimization to solve the ESS sizing problem applied to the power envelope of the driving cycle profiles. The envelope is resulting of the superposition of the power profiles related to the driving cycles in which the vehicle is driven. The purpose of using the envelope of the power profiles is to comprise different situations, in any driving cycles, in which the vehicle can be driven. The methodology is applied to certain periods of the envelope with high value of power required. Two power management strategies are proposed to manage the ESSs, sized by the optimum methodology, and the autonomy sources to supply continuously the power required by the vehicle. One power management strategy is based on rules and the other one is also based on nonlinear optimization technique. The first one was applied to ten repetitions of each driving cycle and presented good results related to batteries and ultracapacitors operational limits. The second one was applied to certain periods of the driving cycles in which the autonomy source provides nominal power related to the strategy based on rules. The results of the optimum power management strategy showed that it is possible to obtain improved fuel economy, since the autonomy source remained turned off. Both strategies were applied to the three vehicle models (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 08/01162-6 - Methodologies for electric vehicle power supplies sizing and management
• Grantee: Juliana Lopes
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate