A simulation-based assessment of plug-in hybrid electric vehicle architectures

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) are vehicles that utilize power from both an internal combustion engine and an electric battery that can be recharged from the grid. Simulations of series, parallel, and split-architecture PHEVs, as well as parallel and split PHEVs with ultracapacitors, were performed in Autonomie, the vehicle simulation package released by Argonne National Laboratory as the successor to the Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit (PSAT). The PHEV configurations were parameterized by battery capacity, motor peak power, engine peak power, and ultracapacitor capacity if applicable. Results were compared to EPA data for the Chevrolet Volt and Toyota Prius, showing close agreement on values for fuel consumption, charge-depleting range, and acceleration time. While most PHEVs today are of the series or split variety, analysis of the simulation results indicates that including features from a parallel architecture could improve performance without undue additional cost from components. In addition, ultracapacitors were found to have a significant positive effect on all-electric fuel consumption. Furthermore, pricing models were created to predict approximate MSRP and 5-year cost-to-own for future PHEVs. These models were incorporated into a graphical user interface built using MATLAB that allows access to the simulation results in a way that is accessible to the average consumer.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Sotingco, Daniel (Daniel S.)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Jerome Milgram.

• Mechanical Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/74950

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/74950