Dynamic Model of a Plug in Hybrid Electric Vehicle

Abstract

Renewable biofuels like biodiesel and bioethanol contribute only a small percentage of the overall energy mix for mobility. Electricity use for transportation has limited applications because of battery storage range issues. Recently, the trend of research leads in hybrid technologies with significant increase in vehicle efficiencies that created the Plug-in Hybrid Electrical Vehicles (PHEV) platform. A comprehensive alternative energy vehicle simulator is presently seen as an important contribution to the transportation issue, both in terms of contributing data to help policy to reduce fossil fuel use and to support research in this important area. The Renewable Energy Vehicle Simulator (REVS) allows analysing different vehicle configurations, control strategies and renewable and non-renewable fuel and electricity sources. The goal is to determine the optimal combination of fuels and grid electricity use and perform greenhouse gas calculations based on emerging protocols being developed, optimizing the efficient and proper use of renewable energy sources in a carbon constrained world. The simulation platform for REVS models the fundamental aspects of PHEV components, i.e. process control, heat transfer, chemical reactions, thermodynamics and fluid properties. In this work IDEAS simulates the internal combustion engine and chemical reactions to provide emissions out of engine. Matlab and Simulink is employed to simulate the dynamics of the vehicle.