USE OF GT-SUITE TO STUDY PERFORMANCE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE (ICE) AND HYBRID ELECTRIC VEHICLE (HEV) POWERTRAINS

Abstract

ABSTRACTHybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are receiving a great deal of interest around theworld due to not only their promise of higher energy efficiency and reduced highwayemissions, but also their ability to overcome the range limitations inherent in a purelyelectric automobile. In a hybrid powertrain, energy is stored as a petroleum fuel andin an electrical storage device, such as a battery pack, and is converted tomechanical energy by an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric motor(EM), respectively. The EM is used to improve energy efficiency and vehicleemissions while the ICE provides extended range capability.Computer simulation is a valuable tool for analyzing hardware components andpredicting vehicle performance with different powertrain configurations. In this worka traditional ICE operated vehicle is compared to several hybrid versions of the samevehicle, all modeled using GT-Suite. A variety of standard driving cycles areconsidered, among them the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) for city driving, theHighway Fuel Economy Test (HWY), the high acceleration aggressive drivingschedule (US06) that is often identified by the Supplemental FTP, and the NewEuropean Driving Cycle (NEDC). This study considers a rule-based energymanagement strategy for power splitting in the hybrid powertrain models. ICE onlyand hybrid modes are compared based on average as well as instantaneousperformance. The overall fuel economy, energy consumption and losses in the ICEand HEV powertrain models are monitored and compared based on averageperformance, and a comprehensive energy analysis is performed to track energysources and sinks. The paper results reveal the benefits of HEVs in terms of reducedfuel energy consumption and improved fuel economy.