Parallel hybrid electric vehicle simulation model using energetic macroscopic representation method

Abstract

Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) is an alternative drivetrain configuration compared to a conventional car. One Perodua Axia car has been modified to become a PHEV to study the advantages of this architecture. This PHEV drivetrain configuration uses two energy sources namely fuel combustion from the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) and electrical potential energy from a battery. As the name indicates, these two energy sources are installed parallel to one another. Using an electric motor connected to the battery, PHEV is able to move using ICE power and electric motor power, depending on the control strategy of the system. The control strategy is complicated to define, hence using Matlab-Simulink can help in manipulating the system model. Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR) method is implemented in order to help in organizing the control system of the simulation model by its functions and subsystems in blocks. Through this method, potentially efficient control strategies can be tested and analyzed before choosing the best energy management that best suit this PHEV system. Thus with an electric motor and battery installed, the fuel consumption of the vehicle is expected to be less than the conventional vehicle.