System Integration and Power Flow Management for a Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle using Super-capacitors and Batteries

In this paper, the power flow management algorithms for a 4-wheel driven series hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is presented, that has multiple power sources composed of diesel engine based generator, lead-acid battery bank, and super-capacitor bank. Super-capacitor is utilized as short term energy storage means to meet dynamic performance of the vehicle, while the battery is utilized as a mid term energy storage for the electric vehicle (EV) mode operation due to their higher energy density. The generator based on interior permanent magnet machine (IPMM), run by a diesel engine, provides average power for the normal operation of the vehicle. Thanks to the proposed power flow management algorithm, not only the dynamic performance but also the fuel efficiency and reliability of the vehicle have been improved. The proposed power flow management algorithm has been experimentally verified with a full scale prototype vehicle.