Optimization of the Fuel Consumption of a Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle

In this paper we present a novel control strategy for optimal power management of parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicles based on fuel efficiency. In particular, the proposed strategy optimally distributes the required drive torque between the available power sources, which in the present study consist of an electric motor and an IC engine. This is achieved by first estimating the power demand at the wheels and then determining a set of solution points that meet the constraints from which the optimal solution is subsequently chosen. This allows determining the optimal IC engine’s torque and electric motor’s current, which are the outputs. The strategy was implemented in a simulation software package and compared with a commonly used thermostat strategy. Compared to the thermostat strategy, the optimization strategy reduced the fuel consumption by 55.7 % on a highway cycle and by 42.4 % on a city cycle.