Simulation study on the operating characteristics of a hybrid hydraulic passenger car with a power split transmission

In this paper, a hybrid hydraulic passenger car (HHPC) coupled with a power split continuously variable transmission (P-CVT) is proposed. This P-CVT is capable of splitting the power from the internal combustion engine into mechanical and hydraulic power flows. By adjusting the ratio of the mechanical power to hydraulic power, the P-CVT enables the transmission ratio to be changed continuously. Meanwhile, the P-CVT system can capture the braking energy and store it in the hydraulic accumulator for the next assistant driving. In order to quantitatively investigate the effect of applying P-CVT on improving the fuel economy and operating performance for the HHPC, a numerical simulation is conducted under typical city driving conditions. The simulation results demonstrate that, the P-CVT permits the engine to be run under a more efficient operating range. The total fuel consumption of the HHPC is reduced by 16.4% under the test conditions, compared with that of the original car.