Methodology for Fuel Saving Optimization of a Serial Hybrid Electric Vehicle using Gas Turbine as Energy Converter

Significant research efforts have been invested in the automotive industry on hybrid-electrified powertrains in order to reduce the passenger cars’ dependence on oil. Powertrains electrification resulted in a wide range of hybrid vehicle architectures. Fuel consumption of these powertrains strongly relies on the energy converter performance, as well as on the energy management strategy deployed on-board. This paper investigates the potential of fuel consumption savings of a serial hybrid electric vehicle (SHEV) using a gas turbine (GT) as energy converter instead of the conventional internal combustion engine (ICE). An exergotechno explicit analysis is conducted to identify the best GT-system configuration. An intercooled regenerative reheat cycle is prioritized, offering higher efficiency and power density compared to other investigated GT-systems. A SHEV model is developed and powertrain components are sized considering vehicle performance criteria. Energy consumption simulations are performed on WLTP cycle using dynamic programing as global optimal energy management strategy. A sensitivity analysis is also carried out in order to evaluate the effect of the battery size on the fuel consumption. Results show improved fuel consumption with GT as auxiliary power unit (APU) compared to ICE. Moreover, GT offers other intrinsic advantages such as reduced mass, suitable vehicle integration as well as a multi-fuel use capability. Consequently, the studied GT-APU presents a potential for implementation on SHEVs.