Power Flow Management in Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Hybrid electrical vehicles are very popular due to their extended operating range, reduced emission, improved fuel economy and rapid refueling. They are powered by an internal combustion engine and an electrical motor which driven by a battery. Battery is charged either by the engine or by ‘regenerative’ braking, which otherwise dissipated in the form of heat to the atmosphere. In order to realize the best use of hybrid vehicles, an optimal power distribution between the engine and battery is required. In this paper dynamic programming technique and rule-based control methods are discussed to develop a power controller which would control the power distribution. Dynamic programming technique cannot be applied for real time applications due to their preview nature and computational complexity. But it is suggested that it can be used to improve efficiency of rule-based control method.