Power Management and Control of a Hybrid Electric Vehicle Based on Photovoltaic, Fuel Cells, and Battery Energy Sources

Abstract

This paper deals with an energy management problem to ensure the best performance of the recharging tools used in electric vehicles. The main objective of this work is to find the optimal condition for controlling a hybrid recharging system by regrouping the photovoltaic cells and fuel cells. The photovoltaic and fuel cell systems were connected in parallel via two converters to feed either a lithium battery bank or the main traction motor. This combination of energy sources resulted in a hybrid recharging system. The mathematical model of the overall recharging system and the designed power management loop was developed, taking into account multiple aspects, including vehicle loading, the stepwise mathematical modelling of each component, and a detailed discussion of the required electronic equipment. Finally, a simplistic management loop was designed and implemented. Multiple case studies were simulated, statistical approaches were used to quantify the contribution of each recharging method, and the benefits of the combination of the two sources were evaluated. The energetic performance of an electric vehicle with the proposed hybrid recharging tool under various conditions, including static and dynamic modes, was simulated using the MATLAB/Simulink tool. The results suggest that despite the additional weight of PV panels, the combination of the PV and FC systems improves the vehicle’s energetic performance and provides a higher charging capacity instead of using an FC alone. A comparison with similar studies revealed that the proposed model has a higher efficiency. Finally, the benefits and drawbacks of each solution are discussed to emphasise the significance of the hybrid recharging system.

Moving towards Greener Road Transportation: A Review

“…Additionally, in several works, such as [88][89][90][91][92], a combination of solar power and fuel cells is proposed and studied. Particularly, in [92], a PV-powered high-pressure electrolyzer integrated with a fuel cell system is incorporated into an EV and tested.…”

A Comprehensive Analysis of Wireless Charging Systems for Electric Vehicles

“…The Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) approach is no longer widely employed in WPT systems. The authors of [73], [74] developed a circuit for using the MPPT regime to regulate the IPT frequency while the car is moving. In this example, an MPPT algorithm is incorporated into MATLAB and implemented without being tied to a specific circuit.…”

Model of Hybrid Electric Vehicle with Two Energy Sources

“…The authors of [22] deal with the problem of energy management to ensure the best charging performance in electric vehicles. The topic of the paper is finding the poor condition of the control of a hybrid charging system by regrouping photovoltaic cells and fuel cells.…”