Virtual platform evaluation of an optimized electric vehicle energy management network utilizing parallel cell connected battery packs

Effective energy management of electric vehicles (EVs) has been extensively researched to meet consumers' expectations for high driving mileage and alleviate mileage anxiety. However, physical prototype testing of EV energy management systems is resource-intensive and time-consuming, especially when evaluating performance under diverse driving scenarios. As an alternative, this paper considers using IPG CarMaker, a virtual platform, to facilitate testing in real-life driving scenarios without incurring additional developmental costs or delays. This study also investigates the feasibility of using parallel cell-connected battery packs (PBPs) to enhance driving mileage, integrating a DC-DC converter to meet the voltage needs. Additionally, a sophisticated switchedcapacitor-based cell equalization circuit is designed for the PBP to ensure optimal operation. Under the US06 driving profile with four parallel-connected cells, the proposed cell equalization design demonstrates significant convergence in state of charge (SOC) values compared to the conventional switched-capacitor topology. The proposed energy management network (EMN), comprising of PBP, cell equalization circuit, and DC-DC converter, is integrated with a previously developed Mitsubishi i-MiEV vehicle model in IPG CarMaker and tested under various driving scenarios. Beyond effectively simulating real-world driving conditions, the proposed energy management design and PBP outperform the conventional series-parallel battery pack configuration in terms of mileage and cell count for the same specifications. By employing the proposed EMN, EVs can achieve efficient battery management, which extends battery lifespan, reduces maintenance costs, and improve mileage. These advancements are expected to further accelerate global EV adoption.