Modelling, design and control of a light electric vehicle with hybrid energy storage system for Indian driving cycle

This paper presents the modelling, design and power management of a hybrid energy storage system for a three-wheeled light electric vehicle under Indian driving conditions. The hybrid energy storage system described in this paper is characterized by effective coupling of Li-ion battery (primary energy source) and ultracapacitor (auxiliary source) interfaced with an efficient bi-directional converter. A design methodology related to vehicle modelling, choice of motor rating, converter design, sizing of Li-ion battery and ultracapacitor pack for the Indian driving cycle are presented. An improved real-time power-split management control strategy is proposed for proper power flow control of the hybrid energy storage system under various operating modes. The hybridized energy storage system with proposed control strategy improves the life of the battery and helps in effective utilization of the ultracapacitor. Furthermore, a relative comparison of the hybrid energy storage system with the battery energy storage system based on battery parameters and capital cost is also presented. Simulations are carried out in MATLAB/Simulink environment to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy with modelled system components of three-wheeled light electric vehicle. A downscaled experimental prototype is built to validate the power-split between hybrid energy storage systems.