Development of an integrated energy and thermal planner for a series hybrid off-road autonomous tracked vehicle

Abstract

Electrifying off-road vehicle powertrains enhances energy efficiency and auxiliary power generation but poses control challenges due to extreme temperatures, complex terrain, powerful cooling systems, and high-power demands. This paper presents the Integrated Energy and Thermal Planner (IETP), a unified approach to energy and thermal management for off-road series hybrid tracked vehicles. The IETP addresses challenges posed by extreme ambient temperatures, high-power demands, and complex non-linear thermal dynamics by integrating the control of thermal systems with energy planning. The synergistic operation of the ICE-Generator and thermal actuators reduces battery degradation by up to 29% compared to traditional separated energy and thermal management. Additionally, IETP improves fuel efficiency by at least 10% in power-demanding high-speed driving scenarios. Key contributions include the ’priority-speed’ formulation, which optimizes the ICE-Gen’s operating point in a computationally efficient manner, and a systematic sensitivity analysis to balance planning accuracy with hardware constraints. Real-time planner-in-the-loop application mitigates execution delays through a memory buffer and compensation strategy. Despite uncertainties in modeling and preview assumptions, the IETP demonstrates robustness, with future work aimed at further improving transient compensation and estimation routines. This integrated strategy enhances both the efficiency and durability of hybrid electric vehicles in extreme off-road environments.