Multi-perspective evaluation of a novel powertrain integrating series-parallel and power-split modes: An ultra-rapid hierarchical control approach

Abstract

Power split and series-parallel hybrid transmissions (PSHTs and SPHTs) have become dominant technology approaches to dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) design. However, evaluating DHTs using traditional dynamic programming methods is time-consuming, and efficiently comparing the performance differences among different DHTs is difficult. Therefore, an advanced ultra-rapid real-time hierarchical control algorithm (URHCA) is proposed with 38,000 times the computational efficiency improvement. To integrate the PSHT and SPHT, a novel synchronizer-shift configuration is designed by fully comparing the effects of adding gears to the engine, motor, and output positions of the PSHT. The differences and intrinsic mechanisms between different architectures, classes (A, B, and C), and driving cycles are simulated and analyzed. The results show that the proposed powertrain can improve acceleration by 38 % compared to the PSHT and reduce energy consumption by 4.88–8.48 % compared to the SPHT for a WLTC cycle, which is a significant advantage. The real-time performance of the proposed URHCA method is validated with real driving cycles and a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) test. This study provides guidance for the technology path selection and design of PSHTs and SPHTs.