Hardware in the loop analysis of urban utility electric vehicle powered from supercapacitors

The paper presents in detail a complete real-time model of an urban utility electric vehicle (EV) supplied from super-capacitors validated with hardware in the loop testing (HiL). The real-time model is designed using Typhoon HiL software and ran on a 402 device. The model contains the electrical machine, the mechanical assemblies, the supercapacitors model with its buck-boost converter and additionally, a charging station. Using Energetic Macroscopic Representation (EMR), the simulation program is organized in an action-reaction philosophy based on dedicated pictograms. To perform realistic testing, an urban drive cycle recorded in Cluj Napoca, Romania was used. The EV is supplied by a supercapacitor bank and powered with a permanent magnet synchronous machine (PMSM). The HiL testing was performed only for the PMSM, while the rest of the system remained simulated in real-time. The results proved that the energy consumption drained (during motoring) and supplied (during breaking) by the PMSM superimpose the one obtained from simulations. In doing so, the authors validate the traction part of the model proving the benefits of using only supercapacitors as energy supply unit. Considering the role of such a vehicle, only for urban delivery, its fast recharge can be performed any time the vehicle is parked. This process is also analyzed in the present paper.