Control Strategies For Hybrid Electric Vehicles With

Two Energy Sources On Board

Gheorghe Livint, Alina-Georgiana Stan (Baciu)
Faculty of Electrical Engineering
“Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Iasi
Iasi, Romania

Abstract - This paper presents an analysis and

simulation of two different control strategies for electric vehicles II. ELECTRIC VEHICLE WITH MULTIPLE ENERGY SOURCES
with two energy sources on board: one configuration with battery ON BOARD
and fuel cell and one with battery and supercapacitors. For the
hybrid system with battery and fuel cell we elaborated a fuzzy A. Hybrid energy system with battery and supercapacitors
controller for power demand distribution as control strategy. For A hybrid energy system consists of two energy sources,
the other configuration, with battery and supercapacitors, we one with high specific energy and the other with high specific
proposed a new method for prediction of power demand time
series using a hybrid algorithm with Wavelet decomposition and
power and the operation modes of such a system are shown in
Neural Network. The prediction model is then used for figure 1.
implementing in real-time a management strategy for the electric
vehicle, being necessary for distributing the power demand of the
vehicular system between energy storage devices according with
their characteristics in order to improve the vehicle
performances. All the simulations and results were conducted in
Matlab Fuzzy Logic Toolbox and Wavelet Toolbox.

Keywords-hybrid vehicle; fuzzy logic; wavelet decomposition; power

demand, neural networks

I. INTRODUCTION
In our days, there have been arisen more and more
problems in electric vehicles (EVs) and one of this is that none
of any energy sources can solely fulfill all the demands of EV
in some circumstances. The concept of energy sources
hybridization involves the combination of two or more energy
sources so that, the advantages of each one can be exploited
and disadvantages of each can be offset by other [1].
Compared with individual energy sources, the hybrid
energy system can offer some advantages for vehicles, like
higher fuel economy due to increase of on-board renewable Figure 1 Operation modes of hybrid energy system
energy, the better energy security due to the use of multiple
sources and higher control flexibility due to the coordination
for charging the same pack of batteries [2]. The proposed configuration for hybrid energy system with
The performance of hybrid electric system strongly battery and supercapacitors is shown in figure 2. For
depends of the control strategy implemented which can be implementing and simulation the model, it was choose the
various algorithms for distributing the power demand between passive configuration in which the battery is connected in
energy sources according to their characteristics in order to parallel with the supercapacitors and the load [3].
improve the vehicle performances.
 Figure 3 Configuration of hybrid energy system with battery and fuel
cells – Simulink model

The FC system model parameters and their values are

represented in table 1 and the Simulink model in figure 4.

Figure 2 Simulink model for hybrid energy system with battery and TABLE I FUEL CELLS PARAMETERS
supercapacitors Characteristics Symbol Values
Type PEMFC
For this configuration we propose a control strategy Power PFC 90kW
based on fuzzy logic for distributing the power demand
Cells number n 400
between battery and supercapacitors while maintaining the
state of charge of battery in reasonable limits. The algorithm is Temperature t 950C
explained in the next section. Output voltage V 380-400V
Nominal point [Inom Vnom ] [285A 300V]
B. Hybrid energy system with fuel cells and battery Max point [Iend Vend ] [347.3A 288V]

Hybrid electric systems with fuel cells contain a primary

energy source, fuel cells, and a second energy source as
battery or supercapacitors. The power demand of a vehicular
system includes many sharp and instantaneous changes. If the
fuel cell supplies all power demand, it would increase the size
and cost of the fuel cell (FC) system as well as hydrogen
consumption. Also, commercially available fuel cells are not
reversible and they do not have capability to recycle the
braking energy.

Pload (t) = Pfcs (t) + Pess (t) (1) Figure 4 Simulink model of fuel cells

where Pload is the power demand of the load, Pfcs is the power The battery is modeled as a simple voltage source in series
of fuel cell system and Pess is the power of energy source. with a resistor [4]:
The hybrid system has many advantages. The battery can The battery output voltage Vbat and battery current Ibat may
be used to meet the peak power demand; hence, the size of the be expressed as [5] in equations (2) and (3):
fuel cells stack can be minimum. Fuel cells/battery hybrid
systems can combine the high energy density of fuel cells and Vbat = VOCV - IbatRbatint (2)
the high power density of batteries.
In figure 3 is shown the Matlab/Simulink configuration for
hybrid energy system with battery and fuel cells. 2 int
VOCV − VOCV − 4 Rbat P
I bat = int
(3)
2 Rbat
where, the internal resistance and the open circuit voltage are
functions of the battery state of charge (SOC). The battery
SOC can be expressed as in equation (4):

I bat
SOC = SOC init − ∫C bat
dt (4)

III. APLICATIONS OF INTELLIGENT SYSTEMS BASED ON

FUZZY LOGIC FOR HYBRID ENERGY SYSTEM WITH BATTERY
AND FUEL CELLS

A. Developing a fuzzy logic controller for hybrid energy

system with battery and fuel cell Figure 6 Membership functions and fuzzy rules

Fuzzy Logic was used in control of electric vehicle and for TABLE 2 SIMULATION PARAMETERS
implementing a control system aiming to minimize the fuel Simulation parameters in Matlab
consumption and improving the system’s performances [6]. Start Stop Step Solver
Also, Fuzzy logic control can deal with nonlinear structure of 0s 20s -5
2e s ode45
the power distribution problem, having a more robust structure Fuel Cell
and offering more design flexibility [7].
Type Cells numbers Voltage Power
For hybrid energy system with fuel cells and battery it is
PEMFC 400 380V 1x105W
implemented a fuzzy logic controller for improving the system
efficiency, extending the battery’s life and protecting the fuel Battery
cells by distributing the power demand between the two Type Number Capacity Initial SOC
sources according to their characteristics. Pb-acid 24 432Ah 0.4
The fuzzy logic controller is illustrated in figure 5. DC/DC
Type Capacity Inductance Frequency
Boost 400e-6C 20e-3H 20kHz

B. Using Wavelet transform and NARX neural network for

control strategy

In this section we propose a model of power demand

Figure 5 Fuzzy logic controller
It was used a Mamdami fuzzy logic controller with two inputs,
one is the power demand and the other one is the estimated
battery’s SOC and the output of fuzzy logic controller is the
fuel cells output power. Figure 6 shows the membership
functions for each of the three variables involved in the
process and the results of fuzzy logic controller.
The simulation of the hybrid system with battery and fuel cells
using fuzzy logics was realized in Matlab/Simulink and in
table 2 are illustrated the parameters of simulation for the
model.
The results of the model’s simulation are discussed in next
section.
prediction for vehicular power system with battery and
ultracapacitors based on Wavelet analysis and neural networks
techniques. Wavelet transform is a signal processing tools
which represents a signal as a weighted summation of wavelet
basis functions; this functions are dilated and translated
versions of certain functions called mother wavelet [8].
Wavelet analysis is adequate in signal processing, image
compress and nonlinear science fields. On the other side,
neural networks can be used in solving complex problems,
having a large numbers of computational units neurons; the
algorithm do not require an explicit formulation of
mathematical or physical relationship of handle problem [9].
Implementing Wavelet transform as control strategy for
vehicular power system is easy to realize when power demand
is known due to predefined cycle. In reality, the power
demand of a vehicular system include many sharp and
instantaneous changes, so it’s necessary to develop an
algorithm that should isolate the base power demand from its
transients. Also, in reality, the power demand at certain times
is impossible to know, so arise the problem how could
Wavelet transform can be applied as control strategy in real-
time. For this, we proposed a hybrid model for prediction
power demand of vehicular system using Wavelet transform
and NARX neural networks.
The forecasting algorithm based on wavelet decomposition
and neural networks involves the decomposition of measured
signal into wavelets and then the prediction is performed for
wavelets coefficients in the original resolution. The prediction
was made for 60 steps and the forecasted power demand was
performed by simply summing up the predicted decomposition
signals.
The prediction model is shown in figure 7 and contains 3
stages: Wavelet decomposition, training the neural networks
for each of approximation and details signals and the
reconstruction of predicted power demand signal.

Figure 8 A trous decomposition algorithm [10]

Figure 7 Forecasting model

It was used the non-decimated Haar algorithm for
decomposition of power demand signal which is the same with
a trous wavelet transform with the difference that Haar
algorithm uses a simple filter h=(1/2, 1/2 ). For the first level
of decomposition we obtain:
cj+1,t = 1/2(cj,t-2j +cj,t)
IV. SIMULATION AND RESULTS FOR THE
PROPOSED MODELS
A. Simulation and results for fuzzy logic controller
To simulate the hybrid model with battery and fuel cells we
used the first 20 seconds of a drive cycle, while the vehicle
speed reaches 100km/h as it can be seen in figure 9.
(5)

wj+1,t = cj,t – cj+1,t (6)

where, cj – smooth version of the original signal and wj –

represents the details of original signal at scale 2-j.
In figure 8 is illustrated the level-2 decomposition using this
algorithm.
Figure 9 Vehicle speed
In the second stage of prediction model we create, identify,
train and simulate three neural networks, each one for the The power demand profile and the state of charge of battery
three signals obtain from wavelet decomposition. We used are illustrated in figure 10, respectively 11.
NARX neural networks (Nonlinear Autoregressive models
with exogenous input), parallel architecture because we realize
a multi-step ahead prediction, which can be mathematically
express as:

‫݊(ݕ‬+1) =݂[‫)݊(ݕ‬,…,‫݊(ݕ‬−݀y+1); ‫)݊(ݑ‬,‫݊(ݑ‬−1),…,

‫݊(ݑ‬−݀‫ݑ‬+1)] (7)

where u(n) and y(n) R represents the input and the output of
the model at time step n.
Figure 10 Power demand profile
 4
x 10
4
approximation

3.5

2.5
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500
1000
detail level 2

Figure 11 State of charge of battery -1000

Using the fuzzy logic controller as energy management -2000

0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

strategy, the power demand of the system was distributed 500

between battery, fuel cell and engine as it can be seen in figure 0
12. -500

-1000

-1500
detail level 1
-2000
0 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 500

Figure 13 Wavelet decomposition

4
x 10 Response of Output Element 1 for Time-Series 1
2.6
Training Targets
Training Outputs
2.55
Validation Targets
Validation Outputs
Output and Target

2.5 Test Targets

Test Outputs
Figure 12 Fuel cell power (magenta), engine power (blue) and battery power 2.45
Errors
Response
(azure)
2.4

The battery power is negative when the fuel cell power is

approximately equal or greater than power demand of the 2.35

vehicle. Also, when the fuell cell power is greater than power 2.3

demand, the excess of fuel cell power is used for charging the 50
Targets - Outputs
battery, and in this way the state of charge of battery can be 0
Error

maintained in resonable limits, in this case between 40%- -50

40.8%. -100
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time
B. Results for the hybrid model for power demand prediction
Figure 14 The prediction for approximation signal
For the second model, as experimental data we proposed to Response of Output Element 1 for Time-Series 1
make a multistep ahead prediction for power demand of a 400

hybrid system with battery and supercapacitors for 60 steps, 200

used then for implementing a real time control strategy in the

Output and Target

vehicle. 0

In the first stage of the model is realized the 2-level wavelet -200

decomposition for obtaining the approximation and detail Training Targets

Training Outputs

signals, as illustrated in figure 13.

-400 Validation Targets
Validation Outputs

In the second stage of the model are trained and simulated -600
Test Targets
Test Outputs

three neural networks, each one for approximation and details Errors
Response

and the response of neural network for approximation signal is -800

50

illustrated in figure 14. 0

Targets - Outputs

In figures 15 and 16 are shown the neural networks

Error

-50

response for the details signals at level 2 and level 1. -100

Summing up the predicted signals we obtaind the 2 4 6 8 10
Time
12 14 16 18 20

forecasted power demand for 20 steps, shown in figure 17.

Figure 15 Prediction of detail at level 2
 Response of Output Element 1 for Time-Series 1
300

200

100
Output and Target

-100

-200
Training Targets
Training Outputs
-300
Validation Targets
Validation Outputs
-400
Test Targets
Test Outputs
-500 Errors
Response
-600
200
Targets - Outputs
100
Error

-100

-200
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Time
Figure 19 Supercapacitor power
Figure 16 Prediction of detail at level 1

x 10
4
V. CONCLUSIONS
2.6
predicted1
original In this paper were presented two energy management
2.55 strategies and control used in hybrid energy systems whose
main objective are: improving fuel consumption, system
2.5
efficiency, extending the lifetime of the system and improving
the performances of the vehicle.
2.45
The fuzzy logic controller follows the adequate distribution of
the power demand between fuel cell and battery, maintaining
the state of charge of battery in reasonable limits. On the other
2.4

2.35
side, the Wavelet transform is a new concept which can be
applied in signal decomposition, in order to obtain the high
2.3
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
frequency and low frequency components of the load profile.
This components can be assigned to different energy sources
used on the vehicle according to their dynamic characteristics.
Figure 17 Power demand predicted signal

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