Energy consumption, Performance and Stability Analysis of Articulated Vehicles Powered with Electri ed Dolly

Abstract

Regarding the emission of greenhouse gases by economic activity, transportation is accounted for almost 25.8% of these emitted pollutants [1]. Moreover, the majority part of these emissions are derived from vehicles powered with Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs). To avoid future complications due to air contamination, e.g. global warming and health issues, most countries are proposing harder restrictions on vehicle emission standards. Therefore, the search for sustainable drive-trains is in the spotlight of today's automotive industry agenda. Hybridization of conventional fossil fuel trucks, using electri ed dolly, appears as a candidate solution for the problem. Unlike conventional dollies, the electri ed dolly posses an electric propulsion system (i.e. batteries and electric drive), which makes it capable of propelling its own axle and aid the tractor unit to move the system. As a consequence of this additional power source, the combination truck becomes a hybrid vehicle. Considering that electri ed dolly is a new trend in the industry and few studies were performed on this topic, the bene ts and drawbacks of the product are not well known. Hereupon, this work aims, via simulation, to assess the potential impact of the e-dolly technology on vehicle's performance, fuel efficiency and dynamic stability. Furthermore, to verify how power split decisions, made by a control unit of a hybrid vehicle, are affected when lateral stability constraints or drawbar constraints are included in the control algorithm. The objects of study are A-doubles, a class of long haul articulated vehicles, with Gross Combination Weight (GCW) of 60 and 80 tonnes. Models are proposed to simulate vehicle's longitudinal and lateral dynamics along with the control algorithm that is responsible to perform the power split decisions of the hybrid architecture. The Energy Management Strategy (EMS) of the controller is based on an adaptive Equivalent Consumption Minimization Strategy (ECMS) approach.