A review of hybrid-electric energy management and its inclusion in vehicle sizing. Issue 6 (30th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Perullo, Christopher; Mavris, Dimitri
• Editors: Singh, Riti
• Is Part Of: Aircraft engineering and aerospace technology. Volume 86:Issue 6(2014)
• Page Start: 550
• Page End: 557
• Publication Date: 2014-09-30
• Subjects: Hybrid-electric -- Vehicle sizing -- Propulsion -- Energy management -- Aircraft engine; Aerospace engineering -- Periodicals; Aeronautics -- Systems engineering -- Periodicals; Astronautics -- Systems engineering -- Periodicals; Airplanes -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Space vehicles -- Equipment and supplies -- Periodicals; Aerospace industries -- Periodicals; 629.1
• DOI: 10.1108/AEAT-04-2014-0041
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1748-8842

Abstract

Abstract : Purpose: – The purpose of this study is to examine state-of-the-art in hybrid-electric propulsion system modeling and suggest new methodologies for sizing such advanced concepts. Many entities are involved in the modelling and design of hybrid electric aircraft; however, the highly multidisciplinary nature of the problem means that most tools focus heavily on one discipline and over simplify others to keep the analysis reasonable in scope. Correctly sizing a hybrid-electric system requires knowledge of aircraft and engine performance along with a working knowledge of electrical and energy storage systems. The difficulty is compounded by the multi-timescale dynamic nature of the problem. Furthermore, the choice of energy management in a hybrid electric system presents multiple degrees of freedom, which means the aircraft sizing problem now becomes not just a root-finding exercise, but also a constrained optimization problem. Design/methodology/approach: – The hybrid electric vehicle sizing problem can be sub-divided into three areas: modelling methods/fidelity, energy management and optimization technique. The literature is reviewed to find desirable characteristics and features of each area. Subsequently, a new process for sizing a new hybrid electric aircraft is proposed by synthesizing techniques from model predictive control and detailed conceptual design modelling. Elements from model predictive control and concurrent optimization are combined to formulate a new structure for the optimization of the sizing and energy management of future aircraft. Findings: – While the example optimization formulation provided is specific to a hybrid electric concept, the proposed structure is general enough to be adapted to any vehicle concept which contains multiple degrees of control freedom that can be optimized continuously throughout a mission. Originality/value: – The proposed technique is novel in its application of model predictive control to the conceptual design phase.