A Novel Integrated Series Hybrid Electric Vehicle Model Reveals Possibilities for Reducing Fuel Consumption and Improving Exhaust Gas Purification Performance

This paper describes the development of an integrated simulation model for evaluating the effects of electrically heating the three-way catalyst (TWC) in a series hybrid electric vehicle (s-HEV) on fuel economy and exhaust gas purification performance. Engine and TWC models were developed in GT-Power to predict exhaust emissions during transient operation. These models were validated against data from vehicle tests using a chassis dynamometer and integrated into an s-HEV model built in MATLAB/Simulink. The s-HEV model accurately reproduced the performance characteristics of the vehicle’s engine, motor, generator, and battery during WLTC mode operation. It can thus be used to predict the fuel consumption, emissions, and performance of individual powertrain components. The engine combustion characteristics were reproduced with reasonable accuracy for the first 50 combustion cycles, representing the cold-start condition of the driving mode. Analysis of the TWC performance using the model showed that early activation of catalyst heating during the cold-start significantly improved exhaust gas purification performance but also increased vehicle fuel consumption by 2.66% over the entire driving cycle. However, the fuel consumption penalty could be reduced to 1.1 % without increasing emissions by modifying the engine’s cold-start control strategy.