Analysis of Energy Consumption for Heating City Electric Buses and Ways to Reduce It

For regions with cold climate, the range of an electric bus becomes a serious restriction to expanding the use of this type of transport. Increased energy consumption affects not only the autonomous driving range, but also the service life of the batteries, the schedule delays and the load on the charging infrastructure. The aim of the presented research is to experimentally and computationally determine the energy consumption for heating the driver's cabin and passenger compartment of an electric bus during the autumn-winter operation period, as well as to identify and analyze ways to reduce this energy consumption. To determine the air temperature in the passenger compartment, a mathematical model based on heat balance equations was used. This model was validated using data from real-world tests. The research was conducted at a proving ground under two conditions: driving at a constant speed and simulating urban bus operation with stops and door openings. The causes of heat loss in electric bus heating were analyzed. It was found that approximately 35% of heat is lost through the ventilation system operating in fresh air intake mode, around 30% is lost due to door openings at stops, 17% dissipates through the windows, and 18% through the bus walls, floor, and roof. Using the mathematical model, a series of calculations were performed to estimate total energy consumption over the heating season for various heating systems and control system settings.