Discussion and Model of an Electric/Gas Turbine Power Plant System for Hybrid Vehicles

An automotive power plant system that has potential for offering significant reductions in emissions and fuel consumption is a hybrid which uses the combination of an electric drive system, batteries, and a gas turbine generator.

This paper uses a simple model to determine operating characteristics for three vehicle classes (commuter, family, mini-van) each with an electric or hybrid powerplant. The model results are used as baseline figures for discussing the use of a gas turbine hybrid as a possible near term method for improving fuel economy and emissions. An argument is made for hybrid vehicles based on the results from the model and a discussion of part load fuel economy; this argument is brief since there are many other papers that discuss these and other benefits.