DRIVE CYCLE MODELING OF SERIES AND PARALLEL HYBRID ARCHITECTURES FOR THE BRADLEY FIGHTING VEHICLE

The recent climate change plan for the United States Army states that hybridized combat vehicles will enter the fleet by 2050. The Bradley Fighting Vehicle (BFV) and its family of vehicles are prime candidates for hybridization. This paper sets out to perform a drive cycle analysis for the BFV using its traditional powertrain along with hybridized powertrains. The analysis considers both series and parallel hybrid architectures, where the size of the batteries are based on modifications to the existing powertrain. Three different drive cycles are considered – stationary, highway, and off-road. The model accounts for accelerative forces, transmission losses, cooling losses, drag, road grade, tractive losses, and ancillary equipment. The results indicate that both parallel and series hybrids provide reduced fuel consumption and increased range. Of the two, the series hybrid architecture provides more overall benefits. The study concludes by discussion of the technical challenges associated with hybridization.

Citation: C. Razon, V. Mittal, “Drive Cycle Modeling of Series and Parallel Hybrid Architectures for the Bradley Fighting Vehicle,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 16-18, 2022.