Abstract

Noxious diesel emissions far above official limits and the need to rapidly reduce-greenhouse gases generate widespread calls for banning fossil-fueled cars in Europe. This report shows that it is possible to electrify 50 per cent of all new cars in the EU by 2030.  This, however, requires massive investment in European battery production capacity, and a long-term commitment to sustainable supply of critical materials. In addition a large-scale expansion of the charging infrastructure is needed, in particular at home and at work places, which account for around 95 per cent of all battery charging. Moreover, local grids will need enforcement in most countries. The additional electricity demand must be satisfied at a time when many coal-fired and nuclear-based power plants will be decommissioned.  Plug-in hybrids, which combine a downsized combustion engine with an electric motor, will probably play an important role, both to relieve long-distance drivers of range anxiety and to reduce the demand for scarce virgin metals, in particular cobalt.  To make the shift happen, an EU-wide Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) mandate needs to be established from 2025, with planned stringency increases every second year or so. Such a regulation is less vulnerable to budget restraints and changing relative prices than financial incentives. At the same time, the regulatory demands on manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions from combustions engines need to become more stringent and apply to all combustion engines, including those in plug-in hybrids. Such a combination of policies will make it possible to realize the overall target of 50 per cent electrification of new cars in a robust and flexible way. "p"Financial support from Jan Wallander´s, Tom Hedelius' and Tore Browald´s research foundations at Svenska Handelsbanken, Stockholm.

Abstract

Hybrid and electric vehicles require accurate knowledge of the battery to make an educated guess about the expected electric driving range. Range prediction is complicated by the fact that batteries are subject to external influences and aging. Also the future driving behavior is often unknown. This paper presents a model-based identification method for online parameter estimation of Li-ion batteries. This allows range prediction to anticipate on all kinds of duty cycles as well as changing battery characteristics enforced by cell degradation. In the proposed methodology, parameters values of the battery model are frequently updated with the latest measurement data. Additional state observers are utilized to keep the dynamical states of the battery model up-to-date. Altogether, this offers robustness and accuracy under varying operating conditions and for the complete battery lifetime. Experimental results are presented to validate the proposed identification method. © 2011 IEEE.

Abstract

The battery is a key component of electric vehicles. To reach the needed voltage and capacity, single Lithium-Ion cells are assembled into modules, then assembled into the pack. Their disassembly, which unlocks both remanufacturing or recycling and which nowadays is made mainly manually, has high electric hazards. Decision tools have not yet been developed to minimize these risks. This work presents a mathematical model to determine the disassembly sequence with the minimal exposure of the operator to hazardous voltages. The model considers the mechanical and electrical architecture of the battery and the tasks needed to reach the desired disassembly level.

Abstract

hydrogen rail (hydrail) powertrain is conceptualized in this study, using drive cycles collected from the trains currently working on the Union Pearson Express (UPE) railroad. The powertrain consists of three preliminary different subsystems: fuel cell, battery, and hydrogen storage systems. A backward design approach is proposed to calculate the time-variable power demand based on a &ldquo route simulation data&rdquo method. The powertrain components are then conceptually sized according to the calculated duty cycle. The results of this study show that 275 kg of hydrogen is sufficient to satisfy the daily power and energy demand of a hydrogen locomotive with drive cycles similar to the ones currently working on the UPE rail route. Document type: Article