Peeking Under the Hood of series hybrid

vehicles
Lou Lambruschi, Parker Hannifin - June 01, 2014

At their most basic, hybrid vehicles use two or more distinct power sources to move the vehicle. A
popular form of hybrid technology makes use of an internal combustion engine (ICE) and an electric
motor(s). The ICE is typically a gas or diesel powered engine (which is typically smaller than those
used in a gas-powered vehicle), and the electric motor is either an induction or a permanent magnet
AC (PMAC) motor. Hybrid vehicles can be divided into parallel or series architectures. The terms
mild hybrid, full hybrid, power hybrid and micro hybrid might be familiar, but they refer to the
amount of power produced by the electric motor versus the ICE (instead of to a particular
architecture).
Parallel and series, head-to-head
In parallel hybrid designs for traction, the prime movers, the ICE and the electric motor(s), are
physically connected to the vehicle wheels, almost as if the prime movers were parallel supplies.
This configuration lets either the electric motor or the ICE (or a combination of both) power the
wheels. The parallel architecture tends to be mechanically complex, requiring a larger combustion
engine and transmission as well as a mechanism to couple both motors to the drive wheels.

Figure 1. The diagram illustrates a parallel hybrid architecture

In contrast, a series hybrid vehicle uses no mechanical connection between the ICE and the drive
train. The series configuration also includes a gasoline or diesel engine, but in this case, it is used to
power a generator instead of the wheels. The generator provides electric power to the vehicles
electric traction motor(s) and auxiliary devices. It also provides electric power to a storage element,
which typically consists of batteries or capacitors. The design uses a relatively small ICE, which is
run at an optimum speed. The design also takes advantage of stored battery power to provide for
acceleration demands, which helps cut energy costs and reduces emissions.

2. In comparison, this diagram illustrates a series hybrid architecture

In a series design, electric traction motors drive the wheels. This lets the design exploit
regenerative braking. How does this work? When the vehicle is accelerating or cruising, electric
power from the batteries feeds the traction motor(s), thereby propelling the vehicle. But when the
vehicle is decelerating or maintaining its speed on a downhill stretch, the traction motor begins to
act as a generator, both providing braking torque to the wheels and sending the electric power back
to the batteries. In many applications, the series hybrid architecture is more attractive because of
system simplicity and better fuel efficiency, so lets take a closer look at this configuration.
Basics of a series hybrid electrical architecture
The electrical system of a series hybrid basically consists of several subsystems, including a traction
drive, Auxiliary Power Unit (APU), energy storage system, onboard diagnostics and vehicle control,
and auxiliary equipment. However, before delving into how the overall hybrid works, lets take a
closer look at each subsystem in detail:

The traction drive consists of the components that actually drive the wheels: electric motor or
motors, bi-directional inverter(s), gear reduction system in some examples, driveline, and related
components.
The APU or charging system consists of the ICE (generally a gasoline or diesel, either in a
conventional or turbine configuration), electric generator and related components.
An energy storage system can consist of batteries, capacitors, fuel cells, or any storage or
generating technology, along with appropriate monitoring, charging, equalization, and thermal
control devices.
Onboard diagnostics and vehicle controls include battery-management mechanisms to ensure that
charging is accomplished, dashboard displays, diagnostic tools, and related components. The
accelerator and brake pedals link to the power conversion components.

Auxiliary equipment in a typical hybrid vehicle includes electrical power steering and braking
systems, ventilation and air conditioning systems, and can include components such as fans, pumps
and compressors.

The generator in a series hybrid vehicle is either an induction motor or a PMAC motor and is
coupled to the ICE (a motor functions as a generator when it is rotated by an outside force). The
main traction drive motor(s) is also typically an induction motor or a PMAC type. A bi-directional
motor controller or inverter gets its power from the DC bus (the backbone of the electrical system)
and provides a variable frequency output to control the speed and torque of the main traction motor
based on the drivers command.

A closer look at drive components

With this information in mind, lets take a closer look under the hood of a series hybrid vehicle. The
generator is important because it turns the mechanical energy from the crankshaft of the APU
engine into electrical power. As mentioned, the generator can be either an induction or PMAC
motor. The generators raw output must be changed to a form that can charge the batteries as well
as run the electric motors in the vehicle.
The battery is inherently a direct current (DC) device, while the generator and motors are nearly
always AC machines. Here is where the motor controllers or inverter drives come into play. In the
case of an AC generator, the devices convert three phase AC at a variable frequency to smooth DC to
feed the DC bus. The system stores this energy in the vehicles battery or a combination of battery
and capacitors.

Figure 3. A good electronic battery management system (BMS) is critical and greatly
influences battery life and performance.
Recall that the main traction drive motor(s) can be either induction or PMAC types. (Switched
Reluctance (SR) motors are sometimes used, but require a completely different control system.) The
motor(s) power the wheels of the vehicle, as well as absorb power when the vehicle is decelerating.
For this application, a so-called regenerative or bi-directional motor controller is used, which
provides a variable frequency output to control the speed of the main traction motor based on the
drivers input. A dynamic braking circuit is also typically required in case the drive is unable to
absorb sufficient power to brake the vehicle. Here, a dynamic braking resistor switches-in to dump
power.
Lastly, auxiliary devices can be either constant or variable speed. A controller must be used on the
motors that require variable speed, while motors running at a steady speed can be parallel
connected with individual overload protection.

Electric motor selection

How does the automotive OEM decide which kind of electric motor to use? Selection is typically
based on the type of vehicle and the design goals. Induction motors, PMACs, and SR motors each
have their advantages and disadvantages. AC induction motors are the simplest and most widely
manufactured, but the technology is inefficient. PMAC motors have the highest power density and
are more efficient than induction motors, but they can be costly and limited in speed range. SR
motors can display torque ripple, audible noise, poor power factor, and they require a fairly complex
drive system. The upside is they are less costly in higher volumes.

Practical uses of series hybrids

With all of its advantages, where does the series hybrid technology come in most handy? A few
application examples best showcase the technology.
For transit buses, motor controllers have been successfully applied as a 250 HP main traction drive,
a 60 HP generator (charging) inverter and a 2 HP blower drive on a 40 foot induction-moto-powered hybrid electric bus. In this case, off the shelf standard drives with CANopen
communication cards were used. Engineering costs were low because the drive did not need to be
custom made.

Figure 4. Typically, a controller must be used on each motor that requires variable speed.
In other cases, standard production Class 1 through 3 commercial vans have been converted to
hybrid drive trains, increasing their efficiency and generating a return on investment from the
accompanying fuel savings. In this example, a rugged MA3 motor controller and GVM series motor
from Parker made for an efficient and road-worthy combo. The hybrid drive train let designers spec
a smaller ICE, without sacrificing performance or drivability.
In another example, the traditional gasoline powered engine found in high performance wake boats,
commonly used for recreational and competition water skiing, were replaced with an electric
propulsion system, which resulted in a boat that uses half the fuel, produces fewer emissions, and
runs more quiet and efficiently. Running the craft on batteries alone provides three hours of boating.
When this is supplemented with a small gas-powered APU, the boat can go for 30 hours running
time.
Another application is an aerial lift truck or cherry picker. To reduce emissions, fuel consumption,
and audible noise, a battery system is used to operate the hydraulic lift mechanism for the boom,
eliminating the need to leave the combustion engine idling while workers are on the lift. Here, the
electric motor doesnt drive the wheels of the vehicle it drives a hydraulic pump. An inverter
charges the battery (a 650 volt lithium-ion array) when the combustion engine is running, and
powers the hydraulic pump from the battery when called need be. A clutch arrangement allows a
single motor to power the pump and double as a generator. In addition, the vehicle can be plugged

in to charge the batteries during periods of non-use. The series hybrid system has cut fuel costs and
emissions as well as reduced audible noise, as some communities now require.

Figure 5. A view of a Parker mobile PMAC motor

Into the future
Series hybrid vehicles and equipment have many advantages that will continue to make the
technology increasingly commonplace in the future. The vehicles increase fuel efficiency and reduce
harmful emissions. In addition, their lightweight design and efficient power conversion also helps
cut costs.