Micro-hybrid vehicle supplied by a multi-source storage system (battery and supercapacitors): experimental tests

Supercapacitors have a very high specific power that enables them to supply electric or hybrid vehicles during the transition phases needed for the starting-up, the acceleration and the energy recovery. In this presentation, this component (supercapacitor) is used like a power buffer with a battery to supply the starter-alternator of a micro-hybrid vehicle. Firstly, the system is modelled and simulated using Matlab-Simulink software. In this case, the supercapacitor is used to reduce the engine consumption and increase the lifetime of the embedded battery. The starter-alternator characteristics and the torque developed by the internal combustion engine (ICE) during the start-up phase are identified through static and dynamic tests. A strategy is applied to manage the electric starter-alternator) and the thermal motors (ICE). Another strategy is used to dispatch the electrical power between the two storage systems (battery and supercapacitor). This last strategy allows the reducing of the power stresses on the battery and increases the lifetime of the latter. To validate the system effectiveness, a testbench is developed. The ICE and the load behaviours are emulated using an electric machine. A 1103 dSpace platform is used to control the two converters (shopper connected to the battery and the inverter) connected to the starter-alternator and the inverter connected to the synchronous machine which emulate the ICE and the vehicle dynamics.