Ultracapacitor-based energy management strategies for eCVT hybrid vehicles

There are increased demands on the vehicle energy storage system (ESS) in the form of higher power cycling and thermal dissipation. Energy management strategies (EMS) have become very prominent in the need to manage the multiple power sources. This paper first introduces the ultracapacitor as an energy storage component in automotive applications, and then discusses a novel gatekeeper EMS that relies on the ultracapacitor as the power cache focal point for all ESS energy transactions. It is found that controlled power circulation to replenish the battery significantly reduces battery cycling and provides state of charge (SOC) control that facilitates battery size reduction.