Optimization strategy for design and control of a hybrid vehicle

The paper presents a strategy which has been developed for optimizing the design and control of a parallel hybrid vehicle by using optimal control theory. For simulation and analysis, the optimal control of the vehicle powertrain is calculated directly by optimization for minimum fuel consumption. With this method, both an optimal design of the components and an operation strategy for online driving can be derived. The powertrain of the hybrid vehicle consists of a combustion engine and an electric drive, combined with a continuous variable transmission gear. For a given driving cycle, the completed results of an optimized control vector are described.