Role of Terrain Preview in Energy Management of Hybrid Electric Vehicles

Energy-management strategy plays a critical role in high fuel economy that modern hybrid electric vehicles can achieve, yet a lack of information about future driving conditions is one of the limitations of fulfilling the maximum fuel economy potential of hybrid vehicles. Today, with wider deployment of vehicle telematic technologies, prediction of future driving conditions, e.g., road grade, is becoming more realistic. This paper evaluates the potential gain in fuel economy if road grade information is integrated into the energy management of hybrid vehicles. Real-world road geometry information is utilized in power-management decisions by using both dynamic programming (DP) and a standard equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS). At the same time, two baseline control strategies with no future information are developed and validated for comparison purposes. Simulation results show that road terrain preview enables fuel savings. The level of improvement depends on the cruising speed, control strategy, road profile, and the size of the battery.