1.0 INTRODUCTION
This report presents the results of our investigation into modern hybrid electric propulsion systems. A hybrid electric powertrain is a system that uses a combination of a gasoline engine and an electric motor to power a vehicle. The first discussion section of this report examines the basic components of a typical hybrid electric system and determines the reasons for the hybrid electric system’s efficiency advantage over traditional gasoline vehicles. The other discussion sections present and compare three different models of hybrid systems used by today’s vehicles: series, parallel, and series-parallel (a combination of series and parallel). All three configurations share the same main components, but each model connects the components together in a different way, which results in different operating characteristics. This report lists the main components, operating characteristics, and advantages/disadvantages of each configuration.
Hybrid-electric propulsion systems is a significant topic in today’s world because of the pollution and resource depletion created by the use of conventional fossil-fuel vehicles has led to the need to find more efficient and environmentally friendly methods of powering a vehicle. By using advanced techniques, a hybrid vehicle can recover energy that would otherwise be wasted. This means hybrid electric vehicles typically consume less fuel and generate fewer emissions than traditional fossil-fuel vehicles, and therefore is a topic worthy of investigation.
The information needed to prepare this report was collected using the following sources: library books, journal articles, related websites, and interview with a technical expert. The report is written for an audience consisting of a technical expert, our technical writing instructor, and fellow students.
This report includes the following discussion sections:
Section 1: General Hybrid-Electric Concepts
Section 2: Series Hybrid
Section 3: Parallel Hybrid
Section 4: Series-Parallel Hybrid