Mode Shift Schedule and Control Strategy Design of Multimode Hybrid Powertrain

Power-split hybrid technologies have been transformed from single mode to multimode to realize even greater savings in fuel and more powerful output. However, the optimization procedure of the mode shift map for multimode hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) has not been formalized. In this paper, the types of mode shift are first classified as direct/indirect and conditional/unconditional. The optimal shift path with minimum energy variation for the indirect mode shift is formulated as a shortest path problem and solved by Dijkstra's algorithm. By taking the energy loss during mode shift into consideration, the method for designing a mode shift map is presented from the perspective of the normalized system efficiency. The derived mode shift map is combined with a novel energy management strategy, referred to as normalized efficiency maximum strategy, to formulate an integrated real-time control strategy for the multimode HEV. Finally, by comparing two other commonly used strategies, dynamic programing and equivalent consumption minimization strategy, the proposed control strategy shows great potential in improving fuel economy while maintaining smooth engine operation, thus leading to better ride comfort of the vehicle.