Influence of the heating system on the fuel consumption of a hybrid electric vehicle

This research work aims to study the impact of the heating system on the fuel consumption of a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). The thermal engine is less used in an HEV than in a thermal vehicle, thus the cabin heating is partly ensured by electrical resistances. However, because the battery is partly charged by the thermal engine, this electrical heating has an impact on the fuel consumption. In the present work, a multi-domain model is proposed to analyze the impact of the heating system on the fuel consumption of a HEV. The models of the different physical subsystems are organized and unified by energetic macroscopic representation (EMR). Experimental validations, with an accuracy of 95%, are provided for each subsystem model. The validated simulation models are used to study the impact of the heating system for a specific driving cycle and climatic condition. For a simple energy management strategy (EMS), there is an over-consumption of 19% that is due to the heating system. When a more efficient EMS is used, the over-consumption is reduced to 12%. This study shows the interest in developing advanced energy management strategies that couple the traction and the heating functions of the vehicle.