Active Battery Thermal Management Integrated to Cold Weather Optimal PHEV Autonomy Extension

This article assesses the performance of a multi-dimensional optimal battery degradation management strategy when applied to extend the autonomy of a plug-in fuel cell hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) in sub-zero weather conditions. This strategy relies on a discrete dynamic programming (DDP) algorithm to obtain an economically-optimal solution that combines both fuel cell-based battery recharge and active battery thermal management as a means to mitigate component degradation during an extended-range cold weather driving scenario. The proposed study investigates the optimal process's response and its impact on key aspects of PHEV operation such as battery state-of-charge (SOC) sustenance, battery core temperature control, fuel expense for both driving load sharing and thermal control efforts as well as a detailed breakdown of vehicle operating costs after completion of this harsh driving scenario.