A Pseudo-Optimal Control Strategy to Solve the 2023 IEEE VTS Motor Vehicles Challenge

This work provides a new energy management strategy for hybrid electric vehicles composed of fuel cells and batteries. We exploit the solution of open-loop optimal problems to derive a simple and easy-to-tune rule for dividing the power within the hybrid energy storage system. We then integrate control barrier functions (CBF) to enforce safety constraints in the powertrain, such as state of charge and temperature limits. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is evaluated in the simulation framework provided by the 2023 IEEE VTS Motor Vehicles Challenge. The results demonstrate that the proposed strategy reduces energy consumption by up to 22 % and battery degradation by up to 42.8 % when compared to baseline solutions.