A heuristic power management strategy for plug-in hybrid electric vehicles

In this paper, a rule based power management strategy for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle is presented. The vehicle engine map is divided into several areas and the engine is controlled based on the demanded power and the battery state of charge. A new proposed strategy is designed in such a way that the engine operates in the efficient area without sacrificing the vehicle performances. Moreover, it is very simple and can be applied using a low cost processor. The proposed strategy is simulated in the ADVISOR environment. The simulation results indicate that the fuel efficiency is improved by using the proposed strategy.