Energy management strategies for vehicle power nets

In the near future a significant increase in electric power consumption in vehicles is to be expected. To limit the associated increase in fuel consumption and exhaust emissions, smart strategies for the generation, storage/retrieval, distribution, and consumption of the electric power can be used. This paper presents a case study on controlling the vehicle power net using knowledge of the driving pattern to minimize fuel use, by generating and storing extra energy only at the most suitable moments. For this purpose, both off-line and online optimization methods are developed and tested in a simulation environment. Results show a reduction in fuel use, even without an accurate prediction of the drive cycle.