Abstract
<p>The objective of this work was to investigate small, high-speed, gasoline engines for use in a series hybrid electric vehicle (HEV). A high performance auxiliary power unit (HPAPU) that consists of a small, high-speed engine directly coupled to an alternator was designed to provideenough power for steady state operation. A dynamic engine model was developed to characterize the performance of engines used in this design for control system development. </p>
<p><br />The engine model was based on previously developed heat release engine models but tailored for control system development by operating in the time domain and having a short computation time. To determine the required power output of a high performance APU in a series HEV, a steady state road load analysis program was developed using Matlab.</p>
<p><br />One conclusion of this work was that a high performance APU weighing less than 41 kg (90 lbs.) and occupying a volume less than .09 cubic meters (3 cubic feet) can provide enough power for a 1800 kg (4000 lbs.) series HEV to operate at freeway speeds. A Yamaha 250cc, four-stroke, SI engine is the best commercially available engine for this application. The engine model was validated against its specifications.</p>