Optimizing Hybrid Vehicle Layout for Efficient City Driving

[csiddharthn]

Hi guys,

There's a project on hybrid vehicles, and the task is to design and simulate a hybrid vehicle: we have started on the basics, and have come up with a small layout as to how the hybrid will look like. Our main concern is whether the layout will work just with the epicyclic transmission, with the connections shown in the picture attached, also how do you select the clutch and how do you decide on how to operate the hybrid at an efficient operating range of the engine?

Another question is how do you decide on how much capacity the battery should have with respect to 'motor power' and 'vehicle weight' considerations.

Guys please guide me on how to go about designing such a hybrid vehicle. The objective is load carrying through short distances in cities, at city speeds.

Thanks in advance.

 

[etudiant]

If the goal is short distances at city speeds, your hybrid might be simpler and lighter if the IC engine was used to drive a generator, rather than a gear box. Then you could use electric motors to direct drive the wheels and eliminate the need for the gearing.
The Volt design is pretty interesting in that context, as the IC engine there can also drive the car, a bow to the need to have more than battery only range and power.