Date of Award

2014

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Electrical Engineering

First Advisor

Lebby, Dr. Gary L.

Abstract

The world’s heavy dependence on vehicles which utilize hydrocarbon fuels as a primary power source has renewed the interest in electric and hybrid vehicles for industrial, commercial, and public use. The primary objective of this movement is centered on increased efficiency in energy usage for transportation. Hybrid vehicles which utilize an internal combustion engine as a linear generator, converting energy stored in hydrocarbon fuels into electrical power, could serve as a transitioning technology. The free-piston enhanced hybrid vehicle (FPHV) could potentially fill this role. The present work contains a theoretical and numerical approach to analyzing and optimizing the usage of energy within a free-piston enhanced hybrid vehicle given urban, highway, and aggressive driving profiles. An electromechanical model representing the free-piston hybrid vehicle is developed and optimized based on mass of energy sources carried.

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