Optimum high-efficient hybrid electric natural gas powertrain designs towards economically viable low emission trucks

在加拿大和世界各地，商用车是经济活动的核心，但也要对大量的温室气体排放负责。在不增加成本的情况下大幅减少货物运输对气候的影响是一项重大挑战。将现有发动机技术与清洁燃烧燃料和高效混合动力总成相结合，为解决这一紧迫问题提供了一种前景看好的短期方法。在这个项目中，来自艾伯塔大学和西蒙·弗雷泽大学的专家将与总部位于温哥华的Westport Fuel Systems Inc.合作，调查使用一系列低碳气体燃料的混合动力商用车的潜在排放和燃油消耗效益。该项目将涉及电力驱动系统、内燃机和车载储能的详细建模和优化。该项目将以中重型卡车为目标，结合低成本、高效率的天然气发动机作为主要动力源。发动机尺寸和燃烧系统将进行仔细优化，以匹配混合动力总成所需的性能。同时，动力总成将被配置为在遵循目标驱动轮廓的同时最大限度地利用发动机提供的动力。还将评估可再生气体燃料(如沼气或氢气)对尾气和温室气体净排放量的额外好处。该项目的结果将是商业上可行的动力总成系统的结构设计，该系统可以大幅减少商业运输的温室气体排放。

In Canada and across the world, commercial vehicles are central to economic activity but are responsible for significant greenhouse gas emissions. Substantially reducing the climate impacts of goods transport without increasing costs is a major challenge. Combining existing engine technology with clean-burning fuels and a high-efficiency hybrid-electric powertrain offers a promising near-term approach to address this pressing problem. In this project, experts from the University of Alberta and Simon Fraser University will collaborate with Vancouver-based Westport Fuel Systems Inc. to investigate the potential emissions and fuel consumption benefits of a hybrid-electric commercial vehicle fueled with a range of low-carbon gaseous fuels.The project will involve detailed modelling and optimization of the electric drive system, internal combustion engine, and on-board energy storage. The project will target a medium-heavy duty truck combined with a low-cost, high-efficiency natural gas engine as the main power source. The engine size and combustion system will be carefully optimized to match the required performance of the hybrid-electric powertrain. Simultaneously, the powertrain will be configured to make best use of the power provided from the engine while following the target drive profile. The additional benefits for both tailpipe and net greenhouse gas emissions from renewably generated gaseous fuels, such as bio-gas or hydrogen, will also be assessed. The results from this project will be the structural design of a commercially viable powertrain system that can provide dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions for commercial transport.