Decarbonizing Light Vehicles with Hydrous Ethanol: Performance Analysis of a Range-Extended PHEV Using Experimental and Simulation Techniques 2024-01-2161

Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have the potential of combining the benefits of electric vehicle in terms of low emissions and internal combustion engine vehicles in terms of vehicle range. With the addition of a renewable fuel, the CO₂ potential reduction increase even more. The last trends for PHEV are small combustion engine known as range extender, with battery package between full hybrid and electric powertrains. Thus, allowing an improvement in vehicle’s range, reducing battery materials while converting fuel energy through a highly efficient path. Although these vehicles have been proved to be a convenient strategy for decarbonizing the light vehicles, the use of alternative fuels is poorly studied. In this work, hydrous ethanol is chosen because is already available in some countries, such as USA and Brazil, and have an ultra-low well-to-tank CO₂ emission. The study combines experimental and numerical tools for the development of an ultra-efficient and ultra-low emission powertrain in a range extender BMW i3 fueled with hydrous ethanol. Experimental tests were conducted in an engine test bench and a chassis dynamometer under FTP72 emission cycle. The vehicle simulation was performed in AVL Cruise M for the control strategy optimization and vehicle test under different driving conditions. For comparison, the vehicle was also tested with the battery electric version. In summary, this study demonstrates that the utilization of hydrous ethanol as a range-extender fuel in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles can significantly enhance vehicle range while reducing well-to-wheel CO₂ emissions. The range-extender configuration, particularly with E100, exhibits promising potential, making it a competitive choice for drivers concerned about range limitations and environmental impact. The research emphasizes the adaptability of hydrous ethanol-fueled PHEVs across various driving scenarios, contributing to the ongoing global initiative to decarbonize light vehicles and combat climate change.