Laboratory Bench to Test {ZEBRA} Battery Plus Super-Capacitor Based Propulsion Systems for Urban Electric Transportation

Abstract In this paper a laboratory 1:1 scale test bench to perform experimental analysis on a Zebra battery plus super-capacitor based propulsion systems for electric urban transportation means is presented. The analyzed case study is focused on a 70 kW electric drive, specifically manufactured for electric urban road applications, supplied by a parallel of two 550 V - 38 Ah Zebra batteries and a 63 F super-capacitors bank. The electric power train is connected, through a fixed ratio gear box, to a 100 kW regenerative electric brake provided with speed and torque controls, in order to evaluate the propulsion system performance in steady state and dynamic operative conditions. The two different storage systems can be tested when working together and providing the required power to the electric drive, with different contributions by each storage device in terms of electric energy and power. In addition, different control strategies can be experimentally evaluated, depending on the tested driving cycle and with reference to a specific vehicle under study. For the above configuration, an evaluation of the real vehicle performance, in various operative road conditions, can find a validation through this laboratory dynamic test bench. Finally, this experimental procedure to characterize and study electric power trains supplied by different kinds of storage systems highlights the real potentialities for manufacturers of electric vehicle in taking advantage of laboratory experimentations on the electric power-train, in order to support their design processes. The content of this paper represents a knowledge base to carry out experimental results, which are object of following studies.