Abstract
In this paper a hybrid configuration is presented in which an electric motor and a small-sized ICE work in parallel to propel a vehicle. The electrically peaking hybrid (ELPH) configuration, presented in this paper, uses the engine to deliver the base power, while the electric motor is used to deliver the peak power during acceleration and hill climbing. ELPH has a small sized battery pack which requires no external battery charging. ELPH is not range limited. The ELPH controller tries to operate the ICE always near its optimal operation region. ELPH can also have regeneration capability. A properly designed ELPH vehicle can exhibit excellent fuel economy and extremely low emission characteristics. In principle, three times the fuel economy and one twelfth the emission of the conventional vehicle is possible with good ELPH design. The different modes of operation of the ELPH vehicle are presented. Simulation results are also presented to demonstrate the performance of the ELPH vehicle.