Simulation of an Integrated Starter Alternator (ISA) System for the HMMWV 2006-01-0442

The development and use of a simulation of an Integrated Starter Alternator (ISA) for a High Mobility Multi-purpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) is presented here. While the primary purpose of an ISA is to provide electric power for additional accessories, it can also be utilized for mild hybridization of the powertrain. In order to explore ISA's potential for improving HMMWV's fuel economy, an ISA model capable of both producing and absorbing mechanical power has been developed in Simulink. Based on the driver's power request and the State of Charge of the battery (SOC), the power management algorithm determines whether the ISA should contribute power to, or absorb power from the crankshaft. The system is also capable of capturing some of the braking energy and using it to charge the battery. The ISA model and the power management algorithm have been integrated in the Vehicle-Engine SIMulation (VESIM), a SIMULINK-based vehicle model previously developed at the University of Michigan. Simulation study shows that the ISA powertrain configuration can improve fuel economy over a combined city-highway driving cycle by 4.3% compared to the conventional configuration. Of this gain, 48% is attributed to savings associated with shutting down-restarting the engine, 35% is due to elimination of the engine's inefficient operating points, and 17% is due to brake regeneration.