Analysis of a fictive active e-Trailer

Abstract

Trucks consume an enormous amount of diesel annually and contribute significantly to the total CO2 emissions around the world. Electrification of these freight vehicles would lead to a reduction in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Trailers, as part of heavy freight vehicles, are a great opportunity for innovative change. Electrifying the trailer would allow the combustion engine of the truck to cooperate with the electric motors in the trailer. The trailer would be able to regenerate energy using the electric motors built into the rear axis of the trailer. The energy that is regenerated could be stored in a battery power pack for later use. Using the principle of peak shaving, the combustion engine would be assisted by the active e-trailer. Peak shaving would occur when the calculated load on the combustion engine is highly above average, for example, during acceleration, climbing a hill, or during high speed. Energy from the power pack could be routed to the electric motors, adding propulsive force. This analysis of a fictive active e-trailer has focused on reducing fuel consumption and emissions. The energy consumption of the trailer and the energy regeneration were studied. For this analysis, two vehicle configurations were simulated within the MATLAB Simulink: one truck-trailer combination without the e-trailer application and one truck-trailer combination with the e-trailer application. Differences between the two simulated vehicle combinations have been analyzed and documented. The whole system would be self-sustaining by using the regenerating energy from braking and adjusting its assisting function according to the energy level of the power pack. However, better results would be achieved by charging the power pack periodically. By doing so, the reduction of fuel cost and emissions could be significantly improved.