Dynamics and analytics of public electric passenger minibus heating

Abstract

One of the problems with electric buses and minibuses is that the passenger compartment heating system with electric heaters consumes energy from electric accumulators, thereby reducing the driving distance. Various manufacturers and researchers have tried to address this problem by using a heating system that works on gasoline or diesel. It does not allow such a bus to be added to green vehicles because of fossil fuels producing emissions. Another solution is the use of heat pumps. However, since they consume electricity, it does not completely solve the problem. One of the solutions is to store the heat in heat batteries that are charged at the same time as electrical. The purpose of this study is to identify the dynamic model of the passenger compartment and find out analytic expressions for calculating the requirements for the autonomous heating system. On-the-field experiments were provided with the electric minibus to get data about heating and cooling dynamics, in order to determine analytic expressions. Electrical heater was placed in the passenger compartment, temperature sensors were placed at different points of compartment and outside, temperature and the heater power measurements were performed. A stabilized stationary regime characterizing the equality of incoming and outgoing heat flows was reached. The research showed that the time of inertia of the passenger minibus is 115 minutes, and the response to the heat energy was 2.0 degrees C per 1 kW. The results of the studies shall be used to develop an electric minibus heating system using heat batteries.