Energy management for vehicle power net with flexible electric load demand

The electric power demand in road vehicles increases rapidly and to supply all electric loads efficiently, energy management (EM) turns out to be a necessity. In general, EM exploits the storage capacity of a buffer connected to the vehicle's power net, such that energy is stored or retrieved at moments that the production of electric power is relative cheap or expensive, respectively. This paper adds an extra degree of freedom, by considering electric loads with a flexible power demand. A strategy based on optimization techniques as well as a rule-based strategy are developed. Simulations illustrate the benefits of applying these flexible loads, as they offer more freedom for EM and moreover, reduce the activity of the storage buffer significantly.