The aim of this research was to create an accurate simulation model of a lithium-ion battery cell, which will be used in the design process of the traction battery of a fully electric load-hull-dump vehicle. Discharge characteristics tests were used to estimate the actual cell capacity, and hybrid pulse power characterization (HPPC) tests were used to identify the Thevenin equivalent circuit parameters. A detailed description is provided of the methods used to develop the HPPC test results. Particular emphasis was placed on the applied filtration and optimization techniques as well as the assessment of the quality and the applicability of the acquired measurement data. As a result, a simulation model of the battery cell was created. The article gives the full set of parameter values needed to build a fully functional simulation model. Finally, a charge-depleting cycle test was performed to verify the created simulation model.

This article presents a methodology for building an AGV (automated guided vehicle) power supply system simulation model with a polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell stack (PEMFC). The model focuses on selecting the correct parameters for the hybrid energy buffering system to ensure proper operating parameters of the vehicle, i.e., minimizing vehicle downtime. The AGV uses 2 × 1.18 kW electric motors and is a development version of a battery-powered vehicle in which the battery has been replaced with a hybrid power system using a 300 W PEMFC. The research and development of the new power system were initiated by the AGV manufacturer. The model-based design (MBD) methodology is used in the design and construction of a complete simulation model for the system, which consists of the fuel cell system, energy processing, a storage system, and an energy demand models. The energy demand model has been developed based on measurements from the existing AGV, and the remaining parts of the model are based on simulation models tuned to the characteristics obtained for the individual subsystems or from commonly available data. A parametric model is created with the possibility for development and determination by simulation of either the final system or from the parameters of the individual models’ elements (components of the designed system). The presented methodology can be used to develop alternative versions of the system, in particular the selection of the correct size of supercapacitors and batteries which depend on the energy demand profile and the development of the DC/DC converter and controllers. Additionally, the varying topology of the whole system was also analyzed. Minimization of downtime has been presented as one of many possible uses of the presented model.

The energy autonomy of UAVs is an important direction in the field of aerospace. Long-endurance aerial vehicles allow for continuous flight; however, to meet the guidelines, the power supply system has to be able to harvest energy from outside. Solar cells allow the production of electricity during the day when the sun shines on their surface. Depending on the location, time, weather, and other external factors, the energy produced by PV panels will change. In order to calculate as accurately as possible the energy obtained by solar cells, we developed a simulation model that took into account all of the external restrictions and the UAV’s limits during flight. The conducted analysis made it possible to obtain information for the specific input data on whether the UAV is able to fly for 24 h in a specific flight scenario. The UAV powered by solar cells developed by us and the performed aviation missions have shown that the UAV is capable of continuous flight without the need to land.

This paper presents the results of recently conducted research on Luenberger observers with non-proportional feedbacks. The observers are applied for the reconstruction of magnetic fluxes of an induction motor. Structures of the observers known from the control theory are presented. These are a proportional observer, a proportional-integral observer, a modified integral observer, and an observer with additional integrators. The practical application of some of these observers requires modifications to their structures. In the paper, the simulation results for all mentioned types of observers are presented. The simulations are performed with a Scilab-Xcos model which is attached to this paper. The problem of gains selection of the observers is discussed. Gains are selected with the described optimization method based on a genetic algorithm. A Scilab file launching the genetic algorithm also is attached to this paper.

The article describes the results of research aimed at identifying the parameters of the equivalent circuit of a lithium-ion battery cell, based on the results of HPPC (hybrid pulse power characterization) tests. The OCV (open circuit voltage) characteristic was determined, which was approximated using functions of various types, while making their comparison. The internal impedance of the cell was also identified in the form of a Thevenin RC circuit with one or two time constants. For this purpose, the HPPC pulse transients were approximated with a multi-exponential function. All of the mentioned approximations were carried out using an original method developed for this purpose, based on the PSO (particle swarm optimization) algorithm. As a result of the optimization experiments, the optimal configuration of the PSO algorithm was found. Three different cognition methods have been analyzed here: GB (global best), LB (local best), and FIPS (fully informed particle swarm). Three different swarm topologies were used: ring lattice, von Neumann, and FDR (fitness distance ratio). The choice of the cognition factor value was also analyzed, in order to provide a proper PSO convergence. The identified parameters of the cell model were used to build simulation models. Finally, the simulation results were compared with the results of the laboratory CDC (charge depleting cycle) test.

This article presents an innovative induction motor state observer designed to reconstruct magnetic fluxes and the angular speed of an induction motor for speed sensorless control system applications such as field-oriented control (FOC). This observer is an intermediate solution between the proportional observer and the classical proportional-integral (PI) observer with respect to which the order of the integrating unit is reduced. Additional modifications of the observer’s structure have been implemented to ensure stability and to improve its functional properties. As a result, two versions of the observer structure were produced and experimentally tested using a sensorless FOC control system. Both structures resulted in correct control system operation for a wide range of angular speeds, including low speed ranges.