Hybridization of US Army Combat Vehicles
2022-01-0425
03/29/2022
- Event
- Content
- As the global automotive market shifts towards electric vehicles, the United States Army must naturally consider this alternative for its larger combat vehicles. Indeed, electric vehicles offer numerous tactical advantages over traditional diesel engines, including higher torque at lower speeds and lower signature. Unfortunately, full electrification of most military vehicles is not feasible due to the weight of the requisite battery pack. However, the Army can take advantage of electric vehicles through hybrid power trains. Hybrid options allow for quiet, resilient, and powerful vehicles that are less constrained by battery technology. This study looks at the feasibility of hybrid power systems for military vehicles including the Humvee, the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, and the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. The analysis uses a series of standard missions to determine the required specifications for the engine, fuel, and battery pack. This analysis considers both traditional and novel engine designs to include rotary and opposed-piston engines. The resulting vehicle designs are compared to the traditional vehicle in terms of weight, range, and logistics. The paper then presents the technical challenges with the hybridization of military vehicles to include vehicle safety. The analysis concludes with a series of technical gaps associated with the implementation of hybrid combat vehicles, including battery weight, battery volatility, engine power density.
- Citation
- Mittal, V., Novoselich PhD, B., and Rodriguez, A., "Hybridization of US Army Combat Vehicles," SAE Technical Paper 2022-01-0425, 2022, .