Abstract
This article proposes a new modular design method for hybrid powertrains using a modified accelerated particle swarm optimization (MAPSO) algorithm. The method determines the optimal combination of component specifications and control parameters, where the component specifications include integer variables (e.g., the number of battery modules). A unified chaotic attraction strategy for MAPSO is developed based on a logistic map to improve the probability of achieving the global optimal result. The Pareto analysis is carried out to identify the weighting value for the tradeoff in modular design. The comprehensive reputation score (CRS), considering both Monte Carlo results and the probability of achieving global optima, is employed to evaluate the advantages of the MAPSO compared with conventional PSO and four other PSO variants. The MAPSO is verified as the best because it has the highest CRS. Both two-level and simultaneous methods for modular design are developed with the MAPSO, where the former first operates component sizing at the level 1 and then conducts control optimization at the level 2, and the later optimizes the size and control simultaneously. Compared with the two-level method, the simultaneous method achieves a 7% higher cost function value and saves 50% time.