Measurement of micro gas turbine power pack performance for electric vehicle range extenders under various electrical loads and gear ratios

Range extenders, which are power generation systems driven by small engines, extend the driving distance and time of electric vehicles (EVs) through continuous charging of batteries. The currently used range extenders with gasoline engines pose limitations with regard to the realization of high-power compact systems, owing to their complex structure and low energy density. In contrast, micro gas turbine (MGT) range extenders (MGT power packs) possess high power and low weight, and can therefore be significantly reduced in size despite increase in speed. In this study, an MGT power pack for the range extenders of EVs was developed using a turbo-prop micro turbine, an alternator for passenger vehicles and electric batteries. The operating characteristics of the MGT power pack were measured through a series of experiments conducted under electrical no-load and load conditions. Their power generation performance and efficiency were measured under various electrical loads and power transmission gear ratios. From the results, electrical load was found to have no influence on power generation performance. The maximum electrical power output was 0.8 kW at a core turbine speed of 150 krpm, and the application of 3:1 reduction gear to the turbine output shaft increased the power to 1.5 kW by 88%. This implies that the test results demonstrated stable power generation performance of the MGT power pack regardless of vehicle load changes, thus revealing its feasibility for use with the range extenders of EVs.