A significant challenge in the development of control systems for diesel airpath applications is to tune the controller parameters to achieve satisfactory output performance, especially whilst adhering to input and safety constraints in the presence of unknown system disturbances. Model-based control techniques, such as model predictive control (MPC), have been successfully applied to multivariable and highly nonlinear systems, such as diesel engines, while considering operational constraints. However, efficient calibration of typical implementations of MPC is hindered by the high number of tuning parameters and their non-intuitive correlation with the output response. In this paper, the number of effective tuning parameters is reduced through suitable structural modifications to the controller formulation and an appropriate redesign of the MPC cost function to aid rapid calibration. Furthermore, a constraint tightening-like approach is augmented to the control architecture to provide robustness guarantees in the face of uncertainties. A switched linear time-invariant MPC strategy with recursive feasibility guarantees during controller switching is proposed to handle transient operation of the engine. The robust controller is first implemented on a high fidelity simulation environment, with a comprehensive investigation of its calibration to achieve desired transient response under step changes in the fuelling rate. An experimental study then validates and highlights the performance of the proposed controller architecture for selected tunings of the calibration parameters for fuelling steps and over drive cycles.

No abstract

Diesel airpath controllers are required to deliver good tracking performance whilst satisfying operational constraints and physical limitations of the actuators. Due to explicit constraint handling capabilities, model predictive controllers (MPC) have been successfully deployed in diesel airpath applications. Previous MPC implementations have considered instantaneous constraints on engine-out emissions in order to meet legislated emissions regulations. However, the emissions standards are specified over a drive cycle, and hence, can be satisfied on average rather than just instantaneously, potentially allowing the controller to exploit the trade-off between emissions and fuel economy. In this work, an MPC is formulated to maximise the fuel efficiency whilst tracking boost pressure and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) rate references, and in the face of uncertainties, adhering to the input, safety constraints and constraints on emissions averaged over some finite time period. The tracking performance and satisfaction of average emissions constraints using the proposed controller are demonstrated through an experimental study considering the new European drive cycle.

No abstract

No abstract