A recent electronic control circuit to a throttle device

The main objective of this paper is to conceive a recent electronic control circuit to the throttle device. The throttle mechanical actuator is the most important part in an automotive gasoline engine. Among the different control strategies recently reported, an easy to implement control scheme is an open research topic in the analog electronic engineering field. Hence, by using the nonlinear dwell switching control theory, an analog electronic control unit is proposed to manipulate an automotive throttle plate. Due to the switching mechanism is commuting between a stable and an unstable controllers, the resultant closed-loop system is enough robust to the control objective This fact is experimentally evidenced. The proposed electronic controller uses operational amplifiers along with an Arduino unit. This unit is just employed to generate the related switching signal that can be replaced by using, for instance, the timer IC555. Thus, this study is a contribution on design and realization of an electronic control circuit to the throttle device.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Teaching data-driven control: from linear design to adaptive control with throttle valves

Electric throttle valves represent a challenge for control design, as their dynamics involve strong nonlinearities, characterized by an asymmetric hysteresis. Carrying experiments on multiple valves, a large variability in the characteristics of each valve and erratic steady-state behaviors can also be noticed, impairing classical model-based control strategies. Nevertheless, local data-driven linear models can be obtained and simple proportional-integral (PI) controllers, tuned individually for each valve with the appropriate data set, provide good tracking performance. As these controllers cannot be transposed from one valve to another, a robust strategy and an adaptive controller (using identification in closed-loop and controller re-design) may be necessary to propose a general method. This work aims at promoting control education on a simple yet challenging process, going from frequency analysis and linear design to an adaptive control method implemented with an online recursive algorithm.Comment: 12 page

Efficiency enhancement strategy implementation in hybrid electric vehicles using sliding mode control

Introduction. Hybrid electric vehicles are offering the most economically viable choices in today's automotive industry, providing best solutions for a very high fuel economy and low rate of emissions. The rapid progress and development of this industry has prompted progress of human beings from primitive level to a very high industrial society where mobility used to be a fundamental need. However, the use of large number of automobiles is causing serious damage to our environment and human life. At present most of the vehicles are relying on burning of hydrocarbons in order to achieve power of propulsion to drive wheels. Therefore, there is a need to employ clean and efficient vehicles like hybrid electric vehicles. Unfortunately, earlier control strategies of series hybrid electric vehicle fail to include load disturbances during the vehicle operation and some of the variations of the nonlinear parameters (e.g. stator’s leakage inductance, resistance of winding etc.). The novelty of the proposed work is based on designing and implementing two robust sliding mode controllers (SMCs) on series hybrid electric vehicle to improve efficiency in terms of both speed and torque respectively. The basic idea is to let the engine operate only when necessary keeping in view the state of charge of battery. Purpose. In proposed scheme, both performance of engine and generator is being controlled, one sliding mode controllers is controlling engine speed and the other one is controlling generator torque, and results are then compared using 1-SMC and 2-SMC’s. Method. The series hybrid electric vehicle powertrain considered in this work consists of a battery bank and an engine-generator set which is referred to as the auxiliary power unit, traction motor, and power electronic circuits to drive the generator and traction motor. The general strategy is based on the operation of the engine in its optimal efficiency region by considering the battery state of charge. Results .Mathematical models of engine and generator were taken into consideration in order to design sliding mode controllers both for engine speed and generator torque control. Vehicle was being tested on standard cycle. Results proved that, instead of using only one controller for engine speed, much better results are achieved by simultaneously using two sliding mode controllers, one controlling engine speed and other controlling generator torque.Вступ. Гібридні електромобілі пропонують найбільш економічно доцільний вибір у сучасній автомобільній промисловості, надаючи найкращі рішення для дуже високої економії палива та низького рівня викидів. Швидкий прогрес та розвиток цієї галузі підштовхнули людей до переходу від примітивного рівня до дуже високого індустріального суспільства, де мобільність була фундаментальною потребою. Однак використання великої кількості автомобілів завдає серйозної шкоди довкіллю та життю людини. Нині більшість транспортних засобів покладаються на спалювання вуглеводнів задля досягнення потужності руху на провідних колесах. Отже, необхідно використовувати чисті та ефективні транспортні засоби, такі як гібридні електромобілі. На жаль, раніше стратегії управління серійним гібридним електромобілем не враховували збурення навантаження під час роботи автомобіля і деякі зміни нелінійних параметрів (наприклад, індуктивність розсіювання статора, опір обмотки і т.д.). Новизна запропонованої роботи заснована на розробці та реалізації двох надійних контролерів ковзного режиму (SMC) на серійному гібридному електромобілі для підвищення ефективності з точки зору швидкості та моменту, що крутить, відповідно. Основна ідея полягає в тому, щоб дозволити двигуну працювати тільки тоді, коли це необхідно з урахуванням стану заряду акумулятора. Мета. У пропонованій схемі контролюються характеристики як двигуна, так і генератора, один контролер ковзного режиму регулює швидкість двигуна, а інший регулює крутний момент генератора, а потім результати порівнюються з використанням режимів 1-SMC і 2-SMC. Метод. Силова установка серійного гібридного електромобіля, що розглядається в даній роботі, складається з акумуляторної батареї та установки двигун-генератор, яка називається допоміжною силовою установкою, тяговим двигуном та силовими електронними схемами для приводу генератора та тягового двигуна. Загальна стратегія заснована на роботі двигуна в області оптимальної ефективності з урахуванням рівня заряду акумуляторної батареї. Результати. Математичні моделі двигуна та генератора були прийняті до уваги для розробки регуляторів ковзного режиму як для керування частотою обертання двигуна, так і для керування крутним моментом генератора. Транспортний засіб випробовувався за стандартним циклом. Результати показали, що замість використання лише одного регулятора частоти обертання двигуна набагато кращі результати досягаються при одночасному використанні двох регуляторів ковзного режиму, один з яких керує частотою обертання двигуна, а інший - моментом, що крутить, генератора

Efficiency enhancement strategy implementation in hybrid electric vehicles using sliding mode control

Introduction. Hybrid electric vehicles are offering the most economically viable choices in today's automotive industry, providing best solutions for a very high fuel economy and low rate of emissions. The rapid progress and development of this industry has prompted progress of human beings from primitive level to a very high industrial society where mobility used to be a fundamental need. However, the use of large number of automobiles is causing serious damage to our environment and human life. At present most of the vehicles are relying on burning of hydrocarbons in order to achieve power of propulsion to drive wheels. Therefore, there is a need to employ clean and efficient vehicles like hybrid electric vehicles. Unfortunately, earlier control strategies of series hybrid electric vehicle fail to include load disturbances during the vehicle operation and some of the variations of the nonlinear parameters (e.g. stator’s leakage inductance, resistance of winding etc.). The novelty of the proposed work is based on designing and implementing two robust sliding mode controllers (SMCs) on series hybrid electric vehicle to improve efficiency in terms of both speed and torque respectively. The basic idea is to let the engine operate only when necessary keeping in view the state of charge of battery. Purpose. In proposed scheme, both performance of engine and generator is being controlled, one sliding mode controllers is controlling engine speed and the other one is controlling generator torque, and results are then compared using 1-SMC and 2-SMC’s. Method. The series hybrid electric vehicle powertrain considered in this work consists of a battery bank and an engine-generator set which is referred to as the auxiliary power unit, traction motor, and power electronic circuits to drive the generator and traction motor. The general strategy is based on the operation of the engine in its optimal efficiency region by considering the battery state of charge. Results .Mathematical models of engine and generator were taken into consideration in order to design sliding mode controllers both for engine speed and generator torque control. Vehicle was being tested on standard cycle. Results proved that, instead of using only one controller for engine speed, much better results are achieved by simultaneously using two sliding mode controllers, one controlling engine speed and other controlling generator torque.Вступ. Гібридні електромобілі пропонують найбільш економічно доцільний вибір у сучасній автомобільній промисловості, надаючи найкращі рішення для дуже високої економії палива та низького рівня викидів. Швидкий прогрес та розвиток цієї галузі підштовхнули людей до переходу від примітивного рівня до дуже високого індустріального суспільства, де мобільність була фундаментальною потребою. Однак використання великої кількості автомобілів завдає серйозної шкоди довкіллю та життю людини. Нині більшість транспортних засобів покладаються на спалювання вуглеводнів задля досягнення потужності руху на провідних колесах. Отже, необхідно використовувати чисті та ефективні транспортні засоби, такі як гібридні електромобілі. На жаль, раніше стратегії управління серійним гібридним електромобілем не враховували збурення навантаження під час роботи автомобіля і деякі зміни нелінійних параметрів (наприклад, індуктивність розсіювання статора, опір обмотки і т.д.). Новизна запропонованої роботи заснована на розробці та реалізації двох надійних контролерів ковзного режиму (SMC) на серійному гібридному електромобілі для підвищення ефективності з точки зору швидкості та моменту, що крутить, відповідно. Основна ідея полягає в тому, щоб дозволити двигуну працювати тільки тоді, коли це необхідно з урахуванням стану заряду акумулятора. Мета. У пропонованій схемі контролюються характеристики як двигуна, так і генератора, один контролер ковзного режиму регулює швидкість двигуна, а інший регулює крутний момент генератора, а потім результати порівнюються з використанням режимів 1-SMC і 2-SMC. Метод. Силова установка серійного гібридного електромобіля, що розглядається в даній роботі, складається з акумуляторної батареї та установки двигун-генератор, яка називається допоміжною силовою установкою, тяговим двигуном та силовими електронними схемами для приводу генератора та тягового двигуна. Загальна стратегія заснована на роботі двигуна в області оптимальної ефективності з урахуванням рівня заряду акумуляторної батареї. Результати. Математичні моделі двигуна та генератора були прийняті до уваги для розробки регуляторів ковзного режиму як для керування частотою обертання двигуна, так і для керування крутним моментом генератора. Транспортний засіб випробовувався за стандартним циклом. Результати показали, що замість використання лише одного регулятора частоти обертання двигуна набагато кращі результати досягаються при одночасному використанні двох регуляторів ковзного режиму, один з яких керує частотою обертання двигуна, а інший - моментом, що крутить, генератора

Fault tolerant control for nonlinear aircraft based on feedback linearization

The thesis concerns the fault tolerant flight control (FTFC) problem for nonlinear aircraft by making use of analytical redundancy. Considering initially fault-free flight, the feedback linearization theory plays an important role to provide a baseline control approach for de-coupling and stabilizing a non-linear statically unstable aircraft system. Then several reconfigurable control strategies are studied to provide further robust control performance:- A neural network (NN)-based adaption mechanism is used to develop reconfigurable FTFC performance through the combination of a concurrent updated learninglaw. - The combined feedback linearization and NN adaptor FTFC system is further improved through the use of a sliding mode control (SMC) strategy to enhance the convergence of the NN learning adaptor. - An approach to simultaneous estimation of both state and fault signals is incorporated within an active FTFC system.The faults acting independently on the three primary actuators of the nonlinear aircraft are compensated in the control system.The theoretical ideas developed in the thesis have been applied to the nonlinear Machan Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) system. The simulation results obtained from a tracking control system demonstrate the improved fault tolerant performance for all the presented control schemes, validated under various faults and disturbance scenarios.A Boeing 747 nonlinear benchmark model, developed within the framework of the GARTEUR FM-AG 16 project “fault tolerant flight control systems”,is used for the purpose of further simulation study and testing of the FTFC scheme developed by making the combined use of concurrent learning NN and SMC theory. The simulation results under the given fault scenario show a promising reconfiguration performance

A New Self-Contained Electro-Hydraulic Brake System

The automotive brake system plays a significant role not only in the deceleration and stopping process, but also in many stability control strategies. To overcome the limitations of conventional brake systems and to improve vehicle control strategies such as traction control, and differential braking, a new generation of brake systems called the brake-by-wire system has been introduced to the vehicle industry. This generation of brake systems combines electrical, mechanical and, in some cases, hydraulic components. Although different types of brake-by-wire mechanisms have been developed in the past two decades, there still exist demands for further improvement and developing new brake mechanisms in the automotive industry due to the ever increasing demand for better safety and performance. This research proposes a novel brake-by-wire system based on cam actuation. This system is a combination of electrical, mechanical and hydraulic components. The unique feature of the cam actuation brake system proposed in this research is that the characteristics of the motor torque amplification can be optimized by careful design of the cam shape. The compactness and self-contained characteristic of the design allow the brake system to be installed on each wheel enabling fully independent control of each wheel for better stability control. Moreover, the cam actuated brake has a fail-safe advantage by keeping the direct connection between the driver and the brake calipers in case of any system failure. In this work, different subsystems of the brake system and their components are explained, the dynamic model of the system is found and the design parameters are optimized. Specifically, the optimal design problem has been formulated by taking the geometry of the cam as the optimization variable and the open-loop response time of the brake system as the objective function to be minimized. The solution to this problem is then obtained by the multi-layer design optimization process using the genetic algorithm (GA). Various control algorithms are applied to the developed cam actuated brake system to investigate their performance in terms of tracking a desired braking pressure

Parallel hybrid karting vehicle modelling and control

Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) utilize energy both from internal combustion engine and an electric drive system. For an efficient energy management between two different power sources, an effective control strategy is needed. A governing algorithm is required which is developed and verified by using a lab scale plant model that is verified by sample plant simulations. An effective energy management can minimize fuel consumption and reduce emissions. The algorithm that is developed in this study consists of a finite state machine and a charge depleting control, which are mainly based on some rules and an optimal control strategy. The work involves integration of a secondary power source on an existing karting vehicle. The goal is to efficiently capture the released energy during the braking period and utilize this energy to supplement power need during acceleration. A full model of the system has been constructed using the commercially available code MATLAB/Simulink. In addition, an experimental test system has been constructed to validate modeling and simulation work. Two different power storage alternatives have been simulated and tested to determine most efficient and economically advantageous configuration. Lead acid batteries provided low cost and robustness at the expense of extra weight. Ultracapacitor storage elements have been also studied to determine level of system efficiency gains due to light weight and rapid charge/discharge characteristics at the expense of extra cost. Furthermore, their performances on different control algorithms are compared and discussed

Transitional controller design for adaptive cruise control systems

Traffic congestion is an important reason for driver frustration which in turn is the main cause of human errors and accidents. Statistics reports have shown that over 90% of accidents are caused by human errors. Therefore, it is vital to improve vehicle controls to ensure adequate safety measures in order to decrease the number of accidents or to reduce the impact of accidents. An application of mathematical control techniques to the longitudinal dynamics of a vehicle equipped with an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system is presented. This study is carried out for the detailed understanding of a complex ACC vehicle model under critical transitional manoeuvres (TMs) in order to establish safe inter-vehicle distance with zero range-rate (relative velocity) behind a preceding vehicle. TMs are performed under the influence of internal complexities from vehicle dynamics and within constrained operation boundaries. The constrained boundaries refer to the control input, states, and collision avoidance constraints. The ACC vehicle is based on a nonlinear longitudinal model that includes vehicle inertial and powertrain dynamics. The overall system modelling includes: complex vehicle models, engine maps construction, first-order vehicle modelling, controllers modelling (upper-level and lower-level controllers for ACC vehicles). The upper-level controller computes the desired acceleration commands for the lower-lever controller which then provides the throttle/brake commands for the complex vehicle model. An important aspect of this study is to compare four control strategies: proportional-integral-derivative; sliding mode; constant-time-gap; and, model predictive control for the upper-level controller analysis using a first-order ACC vehicle model. The first-order model represents the lags in the vehicle actuators and sensor signal processing and it does not consider the dynamic effects of the vehicle’s sub-models. Furthermore, parameter analyses on the complex ACC vehicle for controller and vehicle parameters have been conducted. The comparison analysis of the four control strategies shows that model predictive control (MPC) is the most appropriate control strategy for upper-level control because it solves the optimal control problem on-line, rather than off-line, for the current states of the system using the prediction model, at the same time being able to take into account operation constraints. The analysis shows that the complex ACC vehicle can successfully execute TMs, tracking closely the desired acceleration and obeying the constraints, whereas the constraints are only applied in the MPC controller formulation. It is found that a higher length of the prediction horizon should be used for a closed acceleration tracking. The effect of engine and transmission dynamics on the MPC controller and ACC vehicle performance during the gear shifting is studied. A sensitivity analysis for MPC controller and vehicle parameters indicates that a length of the control horizon that is too high can seriously disturb the vehicle behaviour, and this disturbance can be only removed if a higher value of control input cost weighting is used. Furthermore, the analysis indicates that a mass within the range of 1400-2000 kg is suitable for the considered ACC vehicle. It is recommended that a variable headway time should be used for the spacing control between the two vehicles. It is found that the vehicle response is highly sensitive to the control input cost weighting; a lower value (less than one) can lead to a highly unstable vehicle response. It is recommended that the lower-level controller must take into account the road gradient information because the complex ACC vehicle is unable to achieve the control objectives while following on a slope. Based on the results, it is concluded that a first-order ACC vehicle model can be used for the controller design, but it is not sufficient to capture the complex vehicle dynamic response. Therefore, a complex vehicle model should be of use for the detailed ACC vehicle analysis. In this research study the first-order ACC vehicle model is used for the complex vehicle validation, whereas the complex ACC vehicle model can be used for the experimental validation in future work