Advanced Neural Network Based Control for Automotive Engines

This thesis investigates the application of artificial neural networks (NN) in air/fuel ratio (AFR) control of spark ignition(SI) engines. Three advanced neural network based control schemes are proposed: radial basis function(RBF) neural network based feedforward-feedback control scheme, RBF based model predictive control scheme, and diagonal recurrent neural network (DRNN) - based model predictive control scheme. The major objective of these control schemes is to maintain the air/fuel ratio at the stoichiometric value of 14.7 , under varying disturbance and system uncertainty. All the developed methods have been assessed using an engine simulation model built based on a widely used engine model benchmark, mean value engine model (MVEM). Satisfactory control performance in terms of effective regulation and robustness to disturbance and system component change have been achieved. In the feedforward-feedback control scheme, a neural network model is used to predict air mass flow from system measurements. Then, the injected fuel is estimated by an inverse NN controller. The simulation results have shown that much improved control performance has been achieved compared with conventional PID control in both transient and steady-state response. A nonlinear model predictive control is developed for AFR control in this re- . search using RBF model. A one-dimensional optimization method, the secant method is employed to obtain optimal control variable in the MPC scheme, so that the computation load and consequently the computation time is greatly reduced. This feature significantly enhances the applicability of the MPC to industrial systems with fast dynamics. Moreover, the RBF model is on-line adapted to model engine time-varying dynamics and parameter uncertainty. As such, the developed control scheme is more robust and this is approved in the evaluation. The MPC strategy is further developed with the RBF model replaced by a DRNN model. The DRNN has structure including a information-storing neurons and is therefore more appropriate for dynamics system modelling than the RBF, a static network. In this research, the dynamic back-propagation algorithm (DBP) is adopted to train the DRNN and is realized by automatic differentiation (AD) technique. This greatly reduces the computation load and time in the model training. The MPC using the DRNN model is found in the simulation evaluation having better control performance than the RBF -based model predictive control. The main contribution of this research lies in the following aspects. A neural network based feedforward-feedback control scheme is developed for AFR of SI engines, which is performed better than traditional look-up table with PI control method. This new method needs moderate computation and therefore has strong potential to be applied in production engines in automotive industry. Furthermore, two adaptive neural network models, a RBF model and a DRNN model, are developed for engine and incorporated into the MPC scheme. Such developed two MPC schemes are proved by simulations having advanced features of low computation load, better regulation performance in both transient and steady state, and stronger robustness to engine time-varying dynamics and parameter uncertainty. Finally, the developed schemes are considered to suit the limited hardware capacity of engine control and have feasibility and strong potential to be practically implemented in the production engines

Meta-heuristic algorithms in car engine design: a literature survey

Meta-heuristic algorithms are often inspired by natural phenomena, including the evolution of species in Darwinian natural selection theory, ant behaviors in biology, flock behaviors of some birds, and annealing in metallurgy. Due to their great potential in solving difficult optimization problems, meta-heuristic algorithms have found their way into automobile engine design. There are different optimization problems arising in different areas of car engine management including calibration, control system, fault diagnosis, and modeling. In this paper we review the state-of-the-art applications of different meta-heuristic algorithms in engine management systems. The review covers a wide range of research, including the application of meta-heuristic algorithms in engine calibration, optimizing engine control systems, engine fault diagnosis, and optimizing different parts of engines and modeling. The meta-heuristic algorithms reviewed in this paper include evolutionary algorithms, evolution strategy, evolutionary programming, genetic programming, differential evolution, estimation of distribution algorithm, ant colony optimization, particle swarm optimization, memetic algorithms, and artificial immune system

A Soft Sensor-Based Fault-Tolerant Control on the Air Fuel Ratio of Spark-Ignition Engines

The air/fuel ratio (AFR) regulation for spark-ignition (SI) engines has been an essential and challenging control problem for engineers in the automotive industry. The feed-forward and feedback scheme has been investigated in both academic research and industrial application. The aging effect can often cause an AFR sensor fault in the feedback loop, and the AFR control performance will degrade consequently. In this research, a new control scheme on AFR with fault-tolerance is proposed by using an artificial neural network model based on fault detection and compensation, which can provide the satisfactory AFR regulation performance at the stoichiometric value for the combustion process, given a certain level of misreading of the AFR sensor

Neural Modeling and Control of Diesel Engine with Pollution Constraints

The paper describes a neural approach for modelling and control of a turbocharged Diesel engine. A neural model, whose structure is mainly based on some physical equations describing the engine behaviour, is built for the rotation speed and the exhaust gas opacity. The model is composed of three interconnected neural submodels, each of them constituting a nonlinear multi-input single-output error model. The structural identification and the parameter estimation from data gathered on a real engine are described. The neural direct model is then used to determine a neural controller of the engine, in a specialized training scheme minimising a multivariable criterion. Simulations show the effect of the pollution constraint weighting on a trajectory tracking of the engine speed. Neural networks, which are flexible and parsimonious nonlinear black-box models, with universal approximation capabilities, can accurately describe or control complex nonlinear systems, with little a priori theoretical knowledge. The presented work extends optimal neuro-control to the multivariable case and shows the flexibility of neural optimisers. Considering the preliminary results, it appears that neural networks can be used as embedded models for engine control, to satisfy the more and more restricting pollutant emission legislation. Particularly, they are able to model nonlinear dynamics and outperform during transients the control schemes based on static mappings.Comment: 15 page

Review of air fuel ratio prediction and control methods

Air pollution is one of main challenging issues nowadays that researchers have been trying to address.The emissions of vehicle engine exhausts are responsible for 50 percent of air pollution. Different types of emissions emit from vehicles including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbons, NOX, and so on. There is a tendency to develop strategies of engine control which work in a fast way. Accomplishing this task will result in a decrease in emissions which coupled with the fuel composition can bring about the best performance of the vehicle engine.Controlling the Air-Fuel Ratio (AFR) is necessary, because the AFR has an enormous impact on the effectiveness of the fuel and reduction of emissions.This paper is aimed at reviewing the recent studies on the prediction and control of the AFR, as a bulk of research works with different approaches, was conducted in this area.These approaches include both classical and modern methods, namely Artificial Neural Networks (ANN), Fuzzy Logic, and Neuro-Fuzzy Systems are described in this paper.The strength and the weakness of individual approaches will be discussed at length

Adaptive Model Predictive Control for Engine-Driven Ducted Fan Lift Systems using an Associated Linear Parameter Varying Model

Ducted fan lift systems (DFLSs) powered by two-stroke aviation piston engines present a challenging control problem due to their complex multivariable dynamics. Current controllers for these systems typically rely on proportional-integral algorithms combined with data tables, which rely on accurate models and are not adaptive to handle time-varying dynamics or system uncertainties. This paper proposes a novel adaptive model predictive control (AMPC) strategy with an associated linear parameter varying (LPV) model for controlling the engine-driven DFLS. This LPV model is derived from a global network model, which is trained off-line with data obtained from a general mean value engine model for two-stroke aviation engines. Different network models, including multi-layer perceptron, Elman, and radial basis function (RBF), are evaluated and compared in this study. The results demonstrate that the RBF model exhibits higher prediction accuracy and robustness in the DFLS application. Based on the trained RBF model, the proposed AMPC approach constructs an associated network that directly outputs the LPV model parameters as an adaptive, robust, and efficient prediction model. The efficiency of the proposed approach is demonstrated through numerical simulations of a vertical take-off thrust preparation process for the DFLS. The simulation results indicate that the proposed AMPC method can effectively control the DFLS thrust with a relative error below 3.5%

A STUDY OF MODEL-BASED CONTROL STRATEGY FOR A GASOLINE TURBOCHARGED DIRECT INJECTION SPARK IGNITED ENGINE

To meet increasingly stringent fuel economy and emissions legislation, more advanced technologies have been added to spark-ignition (SI) engines, thus exponentially increase the complexity and calibration work of traditional map-based engine control. To achieve better engine performance without introducing significant calibration efforts and make the developed control system easily adapt to future engines upgrades and designs, this research proposes a model-based optimal control system for cycle-by-cycle Gasoline Turbocharged Direct Injection (GTDI) SI engine control, which aims to deliver the requested torque output and operate the engine to achieve the best achievable fuel economy and minimum emission under wide range of engine operating conditions. This research develops a model-based ignition timing prediction strategy for combustion phasing (crank angle of fifty percent of the fuel burned, CA50) control. A control-oriented combustion model is developed to predict burn duration from ignition timing to CA50. Using the predicted burn duration, the ignition timing needed for the upcoming cycle to track optimal target CA50 is calculated by a dynamic ignition timing prediction algorithm. A Recursive-Least-Square (RLS) with Variable Forgetting Factor (VFF) based adaptation algorithm is proposed to handle operating-point-dependent model errors caused by inherent errors resulting from modeling assumptions and limited calibration points, which helps to ensure the proper performance of model-based ignition timing prediction strategy throughout the entire engine lifetime. Using the adaptive combustion model, an Adaptive Extended Kalman Filter (AEKF) based CA50 observer is developed to provide filtered CA50 estimation from cyclic variations for the closed-loop combustion phasing control. An economic nonlinear model predictive controller (E-NMPC) based GTDI SI engine control system is developed to simultaneously achieve three objectives: tracking the requested net indicated mean effective pressure (IMEPn), minimizing the SFC, and reducing NOx emissions. The developed E-NMPC engine control system can achieve the above objectives by controlling throttle position, IVC timing, CA50, exhaust valve opening (EVO) timing, and wastegate position at the same time without violating engine operating constraints. A control-oriented engine model is developed and integrated into the E-NMPC to predict future engine behaviors. A high-fidelity 1-D GT-POWER engine model is developed and used as the plant model to tune and validate the developed control system. The performance of the entire model-based engine control system is examined through the software-in-the-loop (SIL) simulation using on-road vehicle test data

Studies on SI engine simulation and air/fuel ratio control systems design

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.More stringent Euro 6 and LEV III emission standards will immediately begin execution on 2014 and 2015 respectively. Accurate air/fuel ratio control can effectively reduce vehicle emission. The simulation of engine dynamic system is a very powerful method for developing and analysing engine and engine controller. Currently, most engine air/fuel ratio control used look-up table combined with proportional and integral (PI) control and this is not robust to system uncertainty and time varying effects. This thesis first develops a simulation package for a port injection spark-ignition engine and this package include engine dynamics, vehicle dynamics as well as driving cycle selection module. The simulations results are very close to the data obtained from laboratory experiments. New controllers have been proposed to control air/fuel ratio in spark ignition engines to maximize the fuel economy while minimizing exhaust emissions. The PID control and fuzzy control methods have been combined into a fuzzy PID control and the effectiveness of this new controller has been demonstrated by simulation tests. A new neural network based predictive control is then designed for further performance improvements. It is based on the combination of inverse control and predictive control methods. The network is trained offline in which the control output is modified to compensate control errors. The simulation evaluations have shown that the new neural controller can greatly improve control air/fuel ratio performance. The test also revealed that the improved AFR control performance can effectively restrict engine harmful emissions into atmosphere, these reduce emissions are important to satisfy more stringent emission standards

ADAPTIVE MODEL BASED COMBUSTION PHASING CONTROL FOR MULTI FUEL SPARK IGNITION ENGINES

This research describes a physics-based control-oriented feed-forward model, combined with cylinder pressure feedback, to regulate combustion phasing in a spark-ignition engine operating on an unknown mix of fuels. This research may help enable internal combustion engines that are capable of on-the-fly adaptation to a wide range of fuels. These engines could; (1) facilitate a reduction in bio-fuel processing, (2) encourage locally-appropriate bio-fuels to reduce transportation, (3) allow new fuel formulations to enter the market with minimal infrastructure, and (4) enable engine adaptation to pump-to-pump fuel variations. These outcomes will help make bio-fuels cost-competitive with other transportation fuels, lessen dependence on traditional sources of energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles; all of which are pivotal societal issues. Spark-ignition engines are equipped with a large number of control actuators to satisfy fuel economy targets and maintain regulated emissions compliance. The increased control flexibility also allows for adaptability to a wide range of fuel compositions, while maintaining efficient operation when input fuel is altered. Ignition timing control is of particular interest because it is the last control parameter prior to the combustion event, and significantly influences engine efficiency and emissions. Although Map-based ignition timing control and calibration routines are state of art, they become cumbersome when the number of control degrees of freedom increases are used in the engine. The increased system complexity motivates the use of model-based methods to minimize product development time and ensure calibration flexibility when the engine is altered during the design process. A closed loop model based ignition timing control algorithm is formulated with: 1) a feed forward fuel type sensitive combustion model to predict combustion duration from spark to 50% mass burned; 2) two virtual fuel property observers for octane number and laminar flame speed feedback; 3) an adaptive combustion phasing target model that is able to self-calibrate for wide range of fuel sources input. The proposed closed loop algorithm is experimentally validated in real time on the dynamometer. Satisfactory results are observed and conclusions are made that the closed loop approach is able to regulate combustion phasing for multi fuel adaptive SI engines