Modified Volterra model-based non-linear model predictive control of IC engines with real-time simulations

Modelling of non-linear dynamics of an air manifold and fuel injection in an internal combustion (IC) engine is investigated in this paper using the Volterra series model. Volterra model-based non-linear model predictive control (NMPC) is then developed to regulate the air–fuel ratio (AFR) at the stoichiometric value. Due to the significant difference between the time constants of the air manifold dynamics and fuel injection dynamics, the traditional Volterra model is unable to achieve a proper compromise between model accuracy and complexity. A novel method is therefore developed in this paper by using different sampling periods, to reduce the input terms significantly while maintaining the accuracy of the model. The developed NMPC system is applied to a widely used IC engine benchmark, the mean value engine model. The performance of the controlled engine under real-time simulation in the environment of dSPACE was evaluated. The simulation results show a significant improvement of the controlled performance compared with a feed-forward plus PI feedback control

Parameter Identification of Nonlinear System on Combustion Engine Based MVEM using PEM

In four-stroke engine injection system, often called spark ignition (SI) engine, the air-fuel ratio (AFR) is taken from the measurement of lambda sensor in the exhaust. This sensor does not directly describe how much AFR in the combustion chamber due to the large transport delay. Therefore, the lambda sensor is used only as a feedback in AFR control "correction", not as the "main" control. The purpose of this research is to identify the parameters of the non-linear system in SI engines to produce AFR estimator. The AFR estimator is expected to be used as a feedback of the main "AFR" control system. The process of identifying the parameters using the Gauss-Newton method, due to its rapid computation to Achieve convergence, is based on prediction error minimization (PEM). The models of AFR estimator is an open-loop system without a universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensors as feedback, called a virtual AFR sensor. The high price of UEGO sensors makes the virtual AFR sensor can be a practical solution to be applied in AFR control. The model in this research is based on the mean value engine models (MVEM) with some modifications. The research dataset was taken from a Hyundai Verna 2002 with the additional UEGO type of lambda sensors. The throttle opening angle (input) is played by stepping on the gas pedal and the signal to the injector (input) is set to a certain quantity to produce the AFR (output) value read by the UEGO sensor. This research produces an open loop estimator model or AFR virtual sensors with normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) = 0.06831 = 6.831%

Development of Adaptive and Factorized Neural Models for MPC of Industrial Systems

Many industrial processes have non-linear and time-varying dynamics, for which the control and optimization require further investigations. Adaptive modelling techniques using radial basis function (RBF) networks often provide competitive modelling performances but encounter slow recovery speed when processes operating regions are shifted largely. In addition, RBF networks based model predictive control results as a non-linear programming problem, which restricts the application to fast dynamic systems. To these targets, the thesis presents the development of adaptive and factorized RBF network models. Model predictive control (MPC) based on the factorized RBF model is applied to a non-linear proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) stack system. The main contents include three parts: RBF model adaptation; model factorization and fast long-range prediction; and MPC for the PEMFC stack system. The adaptive RBF model employs the recursive orthogonal least squares (ROLS) algorithm for both structure and parameter adaptation. In decomposing the regression matrix of the RBF model, the R matrix is obtained. Principles for adding centres and pruning centres are developed based on the manipulation of the R matrix. While the modelling accuracy is remained, the developed structure adaptation algorithm ensures the model size to be kept to the minimum. At the same time, the RBF model parameters are optimized in terms of minimum Frobenius norm of the model prediction error. A simulation example is used to evaluate the developed adaptive RBF model, and the model performance in output prediction is superior over the existing methods. Considering that a model with fast long-range prediction is needed for the MPC of fast dynamic systems, a f-step factorization algorithm is developed for the RBF model. The model structure is re-arranged so that the unknown future process outputs are not required for output prediction. Therefore, the accumulative error caused by recursive calculation in normal neural network model is avoided. Furthermore, as the information for output prediction is explicitly divided into the past information and the future information, the optimization of the control variable in the MPC based on this developed factorized model can be solved much faster than the normal NARX-RBF model. The developed model adaptation algorithm can be applied to this f-step factorized model to achieve fast and adaptive model prediction. Finally, the developed factorized RBF model is applied to the MPC of a PEMFC stack system with a popular industrial benchmark model in Simulink developed at Michigan University. The optimization algorithms for quadratic and non-linear system without and with constraints are presented and discussed for application purpose in the NMPC. Simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the developed model in both smooth tracking performance and less optimization time used. Conclusions and further work are given at the end of the thesis. Major contributions of the research have been outlined and achievements are checked against the objectives assigned. Further work is also suggested to extend the developed work to industrial applications in real-time simulation. This is to further examine the effectiveness of developed models. Extensive investigations are also recommended on the optimization problems to improve the existing algorithms

Application of artificial neural network to classify fuel octane number using essential engine operating parameters

Real-time fuel octane number classification is essential to ensure that spark ignition engines operation are free of knock at best combustion efficiency. Combustion with knock is an abnormal phenomenon which constrains the engine performance, thermal efficiency and longevity. The advance timing of the ignition system requires it to be updated with respect to fuel octane number variation. The production series engines are calibrated by the manufacturer to run with a special fuel octane number. Presently, there is no research which takes into account the fuel tendency to knock in real-time engine operation. This research proposed the use of on-board detection of fuel octane number by implementing a simple methodology and use of a non-intrusive sensor. In the experiment, the engine was operated at different speeds, load, spark advance and consumed commercial gasoline with research octane numbers (RON) 95, 97 and 100. The RON classification procedure was investigated using regression analysis as a classic pattern recognition methodology and artificial neural network (ANN) by executing combustion properties derived from in-cylinder pressure signal and engine rotational speed signal. The in-cylinder pressure analysis illustrated the knock-free, light-knock and heavy-knock regions for all engine operating points. The results showed a special pattern for each fuel RON using peak in-cylinder pressure, maximum rate of pressure rise and maximum amplitude of pressure oscillations. Besides, there is a requirement for pre-defined threshold or formula to restrict the implementation of these parameters for on-board fuel identification. The ANN model efficiency with pressure signal as network input had the highest accuracy for all spark advance timing. However, the ANN model with rotational speed signal input only had the ability to identify the fuel octane number after a specific advance timing which was detected at the beginning of noisy combustion due to knock. The confusion matrix for the ANN with speed signal input had increased from 68.1% to 100% by advancing the ignition from -10° to -30° before top dead centre. The results established the ability of rotational speed signal for fuel octane classification using the relation between knock and RON. The implication is that all the production spark ignition engines are equipped with engine speed sensor, thus, this technique can be applied to all engines with any number of cylinders

Neural Model-Based Advanced Control of Chylla-Haase Reactor

The objective of this thesis is to develop advanced control method and to design advanced control system for the polymerization reactor (Chylla-Haase) to maintain the high accurate reactor temperature. The first stage of this research start with the development of mathematical model of the process. The sub-models for monomer concentration, polymerization rate, reactor temperature and jacket outlet/inlet temperature are developed and implemented in Matlab/Simulink. Four conventional control methods were applied to the reactor: a Proportional –Integral-Derivative (PID), Cascade control (CCs), Linear-Quadratic-Regulator (LQR), and Linear model predictive control (LMPC). The simulation results show that the PID controller is unable to perform satisfactorily due to the change of physical properties unless constant re-tuning takes place. Also, Cascade Control the most common control method used in such processes cannot guarantee a robust performance under varying disturbance and system uncertainty. In addition, LQR and linear MPC methods lead to better results compared with the previous two methods. But it is still under an assumption of the linearized plant. Three advanced neural network based control schemes are also proposed in this thesis: radial basis function RBF neural network inverse model based feedforward-feedback control scheme, RBF based model predictive control and multi-layer perception (MLP) based model predictive control. The major objective of these control schemes is to maintain the reactor temperature within its tolerance range under disturbances and system uncertainty. Satisfactory control performance in terms of effective regulation and robustness to disturbance have been achieved. In the feedforward-feedback control scheme, a neural network model is used to predict reactor temperature. Then, a neural network inverse model is used to estimate the valve position of the reactor, the manipulated variable. This method can identify the controlled system with the RBF neural network identifier. A PID controller is used in the feedback control to regulate the actual temperature by compensating the neural network inverse model output. Simulation results show that the proposed control has strong adaptability, robustness and satisfactory control performance. These advanced methods achieved the much improved control performance compared with conventional control schemes. The main contribution of this research lies in the following aspects. The MPC theory is realised to control Chylla-Haase polymerization reactor. Two adaptive reactor models including the RBF network model and MLP model are developed to predict the multiple-step-ahead values of the reactor output. Their modelling ability is compared with that of the models with fixed parameters and proven to be better. The RBF neural network and the MLP is trained by the recursive Least Squares (RLS) algorithm and is used to model parameter uncertainty in nonlinear dynamics of the Chylla-Haase reactor. The predictive control strategy based on the RBF neural network is applied to achieve set-point tracking of the reactor output against disturbances. The result shows that the RBF based model predictive control gives reliable result in the presence of some disturbances and keeps the reactor temperature within a tight tolerance range around the specified reaction temperature. Moreover, RBF neural network based model predictive control strategy has also been used to reduce the batch time in order to shorten the reaction period. RBF neural network is considered as a prediction model for control purpose which is based to minimize a cost function in order to determine an optimal sequence of control moves. The result shows that the RBF based model predictive control gives reliable result in the presence of variation of monomer and presence of some disturbances for keeping the reactor temperature within a tight tolerance range around the specified reaction temperature without harming the quality of the temperature control

Comparison of physics-based, semi-empirical and neural network-based models for model-based combustion control in a 3.0 L diesel engine

A comparison of four different control-oriented models has been carried out in this paper for the simulation of the main combustion metrics in diesel engines, i.e., combustion phasing, peak firing pressure, and brake mean effective pressure. The aim of the investigation has been to understand the potential of each approach in view of their implementation in the engine control unit (ECU) for onboard combustion control applications. The four developed control-oriented models, namely the baseline physics-based model, the artificial neural network (ANN) physics-based model, the semi-empirical model, and direct ANN model, have been assessed and compared under steady-state conditions and over the Worldwide Harmonized Heavy-duty Transient Cycle (WHTC) for a Euro VI FPT F1C 3.0 L diesel engine. Moreover, a new procedure has been introduced for the selection of the input parameters. The direct ANN model has shown the best accuracy in the estimation of the combustion metrics under both steady-state/transient operating conditions, since the root mean square errors are of the order of 0.25/1.1 deg, 0.85/9.6 bar, and 0.071/0.7 bar for combustion phasing, peak firing pressure, and brake mean effective pressure, respectively. Moreover, it requires the least computational time, that is, less than 50 µs when the model is run on a rapid prototyping device. Therefore, it can be considered the best candidate for model-based combustion control applications