Robust control of electrified turbocharged diesel engines

Electrified turbocharger is a critical technology for engine downsizing and is a cost-effective solution for exhaust gas energy recovery. In conventional turbocharged diesel engines, the air path holds strong nonlinearity since the actuators are all driven by the exhaust gas. In an electrified turbocharged diesel engine (ETDE), the coupling is more complex, due to the electric machine mounted on the turbine shaft impacts the exhaust manifold dynamics as well. In distributed single-input single-output control methods, the gains tuning is time consuming and the couplings are ignored. To control the performance variables independently, developing a promising multi-input multi-output control method for the ETDE is essential. In this paper, a model-based multi variable robust controller is designed to control the performance variables in a systematic way. Both simulation and experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed controller

Robust control of electrified turbocharged diesel engines

Electrified turbocharger is a critical technology for engine downsizing and is a cost-effective solution for exhaust gas energy recovery. In conventional turbocharged diesel engines, the air path holds strong nonlinearity since the actuators are all driven by the exhaust gas. In an electrified turbocharged diesel engine (ETDE), the coupling is more complex, due to the electric machine mounted on the turbine shaft impacts the exhaust manifold dynamics as well. In distributed single-input single-output control methods, the gains tuning is time consuming and the couplings are ignored. To control the performance variables independently, developing a promising multi-input multi-output control method for the ETDE is essential. In this paper, a model-based multi variable robust controller is designed to control the performance variables in a systematic way. Both simulation and experimental results verified the effectiveness of the proposed controller

Characterisation, control, and energy management of electrified turbocharged diesel engines

The electrification of engine components offers significant opportunities for fuel efficiency improvements. The electrified turbocharger is one of the most attractive options since it recovers part of the engine exhaust gas mechanical energy to assist boosting. Therefore, the engine can be downsized through improved transient responsiveness. In the electrified turbocharger, an electric machine is mounted on the turbine shaft and changes the air system dynamics, so characterisation of the new layout is essential. A systematic control solution is required to manage energy flows in the hybrid system. In this paper, a framework for characterisation, control, and energy management for an electrified turbocharged diesel engine is proposed. The impacts of the electric machine on fuel economy and air system variables are analysed. Based on the characterisation, a two-level control structure is proposed. A real-time energy management strategy is employed as the supervisory level controller to generate the optimal values of critical variables, while a model-based multi-variable controller is designed as the low level controller to track the values. The two controllers work together in a cascade to address both fuel economy optimisation and battery state-of-charge maintenance. The proposed control strategy is validated on a high fidelity physical engine model. The tracking performance shows the proposed framework is a promising solution in regulating the behavior of electrified engines

Control-oriented dynamics analysis for electrified turbocharged diesel engines

Engine electrification is a critical technology in the promotion of engine fuel efficiency, among which the electrified turbocharger is regarded as the promising solution in engine downsizing. By installing electrical devices on the turbocharger, the excess energy can be captured, stored, and re-used. The electrified turbocharger consists of a variable geometry turbocharger (VGT) and an electric motor (EM) within the turbocharger bearing housing, where the EM is capable in bi-directional power transfer. The VGT, EM, and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) valve all impact the dynamics of air path. In this paper, the dynamics in an electrified turbocharged diesel engine (ETDE), especially the couplings between different loops in the air path is analyzed. Furthermore, an explicit principle in selecting control variables is proposed. Based on the analysis, a model-based multi-input multi-output (MIMO) decoupling controller is designed to regulate the air path dynamics. The dynamics analysis and controller are successfully validated through experiments and simulations

Real-time optimal energy management of electrified engines

© 2016 The electrification of engine components offers significant opportunities for fuel economy improvements, including the use of an electrified turbocharger for engine downsizing and exhaust gas energy recovery. By installing an electrical device on the turbocharger, the excess energy in the air system can be captured, stored, and re-used. This new configuration requires a new control structure to manage the air path dynamics. The selection of optimal setpoints for each operating point is crucial for achieving the full fuel economy benefits. In this paper, a control-oriented model for an electrified turbocharged diesel engine is analysed. Based on this model, a structured approach for selecting control variables is proposed. A model-based multi-input multi-output decoupling controller is designed as the low level controller to track the desired values and to manage internal coupling. An equivalent consumption minimization strategy is employed as the supervisory level controller for real-time energy management. The supervisory level controller and low level controller work together in a cascade which addresses both fuel economy optimization and battery state-of-charge maintenance. The proposed control strategy has been successfully validated on a detailed physical simulation model

An integrated framework on characterization, control, and testing of an electrical turbocharger assist

Engine downsizing is a promising trend for improving fuel efficiency of conventional powertrain vehicles. The reduced engine capacity can be compensated by better air delivery through electrically assisted boosting systems, while the most critical technology is the electric turbocharger. In this paper, an integrated framework for characterization, control, and testing of the electric turbocharger is proposed. Starting from a physical characterization of the engine, the impact of the electric turbocharger on fuel economy and exhaust emissions are both analyzed, as well as its controllability. A multi-variable robust controller is designed to regulate the dynamics of the electrified turbocharged engine in a systematic approach. To minimize the fuel consumption in real time, a supervisory level controller is designed to update the setpoints of key controlled variables in an optimal way. Furthermore, a cutting-edge experimental platform of a heavy-duty electrified turbocharged diesel engine is built. The demonstrated excellent tracking performance, high robustness, and improvements on fuel efficiency in experimental results prove the effectiveness of both the developed system and the proposed control strategy

Reactivity controlled compression ignition engine: Pathways towards commercial viability

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).Reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) is a promising energy conversion strategy to increase fuel efficiency and reduce nitrogen oxide (NOx) and soot emissions through improved in-cylinder combustion process. Considering the significant amount of conducted research and development on RCCI concept, the majority of the work has been performed under steady-state conditions. However, most thermal propulsion systems in transportation applications require operation under transient conditions. In the RCCI concept, it is crucial to investigate transient behavior over entire load conditions in order to minimize the engine-out emissions and meet new real driving emissions (RDE) legislation. This would help further close the gap between steady-state and transient operation in order to implement the RCCI concept into mass production. This work provides a comprehensive review of the performance and emissions analyses of the RCCI engines with the consideration of transient effects and vehicular applications. For this purpose, various simulation and experimental studies have been reviewed implementing different control strategies like control-oriented models particularly in dual-mode operating conditions. In addition, the application of the RCCI strategy in hybrid electric vehicle platforms using renewable fuels is also discussed. The discussion of the present review paper provides important insights for future research on the RCCI concept as a commercially viable energy conversion strategy for automotive applications.Peer reviewe

Potential of hybrid powertrains in a variable compression ratio downsized turbocharged VVA Spark Ignition engine

[EN] After the diesel emissions scandal, also known as Dieselgate, Direct Injection Spark-Ignited (DISI) internal combustion engines (ICE) appears as the most promising alternative to mitigate the harmful tailpipe emissions from passenger cars. In spite of that, the current ICE technologies are not enough to achieve the fuel consumption/CO2 emissions targets set by the new transportation legislation (4.1 L-gasoline/100 km, 95 gCO(2)/km for 2021). In this complex scenario, the electrification of the powertrain using high efficiency electric motors and battery package together with sophisticated DISI engines appears as potential solution to meet these requirements. The aim of this work is to study the fuel consumption and pollutant emissions in transient conditions from a passenger car equipped with a variable compression ratio (VCR) DISI engine and electrified powertrain technologies. The vehicle behavior was simulated by means of a 0D GT-Suite model fed by experimental results obtained in an engine test bench. Mild hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) and full hybrid electric vehicle (FHEV) architectures using a VCR DISI engine were studied. Moreover, an optimization methodology is presented to select the best vehicle configuration in terms of hardware and control strategies by means of a design of experiments (DoE). The results show that VCR allows a fuel improvement of 3% with respect to the conventional DISI fixed CR along the worldwide harmonized light vehicles test cycles (WLTC). The benefits found when combining the VCR technology with hybrid powertrains are even higher. In this sense, the fuel improvements were higher as the electrification levels increased, with 8% for MHEV-VCR and around 20% for FHEV-VCR. In terms of emissions, the two clear benefits with FHEV-VCR were the reduction of particle number (PN) and unburned hydrocarbons (HC) of around 60% and 15%, respectively, as compared to the conventional DISI.The authors acknowledge FEDER and Spanish Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad for partially supporting this research through TRANCO project (TRA2017-87694-R). The authors also acknowledge the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for partially supporting this research through Convocatoria de ayudas a Primeros Proyectos de Investigacion (SP20180148).García Martínez, A.; Monsalve-Serrano, J.; Martínez-Boggio, SD.; Wittek, K. (2020). Potential of hybrid powertrains in a variable compression ratio downsized turbocharged VVA Spark Ignition engine. Energy. 195:1-19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.117039S119195González, R. M., Marrero, G. A., Rodríguez-López, J., & Marrero, Á. S. (2019). Analyzing CO2 emissions from passenger cars in Europe: A dynamic panel data approach. 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Multi-objective optimization design and performance evaluation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrains. Applied Energy, 208, 1608-1625. doi:10.1016/j.apenergy.2017.08.201Benajes, J., García, A., Monsalve-Serrano, J., & Martínez-Boggio, S. (2020). Emissions reduction from passenger cars with RCCI plug-in hybrid electric vehicle technology. Applied Thermal Engineering, 164, 114430. doi:10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2019.114430Asghar, M., Bhatti, A. I., Ahmed, Q., & Murtaza, G. (2018). Energy Management Strategy for Atkinson Cycle Engine Based Parallel Hybrid Electric Vehicle. IEEE Access, 6, 28008-28018. doi:10.1109/access.2018.2835395Solouk, A., Shakiba-herfeh, M., & Shahbakhti, M. (2017). Analysis and Control of a Torque Blended Hybrid Electric Powertrain with a Multi-Mode LTC-SI Engine. SAE International Journal of Alternative Powertrains, 6(1), 54-67. doi:10.4271/2017-01-1153Wang, C., Zhang, F., Wang, E., Yu, C., Gao, H., Liu, B., … Zhao, C. (2019). 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Numerical Study of the Potential of a Variable Compression Ratio Concept Applied to a Downsized Turbocharged VVA Spark Ignition Engine. SAE Technical Paper Series. doi:10.4271/2017-24-0015Luján, J. M., García, A., Monsalve-Serrano, J., & Martínez-Boggio, S. (2019). Effectiveness of hybrid powertrains to reduce the fuel consumption and NOx emissions of a Euro 6d-temp diesel engine under real-life driving conditions. Energy Conversion and Management, 199, 111987. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2019.111987Benajes, J., García, A., Monsalve-Serrano, J., & Martínez-Boggio, S. (2019). Optimization of the parallel and mild hybrid vehicle platforms operating under conventional and advanced combustion modes. Energy Conversion and Management, 190, 73-90. doi:10.1016/j.enconman.2019.04.010Morra, E., Spessa, E., Ciaravino, C., & Vassallo, A. (2012). Analysis of Various Operating Strategies for a Parallel-Hybrid Diesel Powertrain with a Belt Alternator Starter. 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Real time energy management of electrically turbocharged engines based on model learning

Engine downsizing is a promising trend to decarbonise vehicles but it also poses a challenge on vehicle driveability. Electric turbochargers can solve the dilemma between engine downsizing and vehicle driveability. Using the electric turbocharger, the transient response at low engine speeds can be recovered by air boosting assistance. Meanwhile, the introduction of electric machine makes the engine control more complicated. One emerging issue is to harness the augmented engine air system in a systematical way. Therefore, the boosting requirement can be achieved fast without violating exhaust emission standards. Another raised issue is to design an real time energy management strategy. This is of critical to minimise the required battery capacity. Moreover, using the on-board battery in a high efficient way is essential to avoid over-frequent switching of the electric machine. This requests the electric machine to work as a generator to recharge the battery. The capability of generating power strongly depends on the engine operating point. One big challenge is that the calibration of generating power capability is time-consuming in experiments. This paper proposes a neuro-fuzzy approach to model the engine. Based on the virtual engine model, the capability of generating power at arbitrary engine operating point can be obtained fast and accurately, which is applicable to implement in real time