Joel M. Maguire

Control of Integrated Powertrain With Electronic Throttle and Automatic Transmission

A process to design the control strategy for a vehicle with electronic throttle control (ETC) and automatic transmission is proposed in this paper. The drivers accelerator pedal position is interpreted as a power request, which is to be satisfied by coordinating the transmission gear shift and the throttle opening in an optimal fashion. The dynamic programming (DP) technique is used to obtain the optimal gear shift and throttle opening which maximizes fuel economy while satisfying the power demand. The optimal results at different power levels are then combined to form a gear map and a throttle map which governs the operation of the integrated powertrain. A control architecture concept is presented where the relationship between the accelerator pedal position and the power demand level can be adjusted according to the preference of the vehicle performance target. Simulation, vehicle test, and dynamometer test results show that the proposed integrated powertrain control scheme produces power consistently and improves fuel efficiency compared with conventional powertrain control schemes

What is the preferred powertrain of the future

Energy availability, environmental impact, fuel price and legislation combined with shifts in customer buying preferences are driving significant interest in the development of fuel-efficient power train technologies. Advanced propulsion technologies are cri tical to developing sustainable transportation options for the future. The General Motors strategy for advanced powertrains involves multiple technologies to deliver the ex pected fuel economy and customer experience.

Optimization Based Design for Integrated Powertrain Control With Electronic Throttle

A process to design the control algorithm for an integrated powertrain system is proposed in this paper. The driver accelerator pedal position is first measured and interpreted as a power request. This power request is then satisfied by coordinating the transmission gear shift and the throttle position. The Dynamic Programming (DP) technique is used to obtain the optimal gear shift and throttle position for each predetermined constant power demands over a time horizon. The optimal results at different power levels are then combined to form a gear map and a throttle map. Flexible control architecture is presented where the relationship between the accelerator pedal rotation angle and the throttle opening angle can be adjusted according to the preference of the targeting customer group. Simulation and dyno test results show that the proposed integrated control scheme provides smooth constant power and improves fuel efficiency compared with the conventional transmission control scheme.Copyright