Michael Glenn Fodor

An MPC/hybrid system approach to traction control

This paper describes a hybrid model and a model predictive control (MPC) strategy for solving a traction control problem. The problem is tackled in a systematic way from modeling to control synthesis and implementation. The model is described first in the Hybrid Systems Description Language to obtain a mixed-logical dynamical (MLD) hybrid model of the open-loop system. For the resulting MLD model, we design a receding horizon finite-time optimal controller. The resulting optimal controller is converted to its equivalent piecewise affine form by employing multiparametric programming techniques, and finally experimentally tested on a car prototype. Experiments show that good and robust performance is achieved in a limited development time by avoiding the design of ad hoc supervisory and logical constructs usually required by controllers developed according to standard techniques.

A Hybrid Approach to Traction Control

In this paper we describe a hybrid model and an optimization-based control strategy for solving a traction control problem currently under investigation at Ford Research Laboratories. We show through simulations on a model and a realistic set of parameters that good and robust performance is achieved. Furthermore, the resulting optimal controller is a piecewise linear function of the measurements that can be implemented on low cost control hardware.

Active control of vehicle dynamics

The overview presented here only begins to address some of the basic design aspects of three systems which are either commonly available as products or have been extensively researched. The depth of design considerations in this field is considerable. As each of these considerations is mastered by the engineering community, vehicle dynamic controls will continue to deliver safer, more pleasing products to consumers at greater value. Ultimately, the influence of these systems on automobiles will approach the influence that aircraft controls have had in their industry. Active control of vehicle dynamics has become a rich field of study and innovation for the automotive industry and will become increasingly more critical to the marketability of automotive products in the future.

Experimental Verification of Resistance Control, Semi-Active Damping

SUMMARY Electronically controlled vehicle suspensions offer substantial improvements in performance over conventional, passive suspensions but with the price of power, complexity, and actuating bandwidth. Low-bandwidth, semi-active damping addresses the problems of power and bandwidth by using low power modulation of controllable dampers at the frequency of the isolated mass. Resistance controlled, semi-active damping is experimentally verified to better sprung mass isolation while reducing suspension stroke, something that a passive system cannot do. It is also shown to compare reasonably well with computer simulation results. The experimental implementation is a 1/30 scale, two degree-of-freedom test bed that represents the standard quarter vehicle model.