Model Predictive Control of Automotive Powertrains with Backlash
Abstract
In automotive powertrains, the existence of backlash causes driveability problems, which to some extent are remedied by the engine control system. The control problem has a constrained, minimum-time character, which motivates an investigation of the usability of model predictive control, MPC, in this application. Recent developments in MPC theory make an off-line calculation of the control law possible. This makes MPC more attractive for implementation in fast control loops such as the one under study here. The results indicate that MPC has a potential in this application. However, the off-line computation time is significant, and further robustness investigations are needed.
