One-Step Prediction for Improving Gear Changing Control of HEVs

<div class=""abs_img""><img src=""[disp_template_path]/JRM/abst-image/00260006/13.jpg"" width=""300"" />Schematic of ECMS controller</div> Decreasing fuel consumption and emissions in automobiles continues to be an active research problem. A promising technology is powertrain hybridization. Study in this area usually focuses on the development of optimal power management control methods. The equivalent consumption minimization strategy (ECMS) is a widely used real-time control method used for determining the optimal trajectory of the power split between the engine and motor. Reports also cover applying ECMS to find an optimal gear changing strategy, but results are not always satisfactory in fuel economy and drivability. One possible reason for this is that gearbox dynamics are slow, but ECMS is based on instant optimization and neglects this time delay. This paper proposes a simple prediction strategy for improving ECMS performance used with gear changing control. The proposed controller improves fuel efficiency and drivability without the need of adding extra sensors to the automobile. The proposed method’s simplicity makes it suitable for implementation. </span>