Introduction to Hybrid Vehicle System Modeling and Control

Appendix B: Advanced Dynamic System Control Techniques

As stated in the introduction, the hybrid vehicle system is a complex electromechanical system, and many control problems are fundamentally multivariable interacting with many actuators, performance variables, and sensors; furthermore, they are generally nonlinear, exhibit fast parameter variation, and operate under uncertain and changing conditions. In addition, many control design objectives are very difficult to formalize, and many variables that are of great concern are not measurable.

Control theory and methodologies have substantially advanced since the 1950s. Pontryagin's maximum principle, Bellman's dynamic programming, and Kalman filtering set up the foundation of modern control theory, and the theories of controllability, observability and feedback stabilization of linear state space models are the breakthroughs of the modern multivariable feedback control methodologies. Nowadays, a multifaceted but coherent body of control theory and methodology has been forming and is playing crucial roles in industrialized societies.

Typically, even a small improvement in the control algorithm can yield system performance enhancement significantly. Advanced control theory and methodologies are providing new opportunities for hybrid vehicle systems from improvement of dynamic performances to enhancement of passenger safety level and achievement of superior fuel economy. This chapter will briefly introduce some advanced control methodologies, ...