Optimal control techniques for assessing feasibility and defining subsystem level requirements: An automotive case study

The use of models is widespread in automotive industry in the preliminary f easibility assessment of novel powertrains, determination of system configu ration and subsystem requirements, and operating strategy Although optimal control problems arise naturally within this context when faced with analys is of transient performance requirements, they are rarely treated other tha n by simulations. The objective of this paper is to illustrate how optimal control problems of this kind arise and ran be solved numerically using opt imal control techniques, We also demonstrate an array of meaningful conclus ions that can be generated from such an optimal control study, The case stu dy treated in the paper deals with a turbocharger power assist system (TPAS ), The extent to which this system can reduce the diesel engine turbo-lag i s determined via the numerical solution of a minimum-time optimal control p roblem.