Explicit Receding Horizon Control of Automobiles with Continuously Variable Transmissions

Abstract

This paper presents a novel systematic control scheme of continuously variable transmissions (CVTs) of automobiles based on explicit receding horizon control (ERHC). We use the ERHC controller as a high-level controller in the automotive control design hierarchy i.e. it determines reference signals of the pulley ratio at each time instant, and inputs it to a locally compensated system. We choose as a prediction model a constrained piecewise affine system whose dynamics switches depending on the presence or absence of fuel injection. Then, we formulate a constrained finite time optimal control problem, and compute its explicit solution via Multi-Parametric Toolbox. The effectiveness of our control scheme is finally verified by a simulator developed by Honda R&D.