Engine Systems and Control

4 credits

Course Purpose

This course is designed to provide an overview of fundamental control concepts for development and analysis, to present concepts related to modeling requirements and considerations related to control and diagnostics, and to explore the application of these tools to engine systems. The ultimate goal is to encourage the development of the integrated engineer who understands the engine and its processes, dynamics and dynamic systems, control system tools and requirements, and the tasks in integrating these and other related disciplines.

Course Objectives

  • Develop an appreciation of transient behavior and dynamic coupling in an engine system, goal-based modeling of systems for control and diagnostics, and choices of model fidelity and bandwidth.
  • Gain exposure to fundamental concepts in control engineering; stability, open-loop versus closed-loop analysis, basic tools used in control design and analysis, robustness. Gain a general understanding of what these concepts and tools are and how they can be used.
  • Examine several engine systems and subsystems with regard to operation, modeling, and control and relate these system control topics to other courses in this degree program.

Topics

Dynamic System Modeling for Control or Diagnostics

  • Cardinal rule of modeling
  • Goal-oriented models and trade-offs
  • Fidelity and bandwidth
  • Linear versus nonlinear systems and analysis–relate to the engine system
  • Dynamic modeling tools

State Space Modeling of Dynamic Systems

  • Time domain description of dynamic systems
  • Matrix description of multi-variable systems

Transfer Functions, Block Diagrams, and the Use of the Laplace Variable or Differential Operator to Describe Dynamic Relationships

  • Laplace domain description of dynamic systems
  • Transformation from differential to algebraic relationships

Root Locus Technique

Bode and the Use of the Fourier Domain for Control

  • Frequency domain description of dynamic systems
  • Stability and stability robustness in the frequency domain

Frequency Domain Continued

  • Frequency-dependent control design

Z-domain and Implementation Basics

  • Discrete versus continuous systems
  • Sampling and aliasing considerations with discrete systems

SI Engine Systems Control

  • Air/gas management
    • throttle, IAC, variable length runner intake manifolds, variable/camless valve actuation, VGT, turbo boost, EGR management, dynamic considerations
  • Fuel management
    • fuel rail pressure control, fuel injection control
  • Spark management
  • Canister purge management
  • Cooling system management
  • Emissions and after-treatment system management
    • oxygen sensor, 3-way catalyst, mass airflow sensor, PI controller
  • Sensors and actuators
  • SI engine integrated management
    • how the systems work together as a system
    • strong and weak interactions
  • Control systems hardware
    • control electronics, drivers and devices, PLCs, CAN, communications

CI Engine Systems Control

  • Air/gas management
    • variable/camless valve actuation, VGT, turbo boost, wastegates, throttles, EGR management, dynamic considerations
  • Aftertreatment system management
  • Fuel management–injector systems and designs
    • in-line pumps, MUI, MEUI, HEUI, needle valve control, multiple injection
  • Sensors and actuators
  • CI engine integrated management
    • how the systems work together as a system
    • strong and weak interactions
  • Control systems hardware
    • control electronics, drivers and devices

Engine Systems Diagnostics

  • OBDII and current strategies
  • Dynamic observers
    • model-based diagnostics
  • Synthetic variables and other approaches