A Study of Maximum Power Operation for Engine in Continuously Variable Transmission Powertrain

He Lin
State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University Beijing, 100084 Email: helion20@tsinghua.edu.cn

Li Liang and Yu Liangyao

State Key Laboratory of Automotive Safety and Energy Tsinghua University Beijing 100084

Song Jian
Department of automotive engineering Tsinghua University Beijing 100084 Telephone: (010) 62792514 Fax: (010) 62788099

AbstractThe continuously variable transmission (CVT) offers much freedom in controlling the engine speed and torqueCwhich can be used to improve fuel economy by operating the engine in fuel-optimal operating points. In this paper, the engine maximum power operation modes of CVT driveline will be described entirely and respectively. The rapid control prototype (RCP) of CVT was developed to validate the maximum power output operation on board. The CVT control program was developed in the Simulink and was translated into C program in RealTime Workshop, which was downloaded into the MicroAutoBox (MAB) to communicate with the low level drive module of CVT via CAN bus. The experiment results were analyzed fully to conclude that the maximum power output operation of engine can get the better acceleration performance and drivability than the common control strategy. Index TermsCVT; RCP; Maximum Power Output Operation.

I. I NTRODUCTION The safety of vehicle eld can be divided into two sides: vehicular safety and environment safety, which the latter includes active environment safety and passive environment safety as well as the former. The CVT powertrain can relieve the driver the intensity of labour to benet for the active safety of vehicle, at the same time, in the CVT powertrain, the internal combustion (IC) engine operate the higher efciency in general to reduce the emission. Therefore, the CVT is an important research direction from now to the future. Vehicular driveline with an internal combustion engine, an electronic throttle valve, and a continuously variable transmission offer much freedom in controlling the engine speed and torqueCwhich can be used to improve fuel economy by operating the engine in fuel-optimal operating points [1]. Srivastava said although a CVT plays a crucial role in the plan to improve vehicle fuel economy, its complete potential has not been realized in a mass-production vehicle [2]. Soltic study shows that the low fuel consumption can be achieved with all those concepts. CVTs show similar results to automated gear drives. The CVTs theoretical advantage of operating the engine at its most fuel-efcient points is compensated by the relatively low efciency [3]. The number of publications concerning CVT is exceptionally large, but it is not often that introduces the engine

operation management of CVT powertrain. Gong proposed shift schedule energy saving for the ground vehicle automatic transmission by studying the function of the torque converter and transmission in the vehicular drivetrain [4]. Liu and Paden [5] and Pffner and Guzzella [6] surveyed the basic shift control strategies of a CVT system for a vehicle which is already launched and operating in forward driving conditions. Pffner discusses the fuel-optimal operation of a CVTequipped powertrain in stationary and transient conditions. The well-known optimal solution in the stationary case, namely speed envelope, single track and off-the-beaten track, is given only a short review discussing the importance of a correct CVT efciency model. Kim developed an integrated engine-CVT control algorithm by considering the powertrain loss and inertia torque due to CVT ratio change during transient states [7]. Yeo experimentally investigated the response characteristics of a parallel hybrid electric vehicle CVT and developed a ratio control algorithm integrated into a hydraulic control system [8]. Based on the ratio control algorithm, the effect of CVT system dynamics on the HEV engine operation is investigated by a hardware-in-the-loop simulation. Deacon studies the control strategies of diesel engine on CVT powertrain. Chassis dynamometer results show the newly designed controller strategies to have signicant impact on vehicle exhaust emissions, while the structure of the software allows the controller action to be highly tunable and exible in order to balance the vehicle drivability requirements with economy and emissions targets [9]. Sakaguchi developed an integrated engine-CVT control from the viewpoint of minimizing powertrain losses [10]. The results suggested that in an integrated engine-CVT control, it is necessary to consider powertrain losses in order to determine the target engine torque. Guzzella used robust state-feedback linearization approach to keep the engine-CVT system on the optimal fuel-efciency curve for a continuously running engine, when the vehicle is in the high power regime [11]. In these researches mentioned above, the engine operation management of CVT powertrain was studied fully in detail, but the maximum power output operation. In this paper, all engine maximum power operation modes of CVT driveline will be described entirely and respectively. And then, the rapid control prototype of CVT powertrain was developed

978-1-4244-8039-5/11/$26.00 2011 IEEE

to validate the maximum power output operation on board. The CVT control program was developed in the Simulink and was translated into C program in Real-Time Workshop, and then was downloaded into the MAB to communicate with the low level driving module of CVT via CAN bus. The experiment results were analyzed in the round to conclude that the maximum power control mode of CVT powertrain can get the better acceleration performance and drivability than the common control strategy. II. ENGINE OPERATION MANAGEMENT In the case of engine operation management of CVT powertrain, there are some papers to introduce some operation ways in detail. But, in this section, based on the summary of previous manipulation ways for engine, the maximum power output control mode of engine will be introduced at length. Although a large number of different control strategies existing, which can be summarized into six approaches, namely desired engine speed control, optimum fuel economic control, overtorque control, iso-throttle position control, wide open throttle position control and maximum power output control mode. A. Desired engine speed control The desired engine speed control also was named speed envelope control strategy by Pffner, whose principle is that the improvements in the fuel economy of vehicle are realized simply by choosing a relatively low desired engine speed at cruising (overrun) conditions. Consequently the selection of the desired engine speed strongly affects the fuel economy and determines the drivability of the vehicle. As shown in Fig. 1, the upper thin continuous curve is the fuel optimum mode of engine, but often it is evaluated to the upper thick continuous curve as a sporty operation to improve the dynamic performance of drivability. The lower thin continuous curve is the fuel economic operation curve when the engine is made as a reverse brake, and the lower thick continuous curve is the sporty operation curve when engine reverse brake. In the Fig.1, the upper dashed line is the limit line of engine operation between the vehicle speed and the engine speed when the speed ratio of CVT is the maximum, and the lower dashed line is the limit line of the minimum speed ratio of CVT. Fig. 2 shows a typical structure of the desired engine speed control strategy, where the desired engine speed d is determined by the optimum fuel economic operation curve that corresponds to the actual power demanded by the driver. The desired speed ratio of CVT is derived from the division solution between the desired engine speed and the CVT secondary pulley speed. A feedback controller changes the stepper motor increment x until the actual engine speed a coincides with the desired speed ratio. B. Torque relation control strategy The torque relation control strategy of engine operation includes the optimum fuel economic control and over-torque control, which is corresponding to control the engine torque to achieve the control target. As shown the Fig. 3 [6], the

ne Max

Sporty Driving Mode imax Improved Dynamic Performance

Fuel Economic Mode

Min imin Min

Fig. 1.

Improved Engine Brake Performance Max uv

Desired engine speed control scheme

ua

Powertrain Engine Speed Ratio

- Controller
id + ia

Engine Map
id (d , s )

CVT

Fig. 2.

Control structure scheme for desired engine speed

difference between the optimum fuel economic control and over-torque control is that the latter adopt the larger desired torque in the beginning of manipulation, but in last, the engine operation state arrives at the same set-point. In the Fig.3, the point A is the initial operation set-point of engine hypothetically, and the point T is the end operation of engine, the optimum fuel economic control is the A-H-T curve, where the thick continuous curve is the optimum operation curve of engine. The over-torque control strategy is the A-Q-T curve that the quadrangle travels. In Fig. 3, the upper dot curve is the wide open curve of engine operation, the dashed curve is the iso-throttle position operation curve of engine, the thin continuous curve is the iso-efciency operation curve, the dotdashed curve is the iso-power operation and the thick dashed curve is the driving resistance curve, which is corresponding with Fig.5 about the signicance of curve [12]. Fig. 4 describes the control structure both optimum fuel economic control and over-torque control in the ECU, whose speed ratio controller is similar with desired engine speed control. In addition, the torque controller is added into this plant to control the throttle position, which will show the control increment se of engine actuator. The input of torque controller is derived from difference between the desired torque Te,d of engine and the actual torque Te,a of engine, which is the result of engine management that adopts the acceleration pedal , the actual throttle position a , the actual output torque Te,a of engine and the actual output speed e,a as input variables.

Te /Nm 150 125 100 75 50 25 1000

Fig. 3.

Te /Nm 150 D Q T 125 100 H 75 50 25 2000 3000 4000 5000 ne /rpm 1000
Fig. 5.

E T

C B

2000

3000

4000

5000

ne /rpm

Torque relation engine speed control scheme

Throttle relation engine speed control scheme

Te ,a , e ,a , a Te ,a Engine Torque + Management Te ,d Controller d i Speed Ratio id (d , s ) d + Controller ia

s

Powertrain Engine CVT

Engine + Management e ,d

e ,a , a

e ,a

Torque Controller Speed Ratio Controller

Powertrain Engine CVT

id (d , s )

id + ia -

s
Fig. 6.

Fig. 4.

Control structure scheme for torque relation

Control structure scheme for throttle relation

C. Throttle relation control strategy The throttle relation control strategy of engine includes the iso-throttle position control, the wide open throttle position control and the maximum power output control, which have a same character that controls the throttle position of engine except of engine speed. As shown in the Fig. 5, the iso-throttle position control curve passes through the point B from initial point A to the end point T, and the wide open throttle position control curve passes through the point C and point D, whose characters have been introduced by Pffner. Whereas, the maximum power output control is different from the foregoing two that is the A-C-D-E-F curve, whose target is to make the engine operate in the wide open throttle position between the point E and F when the kickdown switch is triggered in the end of acceleration pedal. Of course, when the kickdown switch withdraws, the engine will be controlled back to the optimum operation line along with the iso-power curve of the current operation state, e.g. the engine operates the point E in the beginning, after the driver withdraws the acceleration pedal from the kickdown switch triggered, the engine operation state will back to the point G along with the E-G iso-power curve. The principle of maximum power output control is that makes the engine operate in the state of maximum power output as quickly as possible, and then adjusts the speed ratio of CVT to satisfy the powertrain demand of torque. Therefore, when the vehicle speed is lower, the speed ratio will adopt larger value, by contraries, the vehicle speed is larger and the speed ratio is lower. However, there is always being a speed ratio

corresponding with the current vehicle speed to make the car obtain the best acceleration performance. Fig. 6 denotes the control structure of throttle relation engine operation, which is different from the torque relation engine operation to adopt the throttle controller. At the same time, the input of throttle controller is the difference between the desired throttle position and the actual throttle position e,d , and the engine management needs the acceleration pedal , the actual engine speed e,a and the actual throttle position e,a as the input variables. III. EXPERIMENTAL VALIDATION Since Pffner and Kim had introduced and testied the desired engine speed control, the optimum fuel economic control, the over-torque control, the iso-throttle position control and the wide open throttle position control, the maximum power output operation will be only veried by experiment on board. It is the results of contrast experiments for maximum power output operation that is described both Fig. 7 and Fig. 8. There are some experiment results of common control strategy of CVT in the Fig. 7, that is to say, it do not adopt the maximum power output operation of engine control. As shown in the Fig. 7, it is listed for measurement results that are the throttle position, the kickdown, the engine speed, the engine torque, the vehicle speed and the speed ratio of CVT from the upper to the lower. From the results of the throttle position and kickdown, it is can be seen that the experiment adopts wide open throttle position, and the kickdown switch is triggered simultaneity throughout the whole course. From the engine

100 50 1 0 4000 2000 100 50 100 50 2 1 5 10 15 Time (s)

Throttle position [%] Kickdown Engine speed [rpm] Engine torque [Nm]

100 50 1 0 4000 2000 100 50 100 50 2 1 5 10 15 Time (s)

Throttle position [%] Kickdown Engine speed [rpm] Engine torque [Nm] Vehicle speed [km/h] Speed ratio 20 25

Vehicle speed [km/h] Speed ratio 20 25

Fig. 7.

Common control strategy of CVT

Fig. 8.

Maximum power output control strategy of CVT

speed results, we can know that the engine arrives at the maximum power range to spend 8.68 second that is from the 2.69s to 11.37s. At the same time, the change of engine speed is small beyond the 5000rpm. In the picture of vehicle speed results, it can be known that the increment of vehicle speed is off in the domain of 9s, 12.6s and 17.7s, where it costs 13.44 second for acceleration from 0 to 100km/h. As shown in Fig. 8, the experiment results of same variables are listed for the maximum power output operation. It is the same way as the common control strategy that the throttle position is wide open and the kickdown switch is triggered during the course of experiment. In the chart of engine speed, it can be seen that the time arrived at 6000rpm costs 3.47 second between the 1.51s and 4.98s, which is smaller than 8.68s of common control strategy. After the engine speed is beyond the 5000rpm, however, the engine speed does not maintain a determinate value, but the speed uctuates in the range of maximum power output of engine between the 5000rpm and 6000rpm. In the plot of vehicle speed, we can see that it is different for the vehicle speed that there is no intermit, but continue to increase. Through the measurement, the acceleration time from 0km/h to 100km/h costs 10.11 second between the 1.51s and 11.62s, that is smaller than the 13.44s of common control strategy, too. Compared with the speed ratio of CVT both experiments, the CVT speed ratio of maximum power output operation maintain a longer for the larger speed ratio in the beginning of acceleration that is benet for engine to arrive at the maximum power output range as quickly as possible. According to the experiments analysis mentioned above, the acceleration performance and drivability of maximum power output operation of engine is better than the common control strategy of engine, nevertheless, there is no experiment results of fuel consumption compare, but the fuel economic is the secondary, when pursuing the acceleration performance. IV. C ONCLUSION Based on the results of compare experiment, it is quicker that the engine can arrive at the maximum power output state by the maximum power output operation than the common

control strategy. Furthermore, the vehicle using the maximum power output operation is better acceleration performance and drivability than the common. ACKNOWLEDGMENT The research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China. Entenne Christophe also proffers services to this research in Toulouse. These supports are acknowledged. R EFERENCES
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