First Principle-Based Control Oriented Model of a Gasoline Engine

A first principle based-control oriented gasoline engine model is proposed that is based on the mathematical model of the actual piston and crankshaft mechanism. Unlike conventional mean value engine models (MVEMs), which involve approximating the torque production mechanism with a volumetric pump, the proposed model obviates this rather over-simplistic assumption. The alleviation of this assumption leads to the additional features in the model such as crankshaft speed fluctuations and tension in bodies forming the mechanism. The torque production dynamics are derived through Lagrangian mechanics. The derived equations are reduced to a suitable form that can be easily used in the control-oriented model. As a result, the abstraction level is greatly reduced between the engine system and the mathematical model. The proposed model is validated successfully against a commercially available 1.3 L gasoline engine. Being a transparent and more capable model, the proposed model can offer better insight into the engine dynamics, improved control design and diagnosis solutions, and that too, in a unified framework.