9634375 Wang The main objective of this project is to develop new optimal hybrid control methods and to investigate feasible control strategies for coordination and robust control of automotive engine and transmission systems. The project will formulate and investigate certain generic optimal hybrid control problems which are strongly motivated by the problem of stabilization and performance optimization in automotive powertrain systems. In terms of automotive applications, the discrete actions will be VDE (variable displacement engine) and transmission gear selections. Performance measure will then be introduced to formulate an optimal hybrid control problem. Feasible hybrid control methods will be investigated and developed. This project will be of importance in gaining a better understanding of essential features of hybrid control systems, and in developing reliable design methods for hybrid systems. The approach of employing powertrain control as benchmark problems will provide the PI and industry collaborators with insightful motivations for problem formulation, clarifying criteria for justifying design assumptions, and a platform for design verification. This project will provide certain benchmark problems and feasible control strategies for hybrid systems, and contribute toward narrowing the gaps between good intuition and rigorous problem formulation, between trial-and-error design and reliable control methods, and between application-oriented methodologies and mathematical theory. The project will provide an excellent opportunity for intensive long-term cooperation between the PI and researchers at Ford Motor Company. Several Ph.D. students of the PI will participate in the project as part of their dissertation research and will be jointly supervised by the industry collaborators. A graduate-level course on automotive control systems will be developed. ***
