ROBUST CONTROL OF ENGINE TEST BED CONSIDERING VARIATION OF TRANSMISSION DYNAMICS

Abstract

To evaluate the performance of a developed engine, the vehicle model constructed on a computer can be virtually reproduced using a low-inertia dynamo. This method does not require any devices of the actual vehicle except for the engine. In this paper, we show a control method of a low-inertia dynamo connected to an engine with a six-speed gear transmission through a flywheel with a spring and a damper (FSD) and a steel shaft so as to generate torque according to the vehicle model simulation. We regard the variation of the gear ratio with shifting of gears as the variable parameter in the system and apply μ synthesis to obtain a single controller that is applicable from the first gear to the sixth gear. Since the FSD stiffness is nonlinear, we also take its variation into account in the design of the controller. By carrying out simulations and experiments it is verified that the μ controller designed is effective.