Design and evaluation of a predictive powertrain control system for a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle to improve the fuel economy and the emissions

In this article, a power management scheme for a plug-in power-split hybrid electric vehicle is designed on the basis of the model predictive control concept of charge depletion plus charge sustenance strategy and the blended-mode strategy. The commands of model predictive control are applied to the powertrain components through appropriate low-level controllers: standard proportional–integral controllers for electric machines, and sliding-mode controllers for engine torque control. Minimization of the engine emissions is a key factor for designing the engine’s low-level controller. Applying this control scheme to a validated high-fidelity model of a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, developed in the MapleSim environment with a chemistry-based Lithium-ion battery model, results in considerable improvements in the fuel economy and the emissions performance.