Mode transition control for single-shaft parallel hybrid electric vehicle using model predictive control approach

Due to the special structure characteristics, the switching process control from pure electrical driving mode to compound driving mode of the single-shaft parallel hybrid powertrain has caught broad attentions from related researches. In this study, a novel mode transition control method based on model predictive control algorithm is proposed to regulate the starting and engaging processes into driveline of the engine via an automatic clutch. According to the system states evolution process, the system control commands, that is, the immediate output torques of the engine, the motor, and the clutch during the mode transition process, are determined online by the proposed model predictive control controller, which derives the optimal control sequences to minimize the defined objective function by adopting quadratic programming in the prediction horizon. To better demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed control method, a simulation analysis platform is built based on MATLAB/Simulink and AVL/Cruise. Simulation results show that the coordinated control method can effectively suppress the vehicle longitudinal jerk within the reasonable range and reduce the clutch wear loss during the mode transition process.