Control-oriented modeling, validation, and interaction analysis of turbocharged lean-burn natural gas variable speed engine

Abstract

Accurate modeling and control of the gas exchange process in a modern turbocharged spark-ignited engine is critical for the control and analysis of different control strategies. This paper develops a simple physics-based, five-state engine model for a large four-stroke spark-ignited turbocharged engine fueled by natural gas that is used in variable speed applications. The control-oriented model is amenable for control algorithm development and includes the impacts of modulation to any combination of four actuators: throttle valve, bypass valve, fuel rate, and wastegate valve. The control problem requires tracking engine speed to provide propulsive power, differential pressure across the throttle valve to prevent compressor surge, air-to-fuel ratio to restrict engine emissions. Two validation strategies, open-loop and closed-loop, are used to validate the accuracy of both nonlinear and linear versions of the control-oriented model. The control models are able to capture the engine dynamics within 5%–10% error at most of the engine operating points. Finally, the relative gain array (RGA) is applied to the linearized engine model to understand the degree of interactions between plant inputs and outputs as a function of frequency for various operating points. Results of the RGA analysis show that the preferred input-output pairing changes depending on the linear plant model as well as frequency. Therefore, a coordinated controller is ideal to tackle the control problem in question.