Design of a Model-Reference Adaptive Control for an Internal Combustion Engine

Abstract

An internal combustion engine speed control system has been investigated to determine the possibility of using a model-reference adaptive control device to maintain constant dynamic behaviour of engine speed irrespective of engine load and environmental conditions. A conventional type of speed control arrangement has been used in the primary loop and an auxiliary loop has been introduced which biases the engine throttle mechanism by an amount which is proportional to the derivative of engine speed. The constant of proportionality is the parameter which is being changed by the adaptive loop. The results of the engine tests showed good correlation with those obtained in a simulation study and clearly showed that for certain installations the incorporation of a model-reference loop into a conventional speed control system would result in improved engine dynamic behaviour.