Instantaneously Optimized Controller for a Multimode Hybrid Electric Vehicle

A multimode transmission combines several power-split modes and possibly several fixed gear modes, thanks to complex arrangements of planetary gearsets, clutches and electric motors. Coupled to a battery, it can be used in a highly flexible hybrid configuration, which is especially practical for larger cars. The Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid is the first light-duty vehicle featuring such a system. This paper introduces the use of a high-level vehicle controller based on instantaneous optimization to select the most appropriate mode for minimizing fuel consumption under a broad range of vehicle operating conditions. The control uses partial optimization: the engine ON/OFF and the battery power demand regulating the battery state-of-charge are decided by a rule-based logic; the transmission mode as well as the operating points are chosen by an instantaneous optimization module that aims at minimizing the fuel consumption at each time step. The controller is then implemented in a Simulink/Stateflow controller that can be used in Argonne's PSAT (Powertrain System Analysis Toolkit), a forward-looking powertrain simulation toolkit with dynamic plant models. As a result, the controller described in this paper is realistically implementable on an actual vehicle. Simulation results show the mode use and describe the practical operations of the system.