Advanced Engine Cooling System for a Gas-Engine Vehicle, Part III: State Feedback Control System Design

This paper presents an advanced control system design for an engine cooling system in an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle. Building upon our previous work, we have derived models for crucial temperatures within the engine, including combustion wall temperature, coolant-out temperature, block temperature, as well as temperatures in external components such as heat exchangers and radiator. To accurately predict these temperatures in a rapid manner, we have utilized a lumped parameter concept with a mean-value approach. This approach allows for precise temperature estimation while maintaining computational efficiency. Given the complexity of the cooling system, we have proposed a linear time-varying (LTV) model predictive control (MPC) system to regulate the temperatures. This control system linearizes the model at each time step and applies linear MPC over the control and prediction horizons. By doing so, we effectively control the highly nonlinear and time-delayed system. Simulation results demonstrate the superiority and effectiveness of the proposed advanced engine cooling system. The control system can successfully regulate the temperatures within their desired range, showcasing its capability to optimize engine performance and ensure efficient cooling.