Development and validation of a control strategy for a parallel hybrid (diesel-electric) powertrain

The rise in powertrain complexity and the stringent performance requirements of a hybrid electric vehicle have elevated the role of its powertrain control strategy to considerable importance. Iterative modeling and simulation form an integral part of the control strategy design process and industry engineers rely on proprietary ''legacy'' models to rapidly develop and implement control strategies. However, others must initiate new algorithms and models in order to develop production-capable control systems. This thesis demonstrates the development and validation of a charge-sustaining control algorithm for a through-the-road parallel hybrid (diesel-electric) powertrain. Some approaches used in powertrain-level control of other similar vehicles have been adopted to incrementally develop this control strategy. The real-time performance of the control strategy has been analyzed through on-road and chassis dynamometer tests over standard drive cycles. Substantial quantitative improvements in overall performance over the stock vehicle, including better acceleration and fuel-economy have been achieved.