A hierarchical control scheme based on prediction and preview: An application to the cruise control problem

This paper deals with a hierarchical architecture of the Engine Control Unit (ECU) made-up of two levels: the higher one, called powertrain level, computes the current and the future torque demands; The lower level, called engine level, uses these information to provide an appropriate motor control. In continuous-time framework, a H₂-control design with preview is proposed for the lower level and a H₂-control with input time-delay is considered in the higher one. The relevance of this ECU configuration is illustrated, by simulation, in case of a cruise control problem. Handling this problem, simplified models of the torque producer and the driveline are used.