Design of an optimal clutch controller for commercial trucks

This paper describes a procedure to determine the parameters of well established driveline models using signals that are readily available on the vehicle data bus. Experimental results performed on a class 6 commercial truck are provided and the quality of the model fidelity is discussed. Two control strategies based on LQR technique are discussed to illustrate automatic selection of controller structure and controller parameters. The first technique permits large initial torque which may be desirable when launching up a slope. The second technique enforces smooth clutch-torque profile to ensure driver comfort. The parameter estimation procedure can be easily incorporated as part of regular maintenance to ensure the controller performance do not deteriorate over a period of time. Thus, when the procedure described in the paper is implemented, the driver would have the ability to select the quality of the launch described by features such as power dissipation, longitudinal acceleration etc. Simulation results, using the described procedure taking into account the torque-speed characteristics of the engine and the typical load on the vehicle, are presented and discussed.