GOALI/Collaborative Research: Control-Oriented Modeling and Predictive Control of High Efficiency Low-emission Natural Gas Engines

全世界每年大约生产2亿台内燃机，用于能源、运输和服务部门。此外，ice占美国总能源消耗的22%以上，并在城市地区产生最大比例的二氧化碳温室气体排放。采用先进低温燃烧系统的双燃料天然气（NG）发动机代表了最先进的内燃机技术，具有最高的燃料转换效率，与传统发动机相比，二氧化碳排放量降低了25%。然而，由于其高度非线性和不确定的动态行为，利用现有的控制技术，在大范围内实现这些发动机的鲁棒和高效性能是不可能的。本研究旨在开发非线性系统动态建模和控制的基本工具，并将其应用于高效低排放的先进内燃机。该项目将通过三个主要影响领域提供广泛的社会效益：首先，通过推进非线性控制系统、混合和反应流（包括燃烧系统）的研究；第二，通过为内燃机的控制提供直接好处，内燃机通常用于发电、汽车、机车、船舶、石油和天然气钻探、建筑、公用事业和制造业；第三，通过在工业基地、当地社区和科学展览会上开展教育和推广活动。该项目是密歇根理工大学、佐治亚大学和行业合作伙伴康明斯公司的合作成果。该项目旨在开发一套创新的面向控制的建模和随机预测控制设计工具，以解决先进双燃料天然气发动机以及其他广泛的非线性和随机动态系统的控制挑战。该项目的成果包括六个主要组成部分，包括：(i)描述先进燃烧状态下双燃料天然气发动机的动力学特征，（ii）为先进的双燃料天然气发动机建立第一个基于物理的面向控制的模型，（iii）开发新的分析工具，通过机器学习和经典多元方法的强大融合来推导模型，（iv）提供解决方案，填补第一原理模型和数据驱动方法之间的空白，用于估计准确的模型。(v)弥合参数变化系统和随机控制之间的差距，以及（vi）构建，测试和验证双燃料NG发动机的燃烧控制器。这六项理论、建模和实验贡献的成果将成为非线性和随机工业系统的通用动态建模和预测控制设计工具，并在发动机试验台上得到验证。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

About 200 million internal combustion engines (ICEs) are produced in the world every year and used in energy, transport and service sectors. Furthermore, ICEs account for over 22% of the U.S. total energy consumption and produce the largest portion of CO2 greenhouse gas emissions in urban areas. Dual fuel natural gas (NG) engines in advanced low temperature combustion regimes represent the state-of-the-art ICE technology with some of the highest reported fuel conversion efficiencies and 25% lower CO2 emissions compared to conventional engines. However, achieving a robust and high-efficiency performance of these engines on a broad operational range using existing control technologies is not possible due to their highly nonlinear and uncertain dynamic behavior. This research aims at developing fundamental tools for dynamic modeling and control of nonlinear systems and applying them to high-efficiency low-emission advanced ICEs. The project will provide wide-ranging societal benefits through three major impact areas: first, by advancing research in nonlinear control systems, and mixing and reactive flow including combustion systems; second, by providing direct benefits for control of combustion engines, commonly used in power generation, automotive, locomotive, marine, oil and gas drilling, construction, utilities and manufacturing industries; and third, through educational and outreach activities delivered at industry sites, local communities and science fairs. This project is a collaborative effort between Michigan Technological University, University of Georgia, and the industry partner, Cummins Inc. The project intends to develop a suite of innovative control-oriented modeling and stochastic predictive control design tools to address control challenges for advanced dual fuel natural gas engines, as well as a broad range of other nonlinear and stochastic dynamic systems. The outcomes of this project result in six main components that include: (i) characterizing the dynamics of dual fuel NG engines in advanced combustion regimes, (ii) building the first physics-based control-oriented model for advanced dual fuel NG engines, (iii) developing new analytical tools for deriving models through the powerful fusion of machine learning and classical multivariate methods, (iv) providing solutions to fill the gaps between first-principles models and data-driven methods for estimating an accurate model, (v) bridging the gaps between parameter-varying systems and stochastic controls, and (vi) constructing, testing, and validating the combustion controllers for dual fuel NG engines. The outcomes from these six theoretical, modeling and experimental contributions will be generic dynamic modeling and predictive control design tools for nonlinear and stochastic industrial systems that are demonstrated on engine test-beds.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.