Smart powertrains for optimized fuel economy and reduced emissions

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The past decades have witnessed tremendous advances in automotive systems and technologies. However, further enhancements to achieve better performance are still highly desirable. The proposed research contains the development of predictive control strategies which utilize real-time traffic data, GPS measurements, 3-D road maps and information provided by modern vehicle on-board probes to enhance the efficiency of existing internal combustion engine powertrains. These predictive strategies can be implemented using engine and transmission control systems, and also, available driver assistance technologies, to achieve a fuel-efficient, safe and comfortable driving with lower emissions, without considerable effects on the travel time. The findings are critical to improve the performance of more complex powertrain architectures with extra components, such as micro-hybrid, mild-hybrid, full-hybrid and plug-in hybrid drive systems, which are now becoming widely available. This research program paves the way for the evolution of next-generation smart hybrid powertrains which use intelligent transportation systems, global positioning systems, geographic information systems and advanced driver assistance systems in an optimal manner. The automotive industry is very important for the Canadian economy. Competitive pressures and globalization of markets are introducing new challenges to Canada's automotive industry. It is expected that the predictive control strategies developed in this research program will cause approximate fuel savings up to 15% and pollutant emissions reductions of about 5-10% in practice, without affecting overall vehicle travel times. The local companies can easily implement the devised control algorithms to create new opportunities to export their products into the foreign markets. The training of highly qualified personnel is also important to the Canadian economy. The requested funding from NSERC will support several graduate students to carry out the proposed research goals. It is expected that these students will have employment opportunities within the automotive and transportation industries.