An application of optimization methods to the automotive emissions control problem

Abstract

This paper considers a model based optimization method to address the powertrain control design problem. The control objective is to minimize both the tailpipe emissions and the fuel consumption. It is shown that the solution is highly sensitive to the representation of certain nonlinear elements of the system. Using various costs and constraints, the competing nature of system level objectives is illustrated. The implications of these results in the context of system optimization and control design are discussed.