Application of Nonlinear Lyapunov-Based Controllers and Observers To Gasoline Direct Injection Engine Charge and Torque Control

The paper discusses several Lyapunov-based controller and observer techniques that enhance the conventional Speed-Gradient control design approach. Our developments cover the treatment of the derivative action, time-delays, backstepping via dynamic surface control, and feedforward governor to satisfy pointwise-in-time constraints. Some of these enhancements have been already proposed in the prior literature in the context of specific automotive applications but are generalized here; other developments such as a feedforward governor are new. We also review several concrete applications of these techniques to control of gasoline direct injection engines, including torque, air-to-fuel ratio and charge control.