Cut-off in engine control: a hybrid system approach

A novel approach to the control of an automotive engine in the cut-off region is presented. First, a hybrid model which describes the torque generation mechanism and the power-train dynamics is developed. Then, the cut-off control problem is formulated as a hybrid optimization problem, whose solution is obtained by relaxing it to the continuous domain and mapping its solution back into the hybrid domain. A formal analysis as well as simulation results demonstrate the properties and the quality of the control law.