Abstract
Professor David Limebeer - Optimal control of hybrid power trains. The talk will focus on the control of the hybrid thermal-electric power train, and the kinetic and thermal energy recovery systems known as (ERS-K) and (ERS-H) that were introduced into Formula One racing for the 2014 season.
Professor David Limebeer will give the 2015 Tustin Lecture. Professor Limebeer started at Oxford University as Professor of Control Engineering and Professorial Fellow at New College Oxford. His research interests include applied and theoretical problems in control systems and engineering dynamics. He is a Fellow of the IEEE (1992), a Fellow of the IET (1994), a Fellow of the City and Guilds of London Institute and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (1997).
Professor Limebeer's talk looks at fuel efficient engines in cars and other vehicles, with a focus on hybrid power systems that recover both kinetic and thermal energy. Fuel efficient road transport is of wide national interest but also has a specialist application in motor racing, notably the new rules introduced to Formula One in 2014. In sympathy with general trends in the automotive industry, Formula 1 engines were downsized and turbochargers added to reduce emissions. As clear from the press, some engine manufacturers have subsequently been struggling with power relative to their rivals! The main issue is not with the internal combustion engine (anyone can make power from this) but with the recovery of what otherwise would be wasted energy.
The new F1 engines have two types of energy recovery system or “ERS”: the first (ERS-K) recovers kinetic energy from the braking system much like the regenerative braking systems on commercial hybrid road vehicles; the second (ERS-H) is a thermal recovery system situated on the shaft of the turbocharger. The optimisation of these systems is imperative to lap time. The talk will introduce some (mathematical) techniques for optimising driver controls, such as the steering, the brakes and the throttle.
Aerodynamics is another imperative area of development in F1. It is essential for F1 cars to generate massive downforce to ensure satisfactory handling at high speeds. In addition, a lot of development goes into the airflow around and into the engine. With turbocharged engines and electrical systems heat then becomes an issue. Heat management, without compromising the downforce or increasing the drag of the car, is a focus of the aerodynamicists.
