Robust control of a throttle body for drive by wire operation of automotive engines

The throttle control plays an important role in the development of drive by wire (DBW) systems. The position control of the throttle valve is quite a complex problem, due to application constraints and system characteristics. A cascaded control structure including a nonlinear trajectory generator filter is adopted, allowing each different control problem to be solved with the most suitable control algorithm and implementation technology. In this regard, the use of variable structure control techniques is the key element to reaching the solution. Extensive simulation tests are reported to show the performance of the proposed control algorithm. A prototype controller is presented. The experimental implementation of the controller for a step from 2.5° to 85.5° indicates a very smooth position trajectory with a maximum dynamic position error of 7°. Application specifications are fully satisfied both in terms of control performance and controller cost