Optimisation of fuel economy through dynamic scheduling of engine torque and gear ratio

Concerns finite and infinite dimensional fuel optimisation scheduling problems for a car with continuously variable transmission. It is shown that the traditional approach using the constant speed `economy line´ has severe limitations, not least is its high level of approximation. With improved modelling and mathematical techniques significant improvements can be made in the scheduling of engine torque and gear ratio for fuel minimisation. The technique of using suboptimal schedules as an input to the dynamic optimisation, and using an iterative gradient algorithm, yields much improved results over previous studies, and gives a more formal solution to the problem of dynamic scheduling