Improving turbocharged diesel engine operation with turbo power assist system

The paper investigates improvements in the turbocharged diesel engine transient response that can be attained when a turbocharger power assist system, consisting, for example, of an electric motor and a battery, is coupled to the turbocharger shaft. The method of investigation relies on formulating and solving numerically an appropriate minimum time optimal control problem. Comparison with a conventional turbocharged diesel engine response reveals the mechanism by which acceleration improvements are attained while maintaining high fuel efficiency and equivalent smoke emission levels. A feedback controller that generates responses qualitatively similar to the optimal ones is also described