Controller design for hybrid vehicles — state of the art review

The control problem for a hybrid vehicle powertrain is commonly tackled as an optimal control problem, although this is often used in a general sense as opposed to a strict mathematical definition. The problem may be characterised in many ways depending on the performance objective, the hybrid vehicle model considered, the constraints imposed and the available control actions. However, as a general dynamics and control problem it is clearly not straightforward, and is likely to involve combinations of linear and non-linear elements, discrete and continuous systems, algebraic and dynamical systems.