Optimal Ecodriving Control Energy-Efficient Driving of Road Vehicles as an Optimal Control Problem

Transportation is responsible for a substantial fraction of worldwide energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions and is the largest sector after energy production. However, while emissions from other sectors are generally decreasing, those from transportation have increased since 1990. Reducing the impact of transportation is a task that is inherently associated with the improvement of energy efficiency, particularly for passenger cars that contribute to almost half of the whole sector. At least three energy conversion steps are relevant for a comprehensive analysis of energy efficiency of passenger cars. As illustrated in Figure 1, in a first step (grid-to-tank), energy carriers that are available at stationary distribution nodes are converted to an energy carrier that is suitable for onboard storage, such as gasoline or electricity. This energy is then converted by the propulsion system to mechanical energy aimed at propelling the vehicle (tank-to-wheels). In the third energy conversion step (wheels-to-distance), this mechanical energy is ultimately converted into the kinetic and potential energy required by the displacement. Unfortunately, all of these conversion processes cause substantial energy losses.