| The transmission of power from a source to a load in electric power systems and in the drive train of a vehicle have many common features. In both cases optimal power transmission may result in significantly improved system efficiency. This problem is two fold. First, is the proper component selection and system configuration. Second, is finding the most efficient policy to control the entire system. This dissertation is aimed at a solution of this problem. The power transmission is considered, with most of the emphasis on vehicles, under two circumstances: with energy storage and without energy storage.; Nonlinear dynamic and static formulations of non-storage power transmission problem are derived and the appropriate solutions are obtained by using calculus of variation theorems. Optimal control of the drive train under any load pattern is given through the use of integer programming formulation of the system. The formulation is manipulated in a particular fashion so that linear programming algorithm SIMPLX, which is many times more efficient and faster than integer programming algorithms, can be applied.; The highly nonlinear relationships between system variables are derived and discussed. These variables include transmission ratio and ratio rate, engine speed, engine torque, engine acceleration, vehicle speed and vehicle acceleration. An actual drive train with continuously variable transmission is studied and simulated in real time on a hybrid digital-analog computer.; Optimum control of vehicles with a discrete transmission drive train is obtained and a complete micro-computer algorithm for automatic control is presented.; Mathematical model and formulation of power trains with flywheel energy storage is constructed. Dynamic programming techniques are applied to obtain the optimum solution. Two different approaches are considered and agreement of their results are shown. |
