Reachability of Delayed Hybrid Systems Using Level-set Methods

This study proposes an algorithm to synthesize controllers for the power management on board hybrid vehicles that allows the vehicle to reach its maximum range along a given route. The algorithm stems from a level-set approach that computes the reachable set of the system, i.e., the collection of states reachable from a certain initial condition via the computation of the value function of an optimal control problem. The discrete-time vehicle model is one of a particular class of hybrid vehicles, namely, range extender electric vehicles (REEV). This kind of hybridization departures from a full electric vehicle that has an additional module -- the range extender (RE) -- as an extra energy source in addition to its main energy source -- a high voltage battery. As an important feature, our model allows for the switching on and off of the range extender and includes a decision lag constraint, i.e., imposes two consecutive switches to be separated by a positive time interval. The approach consists in the introduction of an adequate optimal control problem with lag constraints on the switch control whose value function allows a characterization of the reachable set. The value function is in turn characterized by a dynamic programming algorithm. This algorithm is implemented and some numerical examples are presented.