Lars Eriksson, theme leader for SEC theme 1, System Studies and Methods, receives a best paper award in the International Federation of Automatic Control’s Control Engineering Practice Paper Prize.
Congratulations Lars! What does the award mean to you and your team?
The award is given by the scientific journal, Control Engineering Practice, which is the journal I value the most, so I am very happy that we get to be acknowledged by them. The journal has a focus on best practice for active engineers and is highly respected when it comes to control technology applications, which makes it possible for researchers to display how to apply their research in reality. Contributing to the energy transition is a strong motivator for me and this is a proof of that we are successful, which makes me glad.
What is the paper about and how is it related to SEC?
The paper is called “Adaptive feedforward control of exhaust recirculation in large diesel engines” and is a verification of a technical concept in a product that is running in an existing system. The technology is actually out sailing the oceans right now, contributing to reduced NOX-emissions. The technology is really about a control system in large marine diesel engines, more specifically the control of exhaust gas recirculation, but it could easily be applied also in hybrid electric vehicle systems. The main similarities lie in the method to build mathematical models, analyze the system properties, and develop control systems that reduce the energy demand.
Any possible collaborations within SEC, between the themes, with industry?
The models that we have developed can be of use for other SEC themes as well. And we could also collaborate around extending the model, e.g. more knowledge about batteries would be beneficial for inclusion in the vehicle model. Possible collaborations could be about figuring out how different control strategies effect the engine and batteries in a hybrid electric vehicle. We also do research on smart batteries in trucks, where we collaborate with Scania in a virtual truck simulator. We have already used the vehicle model to extract the load that is demanded from the battery pack in an electric truck.