Adaptive Control of the Idle Speed

Idle speed control of an spark ignition automotive engine based on adaptive techniques has been presented. In the paper the ignition advance control was activated to stabilise the idle speed. The adaptation of the spark advance angle requires defining an adaptive coefficient, which is a compromise between operation speed and estimation accuracy. The adaptive coefficient design was evaluated through engine testing, and the performance was compared with an up-to-date tuned PID controller. The success of the adaptive controller was demonstrated in engine testing. The controller tracks not only the set point speed but also shows robustness to the load torque disturbances.