The transition to more environmentally sustainable transports, as well as rising fuel prices create a demand for efficient means of transportation. Liftable axles have shown potential to save fuel and reduces tire wear on heavy vehicles. This thesis proposes a simulation environment and a control method for the electronically controlled air suspension system on a four axle truck that enables axle lifting. The goal of the work is to propose a control method that fulfills certain safety criteria and is robust to disturbances introduced by an external un-modeled controller. A simulation environment is proposed, based upon two different physical models of the suspension system. The first model offers simplicity for the initial tuning of the controller and the second model serves as a platform for more realistic testing of the controller before the final vehicle test. The results from the vehicle tests show that the proposed controller is able to regulate the pressure in the suspension bellows to the desired load distribution between the axles of the vehicle, while the vehicle is maintaining a certain height above ground. The vehicle test showed that it was difficult to read the correct pressure in the suspension bellows when the valves controlling the airflow in and out of the suspension bellow were open. A method for compensating the error when the valves are open is proposed. / Övergången till hållbara och miljövänliga transporter samt stigande bränslepriser skapar en efterfrågan av mer effektiva transportmedel. Lyftbara axlar har visats medföra minskad bränsleförbrukning och däckslitage. Denna uppsats föreslår en simuleringsmiljö samt en metod för reglering av det elektroniskt styrda luftfjädringssystemet på en fyraxlig lastbil som möjliggör lyftning av en axel. Målet med arbetet är att föreslå en metod för reglering av systemet som uppfyller en rad säkerhetskriterier och är robust för störningar introducerade av en extern, icke-modellerad styrenhet. Den föreslagna simuleringsmiljön är baserad på två olika fysiska modeller av fjädringssystemet. Den första modellen karakteriseras av dess enkelhet och används för inledande testning och justering av regulatorn. Den andra modellen används för mer realistisk testning av regulatorn innan det avslutande fordonstestet. Resultatet från fordonstesterna visar att den föreslagna regulatorn kan reglera trycket i luftbälgen till den önskade lastfördelningen mellan axlarna på fordonet medan dess höjd bibehålls. Under fordonstestet konstaterades att det inte gick att avläsa det korrekta trycket i luftbälgen när ventilerna som styr luftflödet till och från luftbälgen var öppna. En metod för att kompensera felet som uppstår när ventilerna är öppna föreslås.

<div>Optimal control theory (OCT) exists since the 1950s. However, with the advent of modern computers, the design community delegated the task of solving the optimal control problems (OCPs) largely to computationally intensive direct methods instead of methods that use OCT. Some recent work showed that solvers using OCT could leverage parallel computing resources for faster execution. The need for near real-time, high quality solutions for OCPs has therefore renewed interest in OCT in the design community. However, certain challenges still exist that prohibits its use for solving complex practical aerospace problems, such as landing human-class payloads safely on Mars.</div><div><br></div><div>In order to advance OCT, this thesis introduces Epsilon-Trig regularization method to simply and efficiently solve bang-bang and singular control problems. The Epsilon-Trig method resolves the issues pertaining to the traditional smoothing regularization method. Some benchmark problems from the literature including the Van Der Pol oscillator, the boat problem, and the Goddard rocket problem verified and validated the Epsilon-Trig regularization method using GPOPS-II.</div><div><br></div><div>This study also presents and develops the usage of trigonometry for incorporating control bounds and mixed state-control constraints into OCPs and terms it as Trigonometrization. Results from literature and GPOPS-II verified and validated the Trigonometrization technique using certain benchmark OCPs. Unlike traditional OCT, Trigonometrization converts the constrained OCP into a two-point boundary value problem rather than a multi-point boundary value problem, significantly reducing the computational effort required to formulate and solve it. This work uses Trigonometrization to solve some complex aerospace problems including prompt global strike, noise-minimization for general aviation, shuttle re-entry problem, and the g-load constraint problem for an impactor. Future work for this thesis includes the development of the Trigonometrization technique for OCPs with pure state constraints.</div>

The issue of angle instability has been widely discussed in the power engineering literature. Many control techniques have been proposed to provide the complementary synchronizing and damping torques through generators and/or network connected power apparatus such as FACTs, braking resistors and DC links. The synchronizing torque component keeps all generators in synchronism while damping torque reduces oscillations and returns the power system to its pre-fault operating condition. One of the main factors limiting the transfer capacity of the electrical transmission network is the separation of the power system at weak links which can be understood by analogy with a large spring-mass system. However, this weak-links related problem is not dealt with in existing control designs because it is non-trivial during transient period to determine credible weak links in a large power system which may consist of hundreds of strong and weak links. The difficulty of identifying weak links has limited the performance of existing controls when it comes to the synchronization of generators and damping of oscillations. Such circumstances also restrict the operation of power systems close to its transient stability limits. These considerations have led to the primary research question in this thesis, "To what extent can the synchronization of generators and damping of oscillations be maximized to fully extend the transient stability limits of power systems and to improve the transfer capacity of the network?" With the recent advances in power electronics technology, the extension of transfer capacity is becoming more readily achievable. Complementary to the use of power electronics technology to improve transfer capacity, this research develops an improved control strategy by examining the dynamics of the modes of separation associated with the strong and weak links of the reduced transmission network. The theoretical framework of the control strategy is based on Energy Decomposition and Unstable Equilibrium Points. This thesis recognizes that under extreme loadings of the transmission network containing strong and weak links, weak-links are most likely to dictate the transient stability limits of the power system. We conclude that in order to fully extend the transient stability limits of power system while maximizing the value of control resources, it is crucial for the control strategy to aim its control effort at the energy component that is most likely to cause a separation. The improvement in the synchronization amongst generators remains the most important step in the improvement of the transfer capacity of the power system network.