Unscented Kalman Filters for Estimating the Position of an Automotive Electronic Throttle Valve

This paper presents an application of unscented Kalman filters (UKFs) to an automotive electronic throttle device. The motivation of this study is on estimating the position of the throttle device when measurements of the position are inaccessible, e.g., due to failures in the sensor of position. In this case, an external wattmeter is connected in the circuitry to measure the power consumed by the throttle, and this information feeds UKFs to produce the estimation for the position. Experimental data support the findings of this paper. Almost all of the brand-new vehicles based on spark-ignition combustion engines have an electronic throttle valve to control the power produced by the engine. The electronic throttle has a unique sensor for measuring the position of the throttle valve, and this feature can represent a serious problem when the sensor of position fails. As an attempt to prevent the effects of a failure from such a sensor, we present an algorithm (UKF) combined with the use of an additional sensor, i.e., a wattmeter. The wattmeter is detached from the throttle's structure but is arranged to measure the electric power consumed by the throttle. Measurements of the power consumption then feed the UKF. This filter then produces an estimation of the position of the throttle valve. Experimental data illustrate the practical benefits of our approach.