Model predictive control of a motor vehicle

A method for model predictive control, MPC, of a motor vehicle (1) that includes a cooling pump (28) operable with different pump operating values (Q1, Q2, Q3) of at least one operating parameter (30), the method comprising:

• executing an MPC algorithm (13) for model predictive control of the motor vehicle (1), the MPC algorithm (13) comprising a longitudinal dynamic model (14) of the motor vehicle (1) and a cost function (15) to be minimized, the cost function (15) comprising a plurality of terms with a first term that represents an output of the cooling pump (28);
• ascertaining a speed trajectory of the motor vehicle (1) situated within a prediction horizon by executing the MPC algorithm (13) as a function of the longitudinal dynamic model (14);
• and
• ascertaining a pump operating value trajectory situated within the prediction horizon by executing the MPC algorithm (13) such that the first term of the cost function (15) is minimized;
• controlling a drive train of the motor vehicle (1) based on the speed trajectory of the motor vehicle (1);
• and
• controlling a pump of the motor vehicle (1) based on the pump operating value trajectory,
• wherein the ascertainment of the speed trajectory and of the pump operating value trajectory take place simultaneously.

A computer program product (11) for model predictive control, MPC, of a motor vehicle (1) that includes a cooling pump (28) operable with different pump operating values (Q1, Q2, Q3) of at least one operating parameter (30), wherein the computer program product (11), when run on a processor unit (2) instructs the processor unit (3) to:

• execute an MPC algorithm (13) for model predictive control of the motor vehicle (1), the MPC algorithm (13) comprising a longitudinal dynamic model (14) of the motor vehicle (1) and a cost function (15) to be minimized, the cost function (15) comprising a plurality of terms with a first term that represents an output of the cooling pump (28), and
• by executing the MPC algorithm (13),
• compute a speed trajectory of the motor vehicle (1) situated within a prediction horizon as a function of the longitudinal dynamic model (14), and
• simultaneously compute a pump operating value trajectory situated within the prediction horizon such that the first term of the cost function (15) is minimized,
• controlling a drive train of the motor vehicle (1) based on the speed trajectory of the motor vehicle (1), and
• controlling a pump of the motor vehicle (1) based on the pump operating value trajectory.