LONGITUDINAL CONTROL OF FOLLOWING VEHICLES WITHIN PLATOON A MODEL-BASED PREDICTIVE APPROACH

摘要

This paper demonstrates via analysis and simulation, the feasibility of a vehicle-follower control system for vehicles within platoon using a model-based predictive approach for the control law. The demand for string stability and the minimisation of fuel consumption are shown to be achievable when the control law includes an appropriate combination of spacing policy and communication structure. The longitudinal control law presented in this study takes advantage of communication possibilities not available in the recent past. It assumes for example, that a following vehicle knows the states of the lead vehicle in addition to those of the preceding vehicles every time. A control law is developed and tested on a simulation of a platoon of 5 vehicles where the lead vehicle changes its velocity according to a predetermined cycle. This study is an extension of the interdisciplinary project "Einsatzszenarien fur Fahrerassistenz Systeme im Guterverkehr und deren Bewertung" (EFAS), supported by the German Federal Ministry for Education and Research. Within the framework of this project a longitudinal state space controller for a heavy-duty vehicle within platoon was developed and tested with Matlab/Simulink by the Institute of Automatic Control (IRT) of Aachen University.