Multi-Vehicle Slack Control for Safe Curve Handling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle handling systems face inefficiencies and safety issues due to slack between connected vehicles, leading to potential collisions and increased maintenance costs, particularly when navigating curves and varying terrain.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle handling system that includes a communication device and controller to receive position data from multiple vehicles and adjust operating parameters to maintain safe separation distances, using location determination devices and route-specific information to control the motion of vehicles through curved portions of a route.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If vehicles are connected together in a group to travel along a route, then system efficiency is improved through coordinated movement, but slack between vehicles causes run-ins and run-outs leading to collisions and safety issues
Solution Approach 1:
The controller continuously receives position data from location determination devices on each vehicle, monitors separation distances in real-time, and adjusts operating parameters based on this feedback to maintain safe distances and prevent run-ins and run-outs
Solution Approach 2:
The system proactively adjusts operating parameters of vehicles before unsafe conditions develop by continuously monitoring position data and predicting potential slack-related issues, allowing preventive control actions to be taken
2Reliability
If vehicles maintain fixed separation distances to prevent collisions, then safety is improved, but system efficiency decreases due to increased spacing and reduced coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts separation distances and operating parameters based on real-time position data, route conditions, and vehicle characteristics, allowing optimal balance between safety and efficiency rather than using fixed conservative spacing
Solution Approach 2:
The controller changes operating parameters such as speed, acceleration, and separation distance based on real-time conditions, enabling the system to maintain safety while optimizing coordination and efficiency for different operational scenarios
3Ease of operation
If second vehicles are allowed to deviate from the travel path to accommodate curve navigation, then ease of operation is improved, but collision risk increases by crossing route boundaries
Solution Approach 1:
The system applies different control strategies to different vehicles in the group based on their specific positions and roles, with lead vehicles having greater lateral freedom and trailing vehicles constrained to follow established safe paths
Solution Approach 2:
The controller acts as an intermediary that coordinates lateral movements of vehicles, ensuring that second vehicles can deviate for curve navigation only when it is safe to do so and when such deviations are coordinated with the overall group movement
Data Source
AI summary
A method and system include a vehicle control system including a multi-vehicle system. The system includes a controller. The controller determines a slack condition of a multi-vehicle system while the multi-vehicle system is parked. The controller determines the slack condition based on one or more sensor signals received from at least one sensor, the controller configured to control movement of the multi-vehicle system based on the slack condition that is determined while transitioning from being parked to forward motion.