Platooning Speed Controller Predicts Following Vehicle Braking
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Solution Overview
Problem
In platooning vehicles, when a leading vehicle coasts down, following vehicles often brake unnecessarily due to increased speed, leading to reduced fuel efficiency and potential collisions, as they attempt to maintain a safe distance from the leading vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A speed controller for platooning vehicles that predicts when a following vehicle will brake and increases the speed of the leading vehicle at that time, using communication with the following vehicle and sensor data to determine coasting conditions, thereby preventing unnecessary braking and enhancing fuel efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If following vehicles brake to maintain separation distance when coasting down, then collision prevention is achieved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary braking
Solution Approach 1:
The leading vehicle predicts the following vehicle's braking time based on target acceleration and current acceleration data, then proactively increases its speed before the following vehicle brakes. This preliminary speed increase prevents the separation distance from decreasing below the reference distance, eliminating the need for the following vehicle to brake and thereby maintaining fuel efficiency while ensuring collision prevention
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts the leading vehicle's speed based on real-time acceleration data and predicted braking behavior of following vehicles. Rather than maintaining a fixed speed or separation distance, the leading vehicle's speed is continuously optimized to prevent unnecessary braking by following vehicles, resolving the contradiction between safety and fuel efficiency through adaptive control
2Reliability
If following vehicles maintain separation distance by braking, then safety is improved, but fuel efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The leading vehicle performs preliminary speed adjustment based on predicted braking timing of following vehicles. By increasing speed before the following vehicle brakes, the leading vehicle ensures the separation distance remains above the reference distance, preventing energy loss from unnecessary braking while maintaining safety
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from acceleration sensors and V2V communication to continuously monitor the separation distance and predicted braking behavior. This feedback loop enables the leading vehicle to adjust its speed in real-time, optimizing the balance between maintaining safe separation distance and minimizing energy consumption from braking events
Data Source
AI summary
A speed controller for a leading vehicle includes: a communication device that receives a target acceleration and a current acceleration from a following vehicle; and a controller that predicts a time when the following vehicle brakes based on the received target acceleration and the received current acceleration when the leading vehicle coasts down, and increases a speed of the leading vehicle at the predicted time.