Predictive Analyses of the Performance of a Headway Control System for Heavy Commercial Vehicles

SUMMARYThis paper presents the results of analyses aimed at examining the performance of a vehicle system consisting of a heavy truck, range and range-rate sensors for measuring the relative motion of a leading vehicle, a cruise control modified to accept velocity commands, and a control unit for switching in and out of a headway-control mode. A control strategy, that approximately transforms the system into an equivalent first order system, is described. Physical interpretations of the meanings of the control system parameters are made using simulation results to illustrate the influences of design choices and measurement errors.