Potential Function-Based String Stable Controller for Heavy Road Vehicle Platoons

Heavy Commercial Road Vehicle (HCRV) platooning is a promising solution to meet increasing freight transportation demands. This paper applies the concept of Artificial Potential Functions (APF) design string stable controller, viz., Function-based String Stable (PFSS) for establishing HCRV platoons under various operating conditions. A methodical approach and selection potential functions that would maintain desired intervehicular spacing in presence perturbations has been presented. The proposed methodology evaluated on complete vehicle dynamics model-based platoon framework, which emulate actual operation. It provides operation different lead perturbation maneuvers road friction slope conditions with homogeneous heterogeneous loading Compared existing control approaches, PFSS controller attributes such as minimal data requirement from neighboring vehicles, actuator feasible actions, simpler structures.