Multi-Objective Adaptive Cruise Control Strategy Based on Variable Time Headway

To satisfy the requirements of safety, ride comfort and fuel-economy for electric vehicles with four in-wheel motors, a multi-objective Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) strategy based on Variable Time Headway (VTH) under the framework of Model Predictive Control (MPC) is proposed. The characteristic of mutual longitudinal kinematics between the host and the preceding vehicle is analyzed by considering the dynamic change law of vehicle spacing, relative velocity, acceleration, the variation of acceleration and preceding vehicles' acceleration. The predictive VTH strategy is used to balance the multiple control objectives and ensure the safety of the vehicle as far as possible. The multi-objective control requirements are transformed into the performance indexes and constraints of the ACC system, which is optimized utilizing MPC. Then the expected acceleration is utilized to determine the required torque for each wheel to meet the dynamic requirements of vehicle driving process. Finally, the multi-objective ACC strategy is simulated and analyzed by using the Carsim and Simulink. Results indicate that the proposed method can satisfy the safety and ride comfort objectives with good fuel-economy.