PREDICTIVE ANALYSES OF THE PERFORMANCE OF A HEADWAY CONTROL-SYSTEM FOR HEAVY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES

This paper presents the results of analyses aimed at examining the per formance of a vehicle system consisting of a heavy truck, range and ra nge-rate sensors for measuring the relative motion of a leading vehicl e, a cruise control modified to accept velocity commands, and a contro l unit for switching in and out of a headway-control mode. A control s trategy, that approximately transforms the system into an equivalent f irst order system, is described. Physical interpretations of the meani ngs of the control system parameters are made using simulation results to illustrate the influences of design choices and measurement errors .