DEVELOPMENT AND VERIFICATION OF AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR CONNECTED, HIGHLY AUTOMATED VEHICLES IN VARYING TRAFFIC DENSITIES

Abstract

One of the world's greatest challenges is the effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One of the major sources of these emissions is road transport. The government is introducing a number of restrictions on the operation of internal combustion engine vehicles, such as a ban on warming up the engine. At the same time, car manufacturers are developing start-stop systems. All this is aimed at reducing fuel combustion and atmospheric emissions. Despite the complete phase-out of internal combustion engines by 2050, such vehicles will still form a significant part of the European car fleet. On the other hand, one of the reasons for the slow distribution of electric vehicles is their limited range. Both of these problems can be mitigated by energy efficient driving. The paper presents a mathematical model for energy efficient control of connected highly automated vehicles in the conditions of the modern metropolis. The mathematical model incorporates terrain, speed modes, and traffic light schedules. Field tests of the developed energy efficient control system were carried out. A car of the 3rd automation level with a petrol power plant was selected as a test object. The test route included highway and urban roads, with permitted speed limits ranging from 40 to 80 km/h, and 5 intersections with traffic lights and 3 ramps along the way. The tests were conducted with different traffic densities. The results of experimental runs are presented and the impact of traffic on the energy efficiency of an autonomous vehicle is analysed.