Considering predicted road conditions in vehicle control design using H∞ method

The paper focuses on the design of a velocity control system which takes into consideration the knowledge of the predicted inclinations of the road along the track of the vehicle. By using this velocity control it is possible to reduce the operations of the actuators, i.e. the powertrain and the brake system. The longitudinal dynamics of the vehicle is formulated in a simplified control-oriented model, which contains the longitudinal control force and disturbances such as aerodynamic force, rolling resistance and road slope. If the inclination of the road surface is assumed to be known, it is considered in the calculation of the velocity tracking or the reference velocity. The design of the velocity tracking system is based on the H∞ control theory. In order to take into consideration the effects of dynamic disturbances and sensor noises weighting functions of quality performances in the controlled system are designed. The operation of the method is demonstrated through simulation examples in Matlab/Simulink and CarSim environments.