Platoon-Based Speed Control Algorithm for Ecodriving at Signalized Intersection

Abstract

An ecodriving speed control algorithm is proposed for a platoon of vehicles at a signalized intersection. Both the running status of the target platoon and the impact of the downstream platoon are considered and analyzed. The acceleration–deceleration profile, instead of speed trajectories, is used in this research as the optimization objective to prevent drivers from idling and to let them clear the intersection during the green light as often as possible. When a platoon is a mixture of vehicles obeying or disobeying the system's guidance, the proposed algorithm will group those vehicles into new platoons according to their permutations (different positions of obedient and nonobedient vehicles). Three illustrative examples are provided to validate the proposed algorithm. Results indicate that when the platoon needs to accelerate to pass the intersection, a smaller headway causes less fuel consumption, whereas a larger headway results in less fuel consumption if the vehicles decelerate to pass the intersection. In addition, the leading vehicle is found to consume more fuel if it disobeys the system's advice; however, if it obeys the system's advice, the fuel consumption for the following vehicles may not increase noticeably.