Optimised speed profile design of a vehicle platoon considering road inclinations

This study focuses on the design of a platoon control system which takes into consideration safe travel by using the string stability theorem and the knowledge of the inclinations of the road along the route of the platoon. By choosing the speed of the platoon fitting in with the inclinations of the road the number of unnecessary accelerations and brakings can be reduced, thus so can the operations of the actuators of the vehicles, that is, the driveline and the brake system. Although the longitudinal dynamics of the vehicles is formulated in a linear control‐oriented model, the non‐linear performance of the road inclinations and safety requirements based on the string stability are taken into consideration. The design of the platoon control is based on the robust H ∞ control theory.