Adaptive Cruise Control Of A Simscape Driveline Vehicle Model Using Pid Controller

The arising of an autonomous vehicle has proven to reduce accidents effectively. However, such technology requires time and cost to develop, while vehicle system simulation software provides a cost-efficient, easier and safer way to analyse automotive applications. This paper presents a design methodology of Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) system. Initially, it involves constructing a complete graphical model of the vehicle using MATLAB Simscape library. This approach will eliminate the need for mathematical derivation, model uncertainty and linearization. It will also produce a quite realistic behaviour since it takes into consideration all the key role parameters of the vehicle. Then, two PID controllers are designed to adjust the throttle and brake respectively. The designed algorithm takes into account keeping the actual distance above or equal to the safe distance by modifying the set values of the controllers according to the actual speed and the speed of the vehicle ahead. Several simulations are performed to verify controllers' capability for different driving situations. The simulation results reveal that the two PID controllers are successful in achieving the desired vehicle speed while simultaneously maintaining a safe distance. Furthermore, the results show that the system responded smoothly to the set speed in an acceptable rise and settling times with almost zero overshoot and steady state error.