Complex dynamics in a vehicle platoon with nonlinear drag and ACC controllers

In this paper a novel platoon model is presented. Nonlinear aerodynamic effects, such as the wake generated by the preceding vehicle, are considered, and their influence in the set up of a Adaptive Cruise Controller (ACC) is investigated. To this aim, bifurcation analysis tools are exploited in combination with an embedding technique independent from the vehicles number. The results highlight the importance of a proper configuration for the ACC in order to guarantee the platoon convergence to the desired motion.