Eco-driving control strategy for plug-in hybrid vehicle platoon with time-delay phenomenon compensation

Promoting hybrid vehicles remains an effective strategy for reducing traffic carbon emissions prior to the complete transition to an all-electric transportation system. A well-designed control strategy for hybrid vehicles not only improves operational safety but also ensures that the engine operates along the optimal fuel consumption curve, reducing emissions without compromising safety. However, research on the control of hybrid vehicle platoons mostly neglects the time-delay phenomenon of the powertrain system. This paper proposes a control strategy with time delay compensation for hybrid vehicle platoons aimed at reducing carbon emissions while ensuring safety. First, the optimal velocity of each vehicle in the platoon is obtained through a multi-objective optimization function and used as the target speed for the torque split strategy. Next, the emission reduction strategy aims to make the engine operating point approach the minimum emission curve while simultaneously satisfying the vehicle's power and velocity requirements. Finally, an optimal torque compensation strategy is introduced to mitigate the influence of the power system's time-delay phenomenon on control accuracy. Numerical experiments are carried out to verify the effectiveness of the proposed control strategy. The proposed control strategy was tested under the typical urban driving conditions of the New European Driving Cycle, showing a reduction in both cumulative carbon emissions and peak emission levels, while also enhancing driving safety.