In: Mechanical Engineering
Imagine you are an automotive engineer for Toyoto Motor Corporation. You are test driving a new cruise control system, and you are driving around the test track at 55 miles per hour. You set the cruise control to 57miles per hour. The cruise controller takes over and speeds up to 59 miles per hour, then slows to 56 miles per hour, and finally settles at 58 miles per hour. Given this result, what adjustments would you make to the car's cruise control system to improve overall performance?
Cruise controller adjusts & maintains the vehicle speed as desired. This speed adjustment is done by various speed sensors, RPM sensors, RADAR & cameras etc.
In above case, driver has set speed limit 57 MPH & he is riding the vehicle at 55 MPH. In cruise controller over take speed is 59 MPH after overtake vehicles slowdowns to 56 MPH & finally adjusts 58 MPH.
On continuous variation of car speed will lead to reduction in engine performance.
So need to inspect following adjustments in cruise controls.
Also Incorporation of Adaptive cruise control system (ACCS), where engine speed is controlled based on traffic & speeds of the side by vehicles. This system designed with forward accidents & collision warnings,
Initially driver sets the maximum speed of car later he can adjust up down speeds manually based on practical conditions.
Working of cruise control also depends on following...