Investigation into untripped rollover of light vehicles in the modified fishhook and the sine manoeuvres,part II: effects of vehicle inertia property,suspension and tyre characteristics

In this paper, as a continuation of part I of [N. Zhang, G.M. Dong, and H.P. Du, Investigation into untripped rollover of light vehicles in the modified fishhook and the sine manoeuvres, part I: vehicle modelling, roll and yaw instability, Veh. Syst. Dyn. 46 (2008), pp. 271–293], detailed parametric studies are conducted and compared between the fishhook and sine manoeuvres using the presented nine-degree-of-freedom vehicle model, in order to understand the rollover resistance capability of a light passenger vehicle with various parameters. First, effects of driving conditions are studied in the two manoeuvres. Secondly, effects of suspension characteristics are studied, in which the influence of suspension spring stiffness and shock absorber damping, anti-roll bar is discussed. Thirdly, effects of vehicle inertia properties, such as moment of inertia of vehicle sprung mass, sprung mass weight and location of centre of gravity, are investigated. Finally, effects of tyre characteristics are also investigated by altering the scaling factor λ _Fz0. An in-depth understanding has been gained on the significant effects of key system parameters on the kinetic performance of vehicles under the fishhook and the sine manoeuvres. Parametric studies show that the combination of step input (fishhook) and frequency input gives a clear indication of the vehicle dynamic stability during cornering.     

Dynamic emulation of road/tyre longitudinal interaction for developing electric vehicle control systems

Current research on electric vehicles (EVs) is focusing on the environment and energy aspects. However, electric motors also have much better control performance than conventional internal combustion engines. EVs could not only be ‘cleaner’ and ‘more energy efficient’, but also become ‘safer’ with ‘better driving performance’. In this paper, a discrete elasto-plastic friction model is proposed for a dynamic emulation of road/tyre friction in order to validate the control design of EV control systems in laboratory facilities. Experimental results show the dynamic emulation is able to capture the transient behaviour of the road/tyre friction force during braking and acceleration, therefore enabling a more reliable validation of various EV control methods. And the computation of inverse dynamics, which usually needs to be considered in conventional emulation approaches, can be avoided using the proposed dynamic friction model.     

The effect of the inflation pressure of tyres on motorcycle weave stability: experiments and simulation

Increasing the stability of a motorcycle requires an understanding of the optimal conditions of the tyre. The inflation pressure is one of the main parameters that directly affects the tyre properties, which in turn influences motorcycle stability and safety. This paper focuses on the effect of the inflation pressure of the tested tyres on motorcycle weave stability. Experimental data are collected from tests carried out in straight running at constant speed. The data analysis is based on stochastic subspace identification methods. Simulations are performed using an advanced motorcycle multi-body code with parameters measured from the tested vehicle. Finally, the comparison between simulations and experimental tests is discussed. The research results show an agreement between experimental tests and simulations where weave stability increases with inflation pressure for the specified range of tyre pressure.     

A nonlinear model for top fuel dragster dynamic performance assessment

The top fuel dragster is the fastest and quickest vehicle in drag racing. This vehicle is capable of travelling a quarter mile in less than 4.5 s, reaching a final speed in excess of 330 miles per hour. The average power delivered by its engine exceeds 7000 Hp. To analyse and eventually increase the performance of a top fuel dragster, a dynamic model of the vehicle is developed. Longitudinal, vertical, and pitching chassis motions are considered, as well as drive-train dynamics. The aerodynamics of the vehicle, the engine characteristics, and the force due to the combustion gases are incorporated into the model. Further, a simplified model of the traction characteristics of the rear tyres is developed where the traction is calculated as a function of the slip ratio and the velocity. The resulting nonlinear, coupled differential equations of motion are solved using a fourth-order Runge–Kutta numerical integration scheme. Several simulation runs are made to investigate the effects of the aerodynamics and of the engine's initial torque in the performance of the vehicle. The results of the computational simulations are scrutinised by comparisons with data from actual dragster races. Ultimately, the proposed dynamic model of the dragster can be used to improve the aerodynamics, the engine and clutch set-ups of the vehicle, and possibly facilitate the redesign of the dragster.     

Development and validation of a Kalman filter-based model for vehicle slip angle estimation

It is well known that vehicle slip angle is one of the most difficult parameters to measure on a vehicle during testing or racing activities. Moreover, the appropriate sensor is very expensive and it is often difficult to fit to a car, especially on race cars. We propose here a strategy to eliminate the need for this sensor by using a mathematical tool which gives a good estimation of the vehicle slip angle. A single-track car model, coupled with an extended Kalman filter, was used in order to achieve the result. Moreover, a tuning procedure is proposed that takes into consideration both nonlinear and saturation characteristics typical of vehicle lateral dynamics. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithm has been proven by both simulation results and real-world data.     

Tyre–road grip coefficient assessment. Part 1: off-line methodology using multibody dynamic simulation and genetic algorithms

A key factor to understand the vehicle dynamic behaviour is to know as accurately as possible the interaction that occurs between the tyre and the road, since it depends on many factors that influence the dynamic response of the vehicle. This paper aims to develop a methodology in order to characterise the tyre–road behaviour, applying it to obtain the tyre–road grip coefficient. This methodology is based on the use of dynamic simulation of a virtual model, integrated into a genetic algorithm that identifies the tyre–road friction coefficient in order to adjust the response obtained by simulation to real data. The numerical model was developed in collaboration with SEAT Technical Centre and it was implemented in multibody dynamic simulation software Adams®, from MSC®.     

Identifying tyre models directly from vehicle test data using an extended Kalman filter

Individual tyre models are traditionally derived from component tests, with their parameters matched to force and slip measurements. They are imported into vehicle models which should, but do not always properly provide suspension geometry interaction. Recent advances in Global Positioning System (GPS)/inertia vehicle instrumentation now make full state measurement viable in test vehicles, so tyre slip behaviour is directly measurable. This paper uses an extended Kalman filter for system identification, to derive individual load-dependent tyre models directly from these test vehicle state measurements. The resulting model therefore implicitly compensates for suspension geometry and compliance. The paper looks at two variants of the tyre model, and also considers real-time adaptation of the model to road surface friction variations. Test vehicle results are used exclusively, and the results show successful tyre model identification, improved vehicle model state prediction – particularly in lateral velocity reproduction – and an effective real-time solution for road friction estimation.     

Stability analysis of a nonlinear vehicle model in plane motion using the concept of Lyapunov exponents

For the first time, this paper investigates the application of the concept of Lyapunov exponents to the stability analysis of the nonlinear vehicle model in plane motion with two degrees of freedom. The nonlinearity of the model comes from the third-order polynomial expression between the lateral forces on the tyres and the tyre slip angles. Comprehensive studies on both system and structural stability analyses of the vehicle model are presented. The system stability analysis includes the stability, lateral stability region, and effects of driving conditions on the lateral stability region of the vehicle model in the state space. In the structural stability analysis, the ranges of driving conditions in which the stability of the vehicle model is guaranteed are given. Moreover, through examples, the largest Lyapunov exponent is suggested as an indicator of the convergence rate in which the disturbed vehicle model returns to its stable fixed point.     

A New Method for Accurately Estimating the Weight of Moving Vehicles Using Piezoelectric Sensors and Adaptive-footprint Tire Model

Summary This paper presents new methods for estimating the axle weight of a moving vehicle, using two piezoelectric sensors and adaptive-footprint tire model. It is more difficult to weigh vehicles in motion accurately than to weigh standing vehicles. The difficulties in weighing moving vehicles result from sensor limitations as well as dynamic loading effects induced by vehicle/pavement interactions. For example, two identical vehicles with the same weight will generate sensor signals that differ in the shape and the peak value, depending the tire pressure, vehicle speed, road roughness, and sensor characteristics. This paper develops a method that is much less sensitive to these variable factors in determining the axle weight of a moving vehicle. In the developed method, first the piezoelectric sensor signal is reconstructed using the inverse dynamics of a high-pass filter representing the piezoelectric sensor. Then, the reconstructed signal, is normalized, using the nominal road/tire contact length obtained using an adaptive-footprint tire model, and then integrated. Experiments are performed with 3 vehicles of known weight ranging from 1,400 kg to 28,040 kg. The developed method is compared to two other algorithms. Results show that the developed method is most consistent and accurate.     

Handling and safety enhancement of race cars using active aerodynamic systems

A methodology is presented in this work that employs the active inverted wings to enhance the road holding by increasing the downward force on the tyres. In the proposed active system, the angles of attack of the vehicle's wings are adjusted by using a real-time controller to increase the road holding and hence improve the vehicle handling. The handling of the race car and safety of the driver are two important concerns in the design of race cars. The handling of a vehicle depends on the dynamic capabilities of the vehicle and also the pneumatic tyres’ limitations. The vehicle side-slip angle, as a measure of the vehicle dynamic safety, should be narrowed into an acceptable range. This paper demonstrates that active inverted wings can provide noteworthy dynamic capabilities and enhance the safety features of race cars. Detailed analytical study and formulations of the race car nonlinear model with the airfoils are presented. Computer simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed active aerodynamic system.