Roll Plane Analysis of Articulated Tank Vehicles During Steady Turning

The rollover immunity levels of articulated tank vehicles with partial loads are investigated. A static roll plane model of the articulated vehicle employing partially filled cylindrical tank is developed. The vertical and lateral translation of the liquid cargo due to vehicle roll angle and lateral acceleration, encountered during steady turning, are evaluated. The roll moments arising from vertical and lateral translation of the liquid cargo are determined and incorporated in the roll plane model of the vehicle. The adverse influence of the unique interactions of the liquid within the tank vehicle, on the rollover limit of the articulated vehicle is demonstrated. The influence of compartmenting of the tank on the steady turning roll response of the vehicle is analyzed, and an optimal order of unloading the compartmented tank is discussed.     

Three-dimensional analysis of transient slosh within a partly-filled tank equipped with baffles

The directional dynamic analyses of partly-filled tank vehicles have been limited to quasi-static fluid motion due to computational complexities associated with dynamic fluid slosh analyses. The dynamic fluid slosh causes significantly higher magnitudes of slosh forces and moments in the transient state that cannot be characterized through quasi-static approach, which provides reasonably good estimates of the mean responses. In this study, a three-dimensional nonlinear model of a partly-filled cylindrical tank with and without baffles is developed to investigate the significance of resulting destabilizing forces and moments caused by the transient fluid slosh, and the effects of baffles. The baffles and the end caps are modeled with curved shapes. The analyses are performed under varying magnitudes of steady lateral, longitudinal and combinations of lateral and longitudinal accelerations of the tank, and two different fill volumes using the FLUENT software. The results of the study are presented in terms of mean and peak slosh forces and moments, and variations in the mass moments of inertia of the fluid cargo within a clean bore and a baffled tank, for two different fill volumes and different magnitudes of acceleration excitations. The ratios of transient responses to the mean responses, termed as amplification factors, are further described to emphasize the significance of dynamic fluid slosh on the forces and moments induced on the vehicle. The results in general suggest that the mean responses attained from dynamic fluid slosh analyses correlate well with those attained from the quasi-static analyses for a clean bore tank. The amplification ratios of the resulting forces and moments could approach as high as 2. The results clearly show that the presence of baffles helps to suppress the peak as well as mean slosh forces and moments significantly.     

Effects of Tank Shape on the Roll Dynamic Response of a Partly Filled Tank Vehicle

The directional response and roll stability characteristics of a partly filled tractor-semitrailer vehicle, equipped with various cross-section tanks, are investigated as functions of fill volume and steer inputs. The tank-vehicle combination is analytically modeled upon integrating a quasi-static roll plane model of a partly filled tank of generic cross-section with a three-dimensional directional dynamic model of a five-axle tractor-semitrailer vehicle, assuming constant forward speed. The vehicle model is analyzed for different cross-sections of partly filled tanks, including circular, modified-oval and two optimal cross-sections. The directional response characteristics of the vehicle are evaluated to study the influence of partial-fill condition, steering maneuver, and vehicle speed on the roll dynamic performance of the tank cross-section and the vehicle. A comparison of the response characteristics, in terms of variations in cargo c.g. shift and roll mass moment of inertia, roll angle, lateral acceleration and yaw rate of the trailer sprung mass, revealed that the optimal tank geometry yields considerably less variations in the cargo c.g. coordinates and can thus significantly enhance the directional response and roll stability characteristics of partly-filled tank vehicles.     

Dynamic responses of a high-speed railway car due to wheel polygonalisation

The polygonal wear around the wheel circumference could pose highly adverse influences on the wheel/rail interactions and thereby the performance of the vehicle system. In this study, the effects of wheel polygonalisation on the dynamic responses of a high-speed rail vehicle are investigated through development and simulations of a comprehensive coupled vehicle/track dynamic model. The model integrates flexible slab track, wheelsets and axle boxes subsystem models so as to account for elastic deformations caused by impact loads induced by the wheel polygonalisation. A field-test programme was undertaken to acquire the polygonal wear profile and axle box acceleration response of a high-speed train, and the data are used to demonstrate the validity of the coupled vehicle/track system model. Subsequently, the effects of wheel polygonalisation are evaluated in terms of wheel/rail impact forces, axle box vertical acceleration and dynamic stress developed in the axle considering different amplitudes and harmonic orders of the polygonal wear. The results suggest that the high-order wheel polygonalisation can give rise to high-frequency impact loads at the wheel/rail interface, and excite some of the vibration modes of the wheelset and the axle box leading to high-magnitude axle box acceleration and dynamic stress in the wheelset axle.     

Multi-performance analyses and design optimisation of hydro-pneumatic suspension system for an articulated frame-steered vehicle

This study investigates the coupled ride and directional performance characteristics of an articulated frame-steered vehicle (AFSV). A three-dimensional multi-body dynamic model of the vehicle is formulated integrating the hydro-mechanical frame steering and hydro-pneumatic suspension (HPS) systems. The model parameters are obtained from field-measured data acquired for an unsuspended AFSV prototype and a validated scaled HPS model. The HPS is implemented only at the front axle, which supports the driver cabin. The main parameters of the HPS, including the piston area, and flow areas of bleed orifices and check valves, are selected through design sensitivity analyses and optimisation, considering ride vibration, and roll- and yaw-plane stability performance measures. These include the frequency-weighted vertical vibration of the front unit, root-mean-square lateral acceleration during the sustained lateral load transfer ratio period prior to absolute rollover of the rear unit, and yaw-mode oscillation frequency following a lateral perturbation of the vehicle. The results suggested that the implementation of the HPS to the front unit alone could help preserve the directional stability limits compared to the unsuspended prototype vehicle and reduce the ride vibration exposure by nearly 30%. The results of sensitivity analyses revealed that the directional stability performance limits are only slightly affected by the HPS parameters. Further reduction in the ride vibration exposure was attained with the optimal design, irrespective of the payload variations. The vehicle operation at relatively higher speeds, however, would yield greater vibration exposure.     

Analysis of a Passive Sequential Hydraulic Damper for Vehicle Suspension

Vibration isolation characteristics of a sequential hydraulic damper, employing external pressure relief valves, are investigated via analytical means. The sequential hydraulic damper is modelled as a nonlinear dynamical system incorporating nonlinearities due to orifice flows, gas spring and pressure relief mechanisms. The damping characteristics of the sequential hydraulic damper, are compared to those of a constant orifice and a semi-active sequential damper, and discussed in view of their vibration isolation performance. It is established that the performance characteristics of the sequential hydraulic damper are similar to that of a semi-active sequential damper. A tuning methodology to achieve appropriate control of the resonant peak and effective vibration isolation is proposed. The shock and vibration isolation performance of the vehicle model employing a sequential damper are evaluated and compared to those of the vehicle model employing a constant orifice hydraulic damper. It is concluded that the vehicle ride performance can be improved considerably using an adequately tuned sequential damper.     

A study of polygonal wheel wear through a field test programme

High magnitude impact loads caused by polygonal wear of the wheels have been associated with in-service failures of structural components of high-speed railways, although the mechanisms leading to wheels’ polygonalisation is not yet fully understood. In this study, a long-term field test programme is undertaken and the data are analysed to gain better understanding of the growth in polygonal wear, and its characteristics and correlation with the axle box acceleration. The field measurements on a high-speed railway involved monitoring of wheels profiles between successive re-profiling of the wheels so as to identify the rate of growth of wear in addition to the axle box acceleration. The data suggested rapid growth in wheel wear, which could be characterised by polygonal wear of nearly 18th and 19th harmonic order. It is further shown that the magnitude of axle box acceleration increased considerably with increasing wear magnitude of the wheel.     

Influence of Liquid Load Shift on the Dynamic Response of Articulated Tank Vehicles

The influence of the lateral load shift on the dynamic response characteristics of an articulated tank vehicle is investigated assuming inviscid fluid flow conditions. A quasi-dynamic roll plane model of a partially filled cleanbore tank of circular cross-section is developed and integrated to a three-dimensional model of the articulated vehicle, assuming constant forward speed. The destabilizing effects of liquid load shift are studied by comparing the directional dynamics of the partially filled tank vehicle to that of an equivalent rigid cargo vehicle subject to steady steer input. Dynamic response characteristics demonstrate that the stability of a partially filled tank vehicle is adversely affected by the Liquid load shift The distribution of cornering forces caused by the liquid load shift yield considerable deviation of the path followed by the liquid tank vehicle. The influence of the vehicle speed on the dynamics of the liquid tank vehicle is also investigated for variations in the fill levels and fluid density.