Journal Article

A Simulation Approach to Determine Dynamic Rollover Threshold of a Tractor Semi-Trailer Vehicle during Turning Maneuvers

Tuan Hung, Ta

2024

Overview

Purpose Rollover of a semi-trailer vehicle is a common type of instability that can occur when turning at high speeds on roads with high adhesion coefficients, or when colliding with other vehicles. In order to design effective early warning and anti-roll control systems, it is important to accurately determine the rollover thresholds. This research aims to determine the dynamic rollover thresholds of a tractor semi-trailer vehicle during turning maneuvers based on a dynamic model. Methods A full dynamic model of a semi-trailer vehicle with 48 degrees of freedom has been established using the Multibody Dynamic analysis method and Newton Euler equations. The non-linear tire model is used to determine tire-road interaction forces when affected by tire-road deformation, adhesion coefficient of road, road wheel angle, and vehicle velocity. To validate the accuracy of the model, experiments were conducted on a road with a radius of 40 m. The verified model was then used to investigate the vehicle’s dynamics during turning maneuvers at velocities ranging from 40 to 80 km/h and the magnitude of steering wheel angles ranging from 12.5 to 300 deg. Results The results show the combined impact of the magnitude of the steering wheel angle and initial velocity on the rollover condition of the tractor semi-trailer vehicle. The 3D maps and table of maximum values for load transfer ratio and lateral acceleration of the vehicle bodies reveal the regions of roll stability and rollover. The dynamic rollover instability threshold for the tractor ranges from 4.382 to 4.838 m/s 2 , while that of the semi-trailer ranges from 4.022 to 4.433 m/s 2 . Conclusions The article presents a method for determining the dynamic rollover threshold of tractor semi-trailer vehicles based on a full dynamic model. The dynamics rollover thresholds are the boundaries that separate the rollover region from the stability region of the lateral acceleration of the tractor and semi-trailer bodies. The research findings in this article serve as a basis for determining input parameters for early warning and anti-rollover control systems in tractor semi-trailer vehicles. These results will be further discussed in the next articles.

• Publisher: Springer Nature Singapore,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Acceleration / Acoustics / Adhesion / Control / Control systems / Dynamic models / Dynamical Systems / Early warning systems / Engineering / Engineering Acoustics / Euler-Lagrange equation / Lateral control / Load transfer / Maneuvers / Original Paper / Roads & highways / Roll / Rolling motion / Rollover / Stability / Steering wheels / Thresholds / Tires / Tractor trailers / Tractors / Vehicles / Vibration