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Overheated brakes on a heavy truck can lead to a loss of braking and subsequent crash. This typically occurs after prolonged braking on a downhill grade. The problem is often accompanied by improper brake adjustment, causing one or more of the actuators to reach the end of travel due to thermal expansion. Reconstruction of this type of crash requires the consideration of overheated wheel brake assemblies. A thermodynamic model of a drum-type foundation brake is included in the HVE simulation environment and has been used successfully to study this phenomenon. However, newer on-highway trucks are often fitted with disc brakes. A similar thermodynamic model for a heavy truck disc brake does not exist, making the problem described above difficult to address. This paper describes a new thermodynamic model of a disc foundation brake, such as those often fitted on newer heavy trucks.

On-highway heavy trucks are fitted with air disc brakes with increasing frequency. Disc brakes and traditional air drum brakes have different adjustment and heat dissipation characteristics. These differences lead to different failure modes when overheated. This paper describes how adjustment and other in-use factors affect the general braking capability of on-highway trucks fitted with disc and drum brakes. Simulations of a loaded tractor-trailer on a long, down-hill grade are used to predict brake temperature increase over time, and how that temperature increase can result in a runaway condition. The tractor and trailer are modeled with both traditional drum brakes and new disc brakes to illustrate operational differences between the two brake types.

This paper presents an example application for vehicle dynamics simulation software. This example investigates the validity of the vehicle motion presented in the famous car chase scene from the 1968 movie Bullitt. In this car chase, a 1968 Ford Mustang, driven by Det. Frank Bullitt of the San Francisco Police Department, is chasing a criminal driving a 1968 Dodge Charger through the streets of the Russian Hill district of San Francisco. The purpose of the simulation was to reconstruct the chase scene to determine the level of realism in the movie, in terms of conformance to Newton’s Laws of motion. To produce the simulation, several city blocks of the pertinent area of the city were surveyed and exemplar vehicles were measured and inspected. Three-dimensional computer models of the scene and vehicles were built. The movie footage was analyzed to determine vehicle speeds and driver inputs. The event was then simulated using three-dimensional vehicle dynamics simulation software.

Most vehicles built today are fitted with anti-lock braking systems (ABS). Accurate simulation modeling of these vehicles during braking as well as combined braking and steering maneuvers thus requires the effects of the ABS to be included. Simplified, lump parameter models are not adequate for detailed, 3-dimensional vehicle simulations that include wheel spin dynamics. This is especially true for simulating complex crash avoidance maneuvers. This paper describes a new ABS model included in the HVE simulation environment. It is a general purpose model and is available for use by any HVE-compatible vehicle simulation model. The basic operational and control characteristics for a typical ABS system are first reviewed. Then, the specific ABS model and its options as implemented in the HVE simulation environment and employed by the SIMON vehicle simulation model are described. To validate the model, pressure cycles produced by the model are compared with stated engineering requirements.

When an automobile is driven on wet roads, its tires must remove water from between the tread and road surfaces. It is well known that the ability of a tire to remove water depends heavily on tread depth, water depth and speed, as well as other factors, such as tire load, air pressure and tread design. It is less well known that tire tread depth combined with placement can have an adverse effect on vehicle handling on wet roads. This paper investigates passenger car handling on wet roads. Flat bed tire testing, three-dimensional computer simulation and skid pad experimental testing are used to determine how handling is affected by tire tread depth and front/rear position of low-tread-depth tires on the vehicle. Some skid pad test results are given, along with corresponding simulations. A literature review also is presented. Significant changes in tire-road longitudinal and lateral friction are shown to occur as speed, tread depth and water depth vary, even before hydroplaning occurs.

EDVSM is a 3-dimensional vehicle simulator developed for the HVE simulation environment. The EDVSM vehicle model was based on the original HVOSM model, developed at Calspan for the Federal Highway Administration. This paper describes the vehicle and tire models used by EDVSM. The basic model is unchanged from the original HVOSM model, however, tire-road modeling has been substantially improved by the model's integration into the HVE environment. This paper provides the details of the integration procedure. The paper also includes a validation study, comparing results between EDVSM, HVOSM and real-world handling studies. Comparison reveals the results are substantially similar. Finally, applications and limitations of the model are addressed.

This paper describes the use of 3-D technologies for reconstructing and simulating motor vehicle accidents involving humans (occupants and pedestrians) and vehicles (passenger cars, pickups, vans, multi-purpose vehicles, on-highway trucks and vehicle-trailers). All examples involve three-dimensional environments, including road crowns, hills, curbs and embankments - any geometrical feature resulting in three-dimensional motion. Various reconstruction and simulation models are illustrated. The features and limitations of each model are addressed. Issues involving data requirements, preparation of 3-D models and presentation techniques (numeric, graphic and video animation) are also explored.

The HVE scientific visualization environment introduced motor vehicle safety researchers to anew paradigm for studying the cause of motor vehicle accidents. The open architecture of HVE provided access to several new and existing reconstruction and simulation models for both humans and vehicles. This paper provided a validation of four existing models: EDCRASH, EDSMAC, EDSVS and EDVTS. Because these EDVAP models had previous validation studies, the results obtained in the HVE environment were limited to a comparison with those previous studies. The validation of the simulation models was extended to include three-dimensional environments.

The EDSMAC personal computer program for use by accident investigators is described. The input data requirements are reviewed. The general calculation procedures are discussed and the specific procedures for computing delta-V are explained in detail. The method, based on equalizing the force between the vehicles at all times during the impact phase, is seen to be simple in concept but extremely complex in practice. The numerical and graphical output and warning messages are reviewed. Applications of the program are illustrated. The major benefit of EDSMAC is the ability, using graphics, to provide an analytical method illustrating how an accident may, or may not, have occurred.

The two procedures, DAMAGE and OBLIQUE IMPACT, which are used by EDCRASH for computing delta-V, are described in detail. Enhancements in EDCRASH Version 4 which improve the DAMAGE method of computing delta-V are also described. The advantages and disadvantages of each method are explored, and the numerical and graphical output and use of warning messages are reviewed. In general, it was found the two methods are complimentary: The DAMAGE procedure is best-suited for the conditions in which the OBLIQUE IMPACT procedure is least-suited, and vice-versa.