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Abstract A new concept of instantaneous wheel turn center (IWTC) is proposed to evaluate and improve multi-axle vehicle steering coordination performance. The concept of IWTC and its calculation method are studied. The index named dispersion of IWTC is developed to evaluate the vehicle steering coordination performance quantitatively. The simulation tests based on a three-axle off-road vehicle model are conducted under different vehicle velocities and lateral accelerations. The simulation results show that the turn centers of different wheels are disperse, and the dispersion becomes larger with the increase of vehicle velocities and lateral acceleration. Since suspension has important influences on vehicle steering performance, the genetic algorithm is used to optimize the suspension hard points and bushing stiffness, aiming at minimizing the dispersion of wheel turn centers (DWTC) to improve the vehicle steering coordination performance.

Abstract The following article illustrates the detailed study of the development of a unique flywheel-based regenerative braking system (f-RBS) for achieving regenerative braking in a commercial electric bus. The f-RBS is designed for installation in the front wheels of the bus. The particular data values for modeling the bus are taken from multiple legitimate sources to illustrate the development strategy of the regenerative braking system. Mechanical components used in this system have either been carefully designed and analyzed for avoiding fatigue failure or their market selection strategies explained. The positioning of the entire system is decided using MSC Adams View®, hence determining a suitable component placement strategy such that the f-RBS components do not interfere with the bus components. The entire system is modeled on MATLAB Simulink® with sufficient accuracy to get various results that would infer the performance of the system as a whole.

Abstract To gain a better understanding of the characteristics of corrugation, including the development and propagation of corrugation, and impact of vehicle and track dynamics, a computational model was established, taking into account the nonlinearity of vehicle-track coupling. The model assumes a fixed train speed of 300 km/h and accounts for vertical interaction force components and rail wear effect. Site measurements were used to validate the numerical model. Computational results show that (1) Wheel polygonalisation corresponding to excitation frequency of 545-572 Hz was mainly attributed to track irregularity and uneven stiffness of under-rail supports, which in turn leads to vibration modes of the bogie and axle system in the frequency range of 500-600 Hz, aggregating wheel wear. (2) The peak response frequency of rail of the non-ballasted track coincides with the excitation frequency of wheel-rail coupling; the resonance results in larger wear amplitude of the rail.

Abstract In this article, a new road load simulation technology is presented for commercial vehicle driveline. In order to assess the performance of vehicle driveline, the chassis dynamometer system is introduced on the basis of the traditional vehicle driveline test bench, which improves the accuracy of the simulation system without the need of complex modeling of commercial vehicle tire dynamics. The vertical load of the vehicle is emulated by the hydraulic loading mechanism, and the influence of the vertical load on commercial vehicle driveline is emulated when the vehicle passes the bumpy road. The evaluate control method of commercial vehicle acceleration inertia based on wheel rotational speed and vehicle dynamics model is designed.

Abstract Articulated vehicles contribute to the major portions of cargo transport through roads. Fifth wheel (FW) is an important component in these vehicles, which acts as the bridge between tractor and trailer and is often used as a parameter to adjust the axle loads. Ride and comfort studies linked to FW position exist. However, its influence on durability is often not considered seriously. In this article, three different FW positions placed at 200 mm, 400 mm, and 600 mm in front of the rear axle are studied virtually on a 4×2 tractor with three-axle semitrailer combination. To assess the risk associated with FW movement, acceleration-based pseudo-relative damage, power spectral density (PSD), and level crossing plots are analyzed for each FW position. Further, fatigue analysis is done on the cab structural components to understand the durability. Outcome shows that the FW position has an influence in determining the cab dynamics and durability of the components to a great extent.

Abstract In India, vehicle population increases every day along with road accidents by 2.5% every year. About 7.7% of accidents are caused by wheel separation, 60% of which are due to nut-related problems. Wheel separations in vehicles occur due to fastener issues and fatigue failures in bolts. A study of the reasons for and mechanisms of nut loosening showed that left-hand side wheels detached and fracture failure occurred in right-hand side studs. Fatigue life of wheels with Nord-Lock washer and without washer is determined by using numerical analysis as per the IS 9438 cornering fatigue test. These numerical results are compared with experimental results.

Abstract Wheel chocks are rather simple compliant mechanisms for stabilizing vehicles at rest. However, chocks must be carefully designed given the complex interaction between the chock and the tire/suspension system. Despite their importance for safety, literature is surprisingly limited in terms of what makes a wheel chock efficient. Using simple but reliable quasi-static mechanical models, this study identifies mechanical requirements that help to avoid a number of failure modes associated with many existing wheel chocks. Given that chock grounding is not always possible, a chock’s maximum restraining capacity is only obtained when the wheel is completely supported by the chock. A generic chock profile is proposed to achieve this objective while mitigating undesirable failure modes. The profile is based on fundamental mechanical principles and no assumption is made on the load interaction between the chock and the wheel.

Abstract The ability to predict the durability of a structure depends on the knowledge of operating loads experienced by the structure. Typically, multi-body dynamics (MBD) models are used to cascade measured wheel loads to hard points. However, in this approach, there are many sources by which errors creep into cascaded forces. Any attempt to reduce sources of such errors is time consuming and costly. In typical program development timelines, it is very difficult to accommodate such model calibration efforts. Commercial load cells exist in the industry to give engineers insight into understanding the complex real-world loading of their structures. A significant limitation to the use of load cells is that the structure needs to be modified to accept the load cell, and not all desired loading degrees of freedom (DOFs) can be measured. One of the innovative solutions to calculate operating loads is to convert the structure itself into its own load transducer.

Abstract The air suspension system of heavy trucks not only improves the vehicle’s ride comfort but also reduces the negative impact on the road surface. In order to evaluate the performance of the control damping (CD) and the control air spring (CAS) of the vehicle air suspension system on the ride comfort and the road friendliness, a three-dimensional (3D) nonlinear dynamic model with 14 degrees of freedom (DOF) of the heavy trucks and optimal fuzzy control (OFC) with control rules optimized by the genetic algorithm (GA) are proposed in this study. The root mean square (RMS) acceleration response of the tractor and the dynamic load coefficient (DLC) at the wheel axles are chosen as objective functions under the various operating conditions. Contrastive analysis of the RMS and DLC values with the passive (P), CD, and CAS methods of the air suspension system is carried out respectively.

Abstract Continuous rubber track systems for farming applications are typically designed using multiple iterations on full-scale physical prototypes which is costly and time consuming. The development of numerical design tools could speed up the design process and reduce development costs while improving product performance. In this article, a rigid multibody dynamics (MBD) model of a continuous rubber track system is presented. This article is the first part of a two-part study: Part 1 focuses on the model description and part 2 describes the experimental evaluation of the MBD model. The modeling methodology is based on a track discretization as a set of rigid body elements interconnected by 6 degrees-of-freedom bushing joints. The mathematical formalism and experimental characterization of all critical subsystems such as the roller wheels, tensioner, suspensions, and contact models are also presented.