EVALUATION OF THE DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE OF ARTICULATED VEHICLES (CASE STUDY)

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Associate Prof., Higher Technological Institute (HTI), Tenth of Ramadan City, EGYPT.

2 Associate Prof., Automotive Engineering Dept., Military Technical College, Cairo, EGYPT.

3 Head of Automotive Engineering Dept., Military Technical College, Cairo, EGYPT.

4 M. Sc., Automotive Engineering Dept., Military Technical College, Cairo, EGYPT.

Abstract

Recently the evaluation of articulated vehicles dynamic performance has been the focus of a significant research effort, where most of the tractors and semitrailers are manufactured separately each in a different place. However, the suitable combinations between them represent a major problem, especially in the military field where the payloads are characterized by unconventional weights and dimensions. The objective of this paper is to investigate the scientific basis for evaluation of the controllability and stability limits of such combinations. In order to achieve this goal, a theoretical analysis, computer simulation and field measurements have been carried out. In the theoretical analysis, the dynamic performance measures of articulated vehicles have been discussed and analyzed. In the computer simulation, the validated models developed by UMTRI (University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute) have been used to evaluate these dynamic performance measures. In order to show the applicability of using these computer tools, a practical case is considered for an existing tractor-semitrailer combination used in the Egyptian army. The possible field measurements are done to obtain the needed input data. Other data are considered either from the manufacturer manuals, or by estimation using the published empirical methods. The practical case study shows the applicability of using this technology in the national scale.

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