Abstract
An A-dolly with externally mounted dampers is proposed to enhance the yaw and lateral directional performance of an A-train double. A kinematic analysis of the external dampers is performed to derive damping forces and moments imposed on the coupled A-dolly and the first semitrailer of the combination. The resulting kinematic model of the external dampers is integrated within the nonlinear yaw-plane model of the A-train to study the performance potentials of the dampers. The directional response characteristics of the combination are evaluated under closed-loop path-change and double path-change manoeuvres, in conjunction with a path-follower driver-vehicle model based upon preview/predictive strategy. An analytical function based on the Magic Formula is further proposed to describe the path co-ordinates for the closed-loop manoeuvres. The results of the study show that damped articulation integrated between the first semitrailer and the A-dolly offers considerable potential for enhancement of the directional performance of the vehicle combination in terms of peak lateral acceleration, yaw rate, and rearward amplification.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 155-176 |
| Number of pages | 22 |
| Journal | Heavy Vehicle Systems |
| Volume | 8 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2001 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- A-dolly
- A-train double
- Articulated vehicles
- Damped articulation
- Directional manoeuvres
- Longer combination vehicle (LCV)
- Path-co-ordinates
- Rearward amplification