Vehicle dynamics investigation of long trucks

Project completed - Contact: ftm@ftm.mw.tum.de

Motivation

Within the framework of a field test carried out by the Federal Government, about 35 long-truck combinations of German haulage companies are currently driving on selected German roads under the exemption regulation. The aim is to gather experience in everyday traffic with these new types of long trucks, which may have a total length of up to 25.25 m. The scientific monitoring of the field test is carried out by the Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt). One of several sub-projects is carried out by the Chair of Automotive Engineering. Among other things, this includes the vehicle dynamics investigation and evaluation of the vehicle combinations in order to be able to make statements about driving safety.

Goal

The approved vehicle combinations are to be evaluated simulatively in terms of driving dynamics on the basis of selected driving manoeuvres and with different driving conditions. By analysing the reaction behaviour to excitation, it can be worked out on the basis of specific characteristic values and time histories which combinations are to be assessed as critical in terms of driving dynamics and which are considered stable.

Procedure

A construction of generally valid FMD models is carried out, which illustrate the behaviour of the real vehicle combinations. The driving dynamics investigation is carried out using three driving manoeuvres for commercial vehicles that have been proven in the literature. Specific characteristic values, time and frequency records describe the driving behaviour in the time and frequency domain and finally allow an evaluation of the vehicle combination with regard to driving dynamic stability.