VEHICLE DYNAMICS

INTRODUCTION

Mochamad Safarudin
Automotive Department
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering
Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka
BACKGROUND

•THE INCREASING SPEED OF GROUND VEHICLE REQUIRES

UNDERSTANDING OF THE VEHICLE DYNAMICS
•TIRES PROPERTIES ARE VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE ALMOST
ALL THE FORCES GENERATED IN A MOVING VEHICLE ARE
GENERATED IN THE TIRES
•RESPONS OF THE VEHICLE TO THE FORCES GENERATED
ESPECIALLY WHILE ACCELERATING, BRAKING, CORNERING
AND RIDE BEHAVIOUR ARE STUDIED
•IN GENERAL, THE CHARACTERISTIC OF A GROUND VEHICLE
MAY BE DESCRIBED IN TERMS OF ITS PERFORMANCE, HANDLING
AND RIDE
VEHICLE MODELING

•IN ORDER TO ANALYZE VEHICLE DYNAMICS (FORCES

GENERATED AND THE RESPONS OF THE VEHICLE), A
VEHICLE MODEL SHOULD BE DEVELOPED
•FROM THE VEHICLE MODEL, A MATHEMATICAL MODEL
WILL BE DEVELOPED
•ALTHOUGH A VEHICLE IS MADE UP OF MANY COMPONENTS,
TO SIMPLIFY THE ANALYSIS, THE VEHICLE IS REPRESENTED
AS ONE LUMPED MASS AT ITS CENTER OF GRAVITY (C.G)
EXCEPT FOR RIDE ANALYSIS, THE WHEELS OFTEN TREATED
AS SEPARATE LUMPED MASS
 VEHICLE FIXED COORDINATE SYSTEM

SAE Vehicle Axis System

Vehicle motion described by the velocities

(forward, lateral, vertical, roll, pitch and yaw with respect
to the vehicle fixed coordinate system
Inertial Fixed Coordinate System

Vehicle attitude and trajectory through the course of maneuver

are defined with respect to a right hand orthogonal axis system
fixed on earth

Vehicle in inertial fixed coordinate system

Euler Angles
The relationship of the vehicle fixed coordinate system to the
inertial fixed coordinate system is defined by Euler angles
Euler angles are determined by a sequence of three angular
rotations.
Beginning at the inertial fixed system, the axis system are
rotated first in yaw (around z axis), then in pitch (around y axis
and then in roll (around x axis)
Forces
Forces and moments defined as they act on the vehicle
Newton’s Second Law

Translational system

∑F x = M .a x

Rotational systems

∑T x = I xx .α x
DYNAMIC AXLE LOADS

W : weight of the vehicle acting at its c.g

W/g . ax: d’Alembert force acting on c.g opposite to the
direction of acceleration
Wf and Wr representing the dynamic weights carried on
The front and rear tire respectively
Fxf and Fxr : tractive forces may act in the ground plane
in the tire contact patch
Rxf and Rxr: rolling resistance
DA: aerodynamic force acting on the body of vehicle acting
at height ha
Rhz and Rhx: vertical and longitudinal forces acting at the
hitch point when the vehicle is towing a trailer
Equation of Equilibrium

By SAE convention, a clockwise torque about A is positive.

W
W f .L + DA .ha + a x h + Rhx .hh + Rhz d h + W .h sin θ − W .c cos θ = 0
g

 W 
W f = W .c cos θ − Rhx .hh − Rhz d h − a x h − DA .ha − W .h sin θ  / L
 g 
Similarly by taking moment about point B
 W 
Wr = W .b cos θ + Rhx .hh + Rhz (d h + L ) + a x h + DA .ha + W .h sin θ  / L
 g 
To be continued