A yaw plane model with limited roll-DOF of a five-axle tractor semitrailer is developed to study the open-loop directional dynamics of the vehicle. A driver model incorporating path preview, low and high frequency compensatory gains and time delays, and prediction of the vehicle state, is developed and integrated with the vehicle model. The coupled model is analyzed to investigate the vehicle design, which could be best adapted in view of the control limits of different driver, which are identified in terms of preview distance, reaction time and compensatory gain. A performance index based upon the vehicle path tracking, directional response characteristics and the driver’s steering effort is formulated and minimized using Gauss-Newton method to derive the desirable ranges of vehicle parameters, that could be adapted for drivers with varying skills. It is concluded that the adaptability and thus the directional performance of the vehicle can be enhanced through variations in the weights and dimensions, and compliant properties of the suspension, tire and the fifth wheel. The results of the study suggest that a driver with superior driving skill can easily adapt a vehicle with relatively large size, soft suspension and higher degree of oversteer. The results further show that the driver-adapted vehicle yields up to 33 percent reduction in the steering effort demand posed on the driver, while the roll angle and yaw rate response decrease by up to 40 percent.

Issue Section:
Technical Papers
Keywords:
vehicles, adaptive systems, mechanical control equipment, design engineering
Topics:
Vehicles, Yaw, Tires
1.
McRuer
,
D. T.
, et al.,
1977
, “
New Results in Driver Steering Control Models
,”
Hum. Factors
,
19
, No.
4
, pp.
381
–
397
2.
Hess
,
R. A.
,
1990
, “
Model for Human Use of Motion Cues in Vehicular Control
,”
J. Guid. Control Dyn.
,
13
, No.
3
, pp.
476
–
482
.
3.
Guo
,
K.
, and
Guan
,
H.
,
1993
, “
Modeling of Driver/Vehicle Directional Control System
,”
Veh. Syst. Dyn.
,
22
, pp.
141
–
184
.
4.
Segel, L., 1970, “The Mechanics of Heavy Duty Trucks and Truck Combinations,” Chap. 17, The International Association for Vehicle Design, Aston Clinton, UK.
5.
MacAdam, C. C., et al., 1980, “A Computerized Model for Simulating the Braking and Steering Dynamics of Trucks, Tractor-Semitrailers, Doubles, and Triples Combinations, User’s Manual, Phase 4,” MVMA Project 1197, UM-HSRI-80-58.
6.
Gillespie, T. D., and MacAdam, C. C., 1982, Report UMTRI-82-39, Constant Velocity Yaw/Roll program, User’s Manual.
7.
Mathew, A., 1986, “Simple Models, User’s Manual,” UMTRI.
8.
El-Gindy
,
M.
, and
Wong
,
J. Y.
,
1987
, “
A Comparison of Various Computer Simulation Models for Predicting the Directional Response of Articulated Vehicles
,”
Veh. Syst. Dyn.
,
16
, pp.
249
–
268
.
9.
Wong, J. Y., 1993, Theory of Ground Vehicles, Wiley, 2nd Ed.
10.
Kondo, M., et al., 1968, “Driver’s Sight Point and Dynamics of Driver/Vehicle System Related to It,” SAE Paper No. 680104.
11.
Yoshimoto, K., 1968, “Simulation of Driver/Vehicle System Including Preview Control,” J. Mec. Soc. Jpn., 71.
12.
MacAdam
,
C. C.
,
1981
, “
Application of an Optimal Preview Control for Simulation of Closed-Loop Automobile Driving
,”
IEEE Trans. Syst. Man Cybern.
,
SMC-11
, No.
6
, pp.
393
–
399
.
13.
Modjtahedzadeh
,
A.
, and
Hess
,
R. A.
,
1993
, “
A Model of Driver Steering Control Behavior for Use in Assessing Vehicle Handling Qualities
,”
J. Dyn. Syst., Meas., Control
,
115
, pp.
456
–
464
.
14.
Yang
,
X.
,
Rakheja
,
S.
, and
Stiharu
,
I.
,
1997
, “
Study of Control Characteristics of an Articulated Vehicle Driver
,”
Heavy Veh. Syst. Int. J. Veh. Des.
,
4
, Nos.
2–4
, pp.
373
–
397
.
15.
Weir
,
D. H.
, and
McRuer
,
D. T.
,
1970
, “
Dynamics of Driver Vehicle Steering Control
,”
Automatica
,
6
, pp.
87
–
98
.
16.
Leviso, W. H., and Junker, A. M., 1977, “A Model for the Pilot’s Use of Motion Cues in Steady-State Roll-Axis Tracking Tasks,” Aerospace Medical Research Laboratory, AMRL-TR-77-40, pp. 149–159.
17.
McRuer, D. T., et al., 1968, “New Approaches to Human-Pilot/Vehicle Dynamic Analysis,” AFFDL-TR-67-150.
18.
Weir, D. H., and McRuer, D. T., 1973, “Measurement and Interpretation of Driver/Vehicle System Dynamic Response,” Hum. Factors, 15, No. 4.
19.
McRuer
,
D. T.
, and
Schmidt
,
D. K.
,
1990
, “
Pilot-Vehicle Analysis of Multiaxis Tasks
,”
J. Guid. Control Dyn.
,
13
, No.
2
, pp.
348
–
355
.
20.
Billing
,
A. M.
,
1982
, “
Rollover Tests of Double Trailer Combinations,” Ontario Ministry of Transportation and Communications
, Report No. TVS-CV-82-114.
21.
Ervin, R. D., 1983, “The Influence of Size and Weight Variables on the Roll Stability of Heavy Duty Trucks,” SAE Paper 831163.
22.
Guo, K. H., 1991, Vehicle Handling Dynamics, Jilin Press of Science & Technology, pp. 531–533.
23.
Perchonok, K., and Pollack, L., 1981, “Luminous Requirements for Traffic Signs,” Contract No. FHWA-RD-81-158, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
24.
Olson, P. L., 1989, “Driver Perception Response Time,” SAE Paper 890731.
25.
Hoffmann
,
E. R.
, and
Joubert
,
P. N.
,
1966
, “
The Effect of Changes in Some Vehicle Handling Variables on Driver Steering Performance
,”
Hum. Factors
,
8
, pp.
245
–
263
.
26.
Mourant, R. R., Rockwell, T. H., and Rackoff, N. J., 1970, “Drivers’ Eye Movements and Visual Workload,” Highway Res. Rec., 292.
27.
Reid
,
L. D.
, et al.,
1981
, “
A Systematic Study of Driver Steering Behavior
,”
Ergonomics
,
24
, No.
6
, pp.
447
–
462
.
28.
Yang, X., 1999, “A Closed-Loop Driver/Vehicle Directional Dynamics Predictor,” Ph.D. Thesis, Concordia University, Canada.
29.
Lin
,
R. C.
,
Cebon
,
D.
, and
Cole
,
D. J.
,
1996
, “
Optimal Roll Control of a Single-Unit Lorry
,”
Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., Part D (J. Automob. Eng.)
,
210
, pp.
45
–
55
.
30.
Apetaur, M., and Opicka, F., 1991, “Assessment of the Driver’s Effort in Typical Driving Maneuvers for Different Vehicle Configurations and Management,” Proceedings of 12th IAVSD Symposium, held in Lyon, France, Aug. 26–30, pp. 42–56
31.
Hancock
,
P.
, and
Parasuraman
,
R.
,
1992
, “
Human Factors and Safety in the Design of Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems (IVHS)
,”
J. Safety Res.
,
23
, No.
4
, pp.
181
–
198
.
32.
Clarke, R. M., 1987, “Vehicle Factors in Accidents Involving Heavy Freight Vehicles,” Symposium sur le Ro^le des Poids Lourds dans les Accidents de la Circulation, OCDE, Montreal, Quebec.
33.
Mayenburg, M., et al., 1995, Truck Safety Technology for 21st Century, SAE Paper 952260.
34.
Pflug
,
H. C.
,
1986
, “
Lateral Dynamic Behavior of Truck-Trailer Combinations due to the Influence of the Load
,”
Veh. Syst. Dyn.
,
15
, pp.
155
–
175
.
35.
Fancher, P. S., 1989, “Directional Dynamics Considerations for Multi-Articulated, Multi-Axled Heavy Vehicles,” SAE Paper 892499.
36.
Kuester, J. L., and Mize, J. H., 1973, Optimization Techniques with FORTRAN, McGraw-Hill, New York.
37.
Rakheja
,
S.
,
Vallurupalli
,
R. K.
, and
Woodrooffe
,
J.
,
1995
, “
Influence of Articulation Damping on the Yaw and Lateral Dynamic Response of the Vehicle
,”
J. Heavy Veh. Syst.
,
2
, No.
2
, pp.
105
–
123
.
38.
Pacejka, H. B., and Bakker, E., 1991, “The Magic Formula Tire Model,” Proceedings of the 1st International Colloquium on Tire Models for Vehicle Dynamics Analysis, held in Delft, the Netherlands, pp. 1–18, Oct. 2–22.
Copyright © 2001
 by ASME
You do not currently have access to this content.