Dr.

B Dayal
Dr. B Dayal
VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Study of dynamic behaviour of a vehicle on road surface is termed as
vehicle dynamics.
The dynamic behaviour is determined by the forces on the vehicle
from tyres, gravity and aerodynamics.
The vehicle and its components are studied to determine what
forces will be produced by each of these sources at a particular
maneuver condition.
How the vehicle will respond to these forces.
Vehicle dynamics is basically interaction of:
Driver
Vehicle
Road
Load
Environment
COMPONENTS OF VEHICLE
DYNAMICS
Components, attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics
include:
Automobile layout
Electronic stability control (ESC)
Steering
Suspension
Traction control system (TCS)
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Aerodynamic specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics are purely
aerodynamic. These include:
Automobile drag coefficient
Automotive aerodynamics
Center of pressure
Down force
Ground effect in cars
Geometry specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics are purely geometric.
These include:
Ackermann steering geometry
Camber angle
Caster angle
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Ride height
Roll center
Scrub radius
Steering ratio
Toe
Wheelbase
Mass specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics are
purely due to mass and its distribution. These include:
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Center of mass
Moment of inertia
Roll moment
Sprung mass
Unsprung mass
Weight distribution
Motion specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics are purely dynamic.
These include:
Body flex
Body roll
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Bump Steer
Directional stability
Critical speed
Noise, vibration, and harshness
Pitch
Ride quality
Roll
Speed wobble
Understeer, oversteer, lift-off oversteer, and fishtailing
Weight transfer and load transfer
Yaw
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Tire specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics can be
attributed directly to the tires. These include:
Camber thrust
Circle of forces
Contact patch
Cornering force
Ground pressure
Pneumatic trail
Radial Force Variation
Relaxation length
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Rolling resistance
Self aligning torque
Slip angle
Slip (vehicle dynamics)
Steering ratio
Tire load sensitivity
Roadway specific
Some attributes or aspects of vehicle dynamics can be attributed
directly to the roads on which they travel. These include:
Banked turn, cross slope, drainage gradient, and cant or super-
elevation
ATTRIBUTES OF VEHICLE DYNAMICS
Road slipperiness and Split friction
Surface roughness, International Roughness Index,
Profilograph, Texture
Driving techniques
Driving techniques which relate to, or improve the stability of vehicle
dynamics include:
Cadence braking
Threshold braking
Double declutching
Drifting (motorsport)
Handbrake turn
Heel-and-Toe
Left-foot braking
Opposite lock
Scandinavian flick

VEHICLE DYNAMICS MODELS
The dynamic behavior of vehicles can be analyzed in
several different ways.
Can be as straightforward as a simple spring mass
system, through a three-degree of freedom (DoF)
Using a multibody system simulation package such as
MSC ADAMS or Modelica.
Commercial packages such as CarSim
Often simulated with advanced controller designs
provided as software in the loop (SIL) with controller
design software such as Simulink, or with physical
hardware in the loop (HIL).
FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH TO
MODELLING
A motor vehicle is made up of many components within its exterior
envelope. For elementary analysis all components move together.
For example in braking. Thus, it can be represented as a one
lumped mass located at its center of gravity, with appropriate
mass and inertia properties.
For ride analysis it is often necessary to treat the wheels as
separate lumped masses.
For single mass representation, the vehicle is treated as a mass
concentrated at its CG. The point mass at the CG, with
appropriate moment of inertia, is dynamically equivalent to the
vehicle itself for all motions.
SAE VEHICLE AXIS SYSTEM
COORDINATE SYSTEMS
Vehicle fixed coordinate system.
On board, the vehicle motions are defined with referance to a right
hand orthogonal coordinate system, which originates at the CG
and travels with the vehicle.
X forward and on the longitudinal plane of symmetry
Y - Lateral out the right side of the vehicle
Z downward with respect to the vehicle
P roll velocity about the x axis
Q pitch velocity about the y axis.
r yaw velocity about the z axis.
Earth fixed coordinate system
vehicle attitude and trajectory through the course of a maneuver are
defined with respect to a right hand orthogonal system fixed on
earth. It is normally selected to coincide with the vehicle fixed
coordinate system at the point where the maneuver is started.
COORDINATE SYSTEMS
Earth fixed coordinate system.
X forward travel
Y travel to the right
Z vertical travel (positive downward)
heading angle (angle between x and X in the ground plane)
side slip angle (angle between x axis and the vehicle velocity vector)
course angle (the angle between the vehicles velocity vector and X
axis)

FUNDAMENTAL APPROACH TO
MODELING
Euler angles. Euler angles are determined by a sequence of three
angular relations.beginning at the earth fixed system, the axis
system is first rotated in yaw, then in pitch and then in roll to line
up with the vehicle fixed coordinate system. The three angles
obtained are euler angles.
Newtons second law.
Translational systems. The sum of the external forces acting on a body in a
given direction is equal to the product of its mass and the acceleration in
that direction.
F
x
= M . A
x

Rotational system. The sum of the torques acting on a body about a given
axis is equal to the product of its rotational moment of inertia and the
rotational acceleration about that axis.
T
x
= I
xx
.
x

DYNAMIC AXLE LOADS
W = Weight of the veh
If the vehicle is accelerating along the road, an equivalent
inertial force known as d Alembert force = W/g.a
x
acting
at the center of gravity opposite to the direction of the
acceleration.
W
f
and W
r
= tyre force normal to the road.
F
xf
and F
xr
= tractive force
R
xf
and R
xr
= rolling resistance acting in the ground plane
D
A
= aerodynamic force acting at a point at height h
a

R
hz
and R
hx
are vertical and longitudinal forces acting at
the hitch point when the vehicle is towing a trailer.
Taking the moments about A:
W
f
L + D
a
h
a
+ Wa
x
h/g + R
hx
h
h
+ R
hz
d
h
+ Wh sin Wccos = 0
An up hill altitude corresponds to +ve angle and downhill
altitude ve angle.
ARBITRARY FORCES ACTING ON A
VEHICLE
DYNAMIC AXLE LOADS
Taking the moments about A:
W
f
L + D
A
h
a
+ Wa
x
h/g + R
hx
h
h
+ R
hz
d
h
+ Wh sin Wccos = 0
An up hill altitude corresponds to +ve angle and downhill
altitude ve angle.
Similarly taking the moment about B:
W
r
L D
a
h
a
- Wa
x
h/g R
hx
h
h
- R
hz
(d
h
+L) - Wh sin Wbcos
= 0
Therefore axle load expression becomes:
W
f
= (Wccos - D
A
h
a
- Wa
x
h/g R
hx
h
h
R
hz
d
h
- Wh sin )/L
W
r
= (Wbcos +D
A
h
a
+Wa
x
h/g +R
hx
h
h
+R
hz
(d
h
+L) + Whsin )/L
Static loads on level ground
When the vehicle is on level ground and static, equation
becomes:
W
fs
= Wc / L
W
rs
= Wb / L

DYNAMIC AXLE LOADS
Low speed acceleration
D
A
= 0 and assuming no trailer hitch forces, the loads on the
axles are:
W
f
= W(c/L - a
x
h/gL) = W
fs
Wa
x
h/gl
W
r
= W(b/L + a
x
h/gL) = W
rs
+ Wa
x
h/gL
Thus when the vehocle accelerates, load is transferred from the
front axle to the rear axle in proportion to the acceleration
(normalized by g) and the ratio of the CG height to the wheel
base.
Loads on grades
Grade is defined as the rise over the run. The common grades
on interstate highways are limited to 4%. On primary and
secondary roads 12 to 14%. Thus
Cos 1and sin
Thus axle loads as influenced by the grades will be:
W
f
= W(c/L h/L) = W
fs
Wh/L
W
r
= W(b / L + h/L) = W
rs
+ Wh/L

Example problems
1. The curb weight of a continental 4 door sedan without
passengers or cargo are 2313 kg on the front axle and 1322 on the
rear. The wheel base 2800 mm. determine the fore / aft position of
the CG of the vehicle.
2. A taurus GL sedan with 3.0 L engine accelerates from a standing
start up a 6% grade at an acceleration of 1.83 m / sec
2
. find the
load distribution on the axles at this condition.
3. You are planning to buy a new mini van to pull your boat trailer
out to those long weekends at the lake. Although you like the new
front wheel drive (FWD) vans available, you are not sure a FWD
will be able to pull the boat up out of the water on some of the
steep access ramps you must use.
(a) derive the expression for the maximum grade it can climb
without wheel slippage (traction limited gradeability) for this
vehicle combination in a FWD, RWD and 4WD power train.
Assume the longitudinal acceleration is 0, neglect rolling
resistance, assume boat is clear of water and no buoyancy forces
on it, ignore any change in hitch height and use the small angle approximations.
(b) Calculate the maximum gradeability for these combinations on a ramp with a
coefficient of friction of 0.3, given the following information on the vehicle.
Van properties: front axle weight = 3400 kg; rear axle weight = 2550kg; CG height
= 625 mm; hitch height = 356 mm; hitch rear over hang = 584 mm; wheel base =
3000 mm
Combined boat / trailer properties: axle weight = 2688
kg; hitch load = 560 kg; wheel base = 2750 mm; CG
height = 875 mm.
PITCH ROLL
YAW