TY - JOUR

T1 - Urban bus driver ride and road-friendliness. Part I: model development and role of operating parameters

AU - Rakheja, Subhash

AU - Cao, Dongpu

AU - Wang, Zhanqi

PY - 2011

Y1 - 2011

N2 - This study explores the driver-ride and road-friendliness characteristics of an urban bus through model derivation and validation, sensitivity analysis, suspension damping optimisation and field assessments. Part I of the study develops a three-dimensional urban bus model by integrating non-linear models of suspension components and tyres that were derived from laboratory-measured data. The vehicle model is validated through field tests, and employed for sensitivity analyses of different operating parameters, including forward speed, tyre inflation pressure, vehicle load and road roughness. The results demonstrate significant roles of these parameters on the dynamic responses relating to driver ride and road-friendliness, which are coupled in a complex manner. The results suggest that measures related to sustainability of urban infrastructure and vehicle structure, together with the health and safety of the drivers, are directly coupled in light of the road roughness. The validated full-vehicle model is further employed for suspension damping design optimisation and its field assessments, which are presented in Part II of the study.

AB - This study explores the driver-ride and road-friendliness characteristics of an urban bus through model derivation and validation, sensitivity analysis, suspension damping optimisation and field assessments. Part I of the study develops a three-dimensional urban bus model by integrating non-linear models of suspension components and tyres that were derived from laboratory-measured data. The vehicle model is validated through field tests, and employed for sensitivity analyses of different operating parameters, including forward speed, tyre inflation pressure, vehicle load and road roughness. The results demonstrate significant roles of these parameters on the dynamic responses relating to driver ride and road-friendliness, which are coupled in a complex manner. The results suggest that measures related to sustainability of urban infrastructure and vehicle structure, together with the health and safety of the drivers, are directly coupled in light of the road roughness. The validated full-vehicle model is further employed for suspension damping design optimisation and its field assessments, which are presented in Part II of the study.

KW - urban bus ride

KW - urban buses

KW - vehicle vibration

KW - full-vehicle modelling

KW - model validation

KW - ride dynamics

KW - road friendliness

KW - operating parameters

KW - suspension components

KW - vehicle suspension

KW - tyres

KW - ride comfort

KW - vehicle speed

KW - tyre inflation pressure

KW - vehicle load

KW - road roughness

KW - urban infrastructure

KW - vehicle structure

KW - vehicle safety

KW - driver safety

KW - roads

KW - vehicle design

U2 - 10.1504/IJVD.2011.045769

DO - 10.1504/IJVD.2011.045769

M3 - Journal article

VL - 57

SP - 305

EP - 332

JO - International Journal of Vehicle Design

JF - International Journal of Vehicle Design

SN - 0143-3369

IS - 4

ER -