Influence Mechanism of Trailer Suspension Damping Characteristics on the Dynamic Stability of Car-trailer Combinations

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.20.213

Abstract

Abstract: The study of handling stability in vehicle system dynamics generally focuses on the steady-state response in horizontal plane dynamics. The transient response and the dynamic stability of articulated vehicles is investigated in this research, with specific focus on the car trailer combination. The damping characteristics of shock absorber in trailer suspension is investigated to determined the impact on the dynamic stability of car trailer combination and the potential dynamics coupling behavior in high-speed maneuver is revealed. Firstly, a 5-DOF extended single track model incorporating roll dynamics is developed, and the yaw damping ratio and dynamic critical speed are analyzed on this basis. Secondly, the dynamics of the system is revealed based on the vibration theory, and the influence of the roll dynamics to the yaw dynamics is analyzed. Finally, a simulation was conducted to obtain the variation curve of the dynamic critical speed with respect to damping coefficient of the trailer suspension, which indicates the influence of roll dynamics on the dynamic stability of the car-trailer combination. The simulation results indicate that as the damping coefficient c₂ increases from 0.5 kNs/m to 6 kNs/m, the dynamic critical speed of decreases from 122.2 km/h to 121 km/h. This study provides a theoretical basis for the design of trailer suspension to enhance the dynamic stability of the car trailer combination.

Key words: car-trailer combinations, articulated vehicle, suspension shock absorber, dynamic stability, dynamics coupling

CLC Number:

U461

ZHANG Ning, WANG Haotan, WANG Zhiyu, ZHANG Qianchen, WANG Cheng, YIN Guodong, LI Pu. Influence Mechanism of Trailer Suspension Damping Characteristics on the Dynamic Stability of Car-trailer Combinations[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(20): 213-222.

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