Handling improvement & rollover mitigation by influencing load transfer

Abstract

The increasing popularity of SUVs in the global market has led to a corresponding increase in accidents and fatalities associated with these vehicles, particularly rollovers. Such incidents have raised concerns about the safety of SUVs and highlighted the need to develop effective strategies to mitigate their rollover propensity and handling limitations.

As such, this dissertation investigates various techniques to enhance SUV safety, with a particular focus on reducing their rollover propensity and improving their handling characteristics. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to identify the most effective strategies to improve SUV safety. Based on the findings, a control system was developed and modelled in simulation to alter the suspension characteristics and the ride height of the vehicle to improve its handling and reduce the risk of rollover.

The constant radius test was used to evaluate the control system's performance and determine the influence of changes in suspension characteristics and ride height on the vehicle's handling behaviour. The test revealed that changes in suspension characteristics and ride height significantly impact the vehicle's handling behaviour and lateral load transfer, leading to improved manoeuvrability and stability. The reduction in ride height was identified as an effective means of reducing the rollover propensity and improving the handling characteristics of SUVs, with promising results that warrant further investigation and implementation in real-world vehicles. Furthermore, the vehicle's lateral dynamics were tested using the double lane change, where an improvement is shown with a change in the suspension settings and after using anti-roll control. The vehicle was also tested for rollover using the Fishhook 1B test, where the characteristic speed of the vehicle was obtained by investigating the suspension configurations that allowed the vehicle to pass the test.

Overall, this research makes an important contribution to developing effective strategies for enhancing SUV safety by influencing vehicle load transfer, which is crucial for reducing the number of fatalities on the road.