Title: Path compliance in lane-change tests designed to evaluate rearward amplification

Authors: J. Preston-Thomas, M. El-Gindy

Addresses: Centre for Surface Transportation Technology, National Research Council Canada. ' Pennsylvania Transportation Institute, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Research Office Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA

Abstract: An ISO working group is currently developing a proposal for a standard to evaluate the rearward amplification of heavy combination vehicles. The work is being conducted in the wake of recent efforts that established an SAE Recommended Practice on the same subject. The SAE RP identifies a physical lane-change manoeuvre designed to apply a sinusoidal lateral acceleration to a tractor that closely follows the path, and it then defines the manner in which measurements of tractor and trailer lateral accelerations can be used to estimate rearward amplification. The ISO proposal is expected to mirror this SAE manoeuvre very closely. Both the SAE RP and the ISO proposal identify an allowable path tolerance whereby an individual test is deemed successful if the tractor steer-axle follows the prescribed path within ±150 mm. This paper uses a variety of physical test results and computer simulations to demonstrate the degree to which the magnitude of this tolerance affects the uncertainty of the test results, and it shows that consideration should be given to using a path tolerance that is a function of the desired path frequency and amplitude.

Keywords: heavy vehicles; lane-change tests; path compliance; rearward amplification.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHVS.1998.054600

International Journal of Heavy Vehicle Systems, 1998 Vol.5 No.1, pp.25 - 44

Published online: 18 Jun 2013 *

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