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

Authors: Subhash Rakheja; Dongpu Cao; Zhanqi Wang

Addresses: CONCAVE Research Centre, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada. ' Department of Engineering, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK. ' CONCAVE Research Centre, Concordia University, Montreal H3G 1M8, Canada

Abstract: 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.

Keywords: urban bus ride; urban buses; vehicle vibration; full-vehicle modelling; model validation; ride dynamics; road friendliness; operating parameters; suspension components; vehicle suspension; tyres; ride comfort; vehicle speed; tyre inflation pressure; vehicle load; road roughness; urban infrastructure; vehicle structure; vehicle safety; driver safety; roads; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2011.045769

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2011 Vol.57 No.4, pp.305 - 332

Received: 28 Feb 2010
Accepted: 07 Jul 2010
Published online: 15 Apr 2015 *

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