Title: Comparing road profiles with vehicle perceived roughness

Authors: Kjell Ahlin, Johan Granlund, Fredrik Lindstrom

Addresses: Axiom EduTech AB/Blekinge Institute of Technology, Box 2822, S-18728, Taby, Sweden. ' Pavement Engineering Division, Swedish National Road Administration, Consulting Services, Roda Vagen 1, S-781 87 Borlange, Sweden. ' Pavement Engineering Division, Swedish National Road Administration, Consulting Services, Roda Vagen 1, S-781 87 Borlange, Sweden

Abstract: Accurate road profiles are useful in vehicle design, such as for simulation of durability and ride quality. Laser/inertial profilometers typically record 1mm wide profiles. The question is how well such a profile matches perceived vehicle wheel roughness. The objective here was to create a more representative wheel track longitudinal profile. Simulated and measured wheel vibration was compared on a 6km long road. Simulations were made for several definitions of the profile. Results for single laser sensor profiles showed reasonable likeness to truck perceived roughness. By far the best likeness (14.5% better) was achieved when the profile was based on triangular 25%-50%-25% weighted data from three sensors in the wheel track. Clearly, vehicle engineers can benefit from using multiple laser profile sensors, instead of a single sensor. This will improve test accuracy, thus reducing vehicle design project lead times and costs.

Keywords: footprint; laser sensors; multiple sensors; multi-sensor systems; perceived roughness; profilometer; road profiles; vehicle design; simulation; ride quality; vehicle wheel roughness; wheel track longitudinal profile; wheel vibration; test accuracy.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2004.005360

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2004 Vol.36 No.2/3, pp.270 - 286

Published online: 28 Sep 2004 *

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