Title: Dynamics of double bottom commercial vehicles

Authors: M.J. Vanderploeg, J.E. Bernard

Addresses: The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA. ' The University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA

Abstract: The subject of this paper is the double bottom commercial vehicle which, in some configurations, has had severe stability problems. Through a literature review and linear analysis, it is shown that in the so-called Michigan Double configuration the pup trailer behaves in a volatile way in a lane change manoeuvre. Various design alternatives are shown to offer some improvement. The best design, from a directional response point of view, is clearly the so-called Canadian Double, which is a tractor-semitrailer-semitrailer configuration. The subject is then briefly analyzed from a point of view of rollover using quasi-static assumptions. The analysis indicates that striking gains in roll stability may be attained by roll coupling the pup trailer to the semitrailer, a characteristic inherent in the design of the Canadian Double.

Keywords: articulated vehicles; Canadian Double; dolly; double bottom tankers; eigen-value analysis; four point hitch; frequency response; lane change manoeuvres; lateral acceleration; pup trailers; roll-coupling; rollover analysis; semitrailers; transient analysis.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.1985.061335

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 1985 Vol.6 No.2, pp.139 - 148

Published online: 25 May 2014 *

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