Este trabalho traz um estudo de veículos rodoviários articulados pesados durante o processo de freagem incluindo uma revisão bibliográfica sobre aspectos humanos, ambientais, legais, veiculares e operacionais relacionados com o desempenho, a estabilidade e a segurança veicular e uma descrição da técnica dos mapas de desempenho. Tal técnica é original e inovadora e foi desenvolvida através de modelo matemático e respectivo programa computacional para analisar o desempenho e a estabilidade de veículo-trator-semi-reboque durante a freagem em trecho retilíneo. Com esta técnica é possível obter o desempenho e a estabilidade direcional de veículos articulados pesados na freagem, obedecendo as restrições geométricas do veículo-trator-semi-reboque e de peso estabelecidas pelo fabricante e pela legislação, para todas as condições de carregamento e qualquer condição operacional. Os resultados teórico-experimentais que validaram o modelo matemático adotado também são mostrados neste trabalho. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o apolo da Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, resultando numa integração entre Empresa e Universidade que trouxe uma contribuição efetiva para o uso do veículo-trator-semi-reboque com maior eficiência, e segurança, unindo esforços da Empresa e da Universidade em prol da segurança veicular e do desenvolvimento tecnológico do Brasil. / This work describes a study of articulated heavy vehicles during braking process including the state-of-the-art of human, environmental, legal, vehicular and operational aspects related with performance, stability and vehicular safety and a description of performance charts technique. This technique is original and innovative and was developed with mathematical model and related computer program to analize the tractor-semi-trailer performance and stability during the braking process in a straight line path. With this technique is possible to obtain the performance and directional stability of articulated heavy vehicles during braking process, obeying the geometrical restrictions of the tractor-semi-trailer and the legal and maker\'s weight restrictions, for all states of loading and any operational conditions. The theoretical-experimental results that validated the mathematical model adopted are also shown in this work. This work was developed with the support of Mercedes-Benz of Brazil, resulting in a Company and University integration that brought an effective contribution for the more efficient and safe use of tractor-semi-trailer, enlarging the Company and University efforts to the benefit of vehicular safety and technological development in Brazil.

Multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles (MTAHVs) exhibit unstable motion modes at high speeds, including jack-knifing, trailer swing, and roll-over. These unstable motion modes may lead to fatal accidents. On the other hand, these vehicle combinations have poor maneuverability at low speeds. Of all contradictory design criteria of MTAHVs, the trade-off relationship between the maneuverability at low speeds and the lateral stability at high speeds is the most important and fundamental. This trade-off relationship has not been adequately addressed. The goal of this research is to address this trade-off relationship through the design optimization of MTAHVs with active safety systems. A parallel design optimization (PDO) method is developed and applied to the design of MTAHVs with integrated active safety systems, which involve active trailer steering (ATS) control, anti-roll (AR) control, differential braking (BD) control, and a variety of combinations of these three control strategies. To derive model-based controllers, a single-trailer articulated heavy vehicle (STAHV) model with 5 degrees of freedom (DOF) and a MTAHV model with 7 DOF are generated. The vehicle models are validated with those derived using a commercial software package, TruckSim, in order to examine their applicability for the design optimization of MTAHVs with active safety systems. The PDO method is implemented to perform the concurrent design of the plant (vehicle model) and controllers. To simulate the closed-loop testing maneuvers, a driver model is developed and it is used to drive the virtual vehicle following the prescribed path. Case studies indicate that the PDO method is effective for identifying desired design variables and predicting performance envelopes in the early design stages of MTAHVs with active safety systems. / UOIT

Este trabalho traz um estudo de veículos rodoviários articulados pesados durante o processo de freagem incluindo uma revisão bibliográfica sobre aspectos humanos, ambientais, legais, veiculares e operacionais relacionados com o desempenho, a estabilidade e a segurança veicular e uma descrição da técnica dos mapas de desempenho. Tal técnica é original e inovadora e foi desenvolvida através de modelo matemático e respectivo programa computacional para analisar o desempenho e a estabilidade de veículo-trator-semi-reboque durante a freagem em trecho retilíneo. Com esta técnica é possível obter o desempenho e a estabilidade direcional de veículos articulados pesados na freagem, obedecendo as restrições geométricas do veículo-trator-semi-reboque e de peso estabelecidas pelo fabricante e pela legislação, para todas as condições de carregamento e qualquer condição operacional. Os resultados teórico-experimentais que validaram o modelo matemático adotado também são mostrados neste trabalho. Este trabalho foi desenvolvido com o apolo da Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, resultando numa integração entre Empresa e Universidade que trouxe uma contribuição efetiva para o uso do veículo-trator-semi-reboque com maior eficiência, e segurança, unindo esforços da Empresa e da Universidade em prol da segurança veicular e do desenvolvimento tecnológico do Brasil. / This work describes a study of articulated heavy vehicles during braking process including the state-of-the-art of human, environmental, legal, vehicular and operational aspects related with performance, stability and vehicular safety and a description of performance charts technique. This technique is original and innovative and was developed with mathematical model and related computer program to analize the tractor-semi-trailer performance and stability during the braking process in a straight line path. With this technique is possible to obtain the performance and directional stability of articulated heavy vehicles during braking process, obeying the geometrical restrictions of the tractor-semi-trailer and the legal and maker\'s weight restrictions, for all states of loading and any operational conditions. The theoretical-experimental results that validated the mathematical model adopted are also shown in this work. This work was developed with the support of Mercedes-Benz of Brazil, resulting in a Company and University integration that brought an effective contribution for the more efficient and safe use of tractor-semi-trailer, enlarging the Company and University efforts to the benefit of vehicular safety and technological development in Brazil.

Some of the results of an extensive track testing program at the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS) at Virginia Tech for evaluating the roll stability of commercial trucks with 33-ft A-double trailers are evaluated. The study includes straight-rail trailers with heavy and light loading conditions. Commercial trucks are more susceptible to rollovers than passenger cars because of their higher center of gravity relative to their track width. Multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles, such as A-doubles, are particularly prone to rollovers because of their articulation and rearward amplification. Electronic stability control (ESC) has been mandated by the National Highway Safety Administration (NHSTA) for Class 8 trucks and busses since 2017. When detecting oversteer or understeer, ESC automatically activates the brakes at the correct side of the steer and/or drive axle(s) to regain steering stability. ESC, however, often cannot sense the likelihood of trailer rollover in multi-trailer articulated heavy vehicles because of the articulation between the trailers and tractors. As a result of this, trailers are often equipped with roll stability control (RSC) systems to mitigate speed-induced rollovers. Sensing the trailer lateral acceleration, RSC activates the trailer brakes to reduce speed and lower the likelihood of rollover. However, a limited number of past studies have shown that the trailer roll angle may provide an earlier indication of a pending rollover than the lateral acceleration. This study intends to provide further analysis in this regard in an effort to improve the effectiveness of RSC systems for trailers. An extensive amount of data from track testing with a 33-ft A-double under heavy and light loading is evaluated. Particular attention is given to lateral accelerations and trailer roll angles prior to rollover and relative to RSC activation time. The study's results indicate that the trailer roll angle provides a slightly earlier indication of rollover than lateral acceleration during dynamic driving conditions, potentially resulting in a timelier activation of RSC. Of course, detecting the roll angle is often more challenging than lateral acceleration, which can be detected with an accelerometer. Additionally, the roll angle measurement may be subjected to errors and possibly unwanted RSC engagement. The study's results further indicate that the trailer-based RSC systems effectively mitigate rollovers in both quasi-steady-state and dynamic driving conditions. / Master of Science / Some of the results of an extensive track testing program at the Center for Vehicle Systems and Safety (CVeSS) at Virginia Tech for evaluating the roll stability of commercial trucks with 33-ft A-double trailers are evaluated. "33-ft A-doubles" commonly refer to a commercial truck that has a tractor with two trailers (in this case 33-ft in length) that are connected by an A-dolly. Their modularity and ease of connecting and disconnecting at various drop stations have made such commercial vehicles a common scene on U.S. highways due to the proliferation of e-commerce cargo. Compared to a single-unit or tractor semi-trailer combination, the double- or triple-trailer configurations offer several logistical benefits that make them more advantageous. The multi-trailer vehicles can carry more cargo per driver, lowering driver, fuel, and equipment costs significantly. There are, however, some challenges to operating multi-trailer articulated vehicles. On average, their accidents are more expensive than single-trailer or single-unit trucks. Additionally, they are more susceptible to rolling over and causing property damage, injuries, and at times fatalities. To reduce rollovers, systems with automated braking, called roll stability control (RSC), are often installed on the trailers. RSC applies the trailer brakes if it senses that the vehicle speed — the primary cause of most commercial vehicle accidents — exceeds the safe limit for negotiating a turn. In this study, we intend to evaluate the effectiveness of roll stability control (RSC) systems for reducing the likelihood of speed-induced rollovers. We will also explore ways of improving their performance. Namely, we will evaluate whether sensing the lateral acceleration of the trailer or its roll angle would provide a better means for timely activation of RSC. The study's results indicate that, although more challenging to measure, the trailer roll angle provides a slightly sooner indication of a pending rollover than lateral acceleration. The results also suggest that RSC systems vastly reduce the number of speed-induced rollovers in trucks with 33-ft A-double trailers under different trailer configurations and cargo weights.