Vehicle Train Lateral Stability Based on the Scale Model

1. Abstract The vehicle train is a complex system in which tractor and trailer interacted and coupled with each other, and the analysis on the lateral stability is related to several fields such as multi-body dynamics, rigid-flexible coupling mechanics, aerodynamics, nonlinear kinematics, electronic controllability etc. The principle of vehicle dynamics with the scale model theory was used to develop the mathematical model of the lateral stability to vehicle train, the similarity between the semi-trailer combination and the model was analyzed. Tests on snaking characteristic of the scale model of tractor-trailer were carried out at the different velocity and the structure parameters. And in this paper, the effects of use and structure parameters on the tractor-trailer lateral stability were discussed by comparing the results of the scale model test with the digital simulation. The results indicated that the mathematical simulation and scale model test simulation have the same quality so as to develop the feasibility of improving the capability of test and reverse-deducing to real tractor-trailer combination.