Identification of a multivariable linear model for road vehicle (bus) dynamics from test data

The paper deals with the identification of a multivariable linear model for commercial road vehicles from the measured stress response arising in given structural elements due to stochastic road profile excitation. A special representation of the system transfer matrix is used as a model which makes possible the direct identification of the poles and the estimation of the number of natural frequencies. The parameters in the system and output noise model are estimated by the maximum likelihood method. The measurements were carried out on a laminated spring suspension bus. Models of the vehicle were identified for various speed levels and variances of road profile excitation process.