DIRECTIONAL RESPONSE OF A TRACTOR TOWING A SEMITRAILER

This paper deals with the study of the directional behaviour of commercial vehicles. The close form solution of the transient and steady-state directional response of a tractor towing a semitrailer is developed and examined. The solution of the equations of motion of a tractor towing a semitrailer is based on separating the degrees of freedom of the tractor from those of the semitrailer, but the kinematic equilibrium at the hitch point (fifth wheel) has been satisfied, as well as the major effective semitrailer parameters being taken into account. The mathematical solution is validated by comparing the results obtained with those obtained from two well-known computer simulation models. (Author/TRRL)