Abstract
Active dynamics control ensures improved safety for future commercial vehicles that already exists in passenger cars. Added to the yaw instability, manoeuvre-induced rollover may occur.
Therefore, when designing a combined yaw/roll stability system, improved knowledge of rollover characteristics is required.
Two types of rollovers occur in single accidents; tripped and un-tripped. The former when a vehicle strikes the curb or an obstacle but the latter usually results from an abrupt manoeuvre, often occurring in highway ramps and roundabouts: is the main object of this investigation.
Based on potential and kinetic energy, a dynamic rollover energy margin, DRM is proposed and used as an indicator of roll stability. If DRM approaches zero, rollover may occur spontaneously unless correcting action is taken.
DRM facilitates steady state as well as dynamic studies; simulations and experimental results revealing its accuracy in rollover prediction. Furthermore, the potential energy possesses interesting qualities, where in an analytical model, saddle-points in the potential energy function can be found; clearly defining rollover using classical stability theory.