An analytical study of the performance indices of articulated truck semi-trailer during three different cases to improve the driver comfort

Abstract

Heavy trucks are mostly used for international transportations, with longer highways and long driving hours contributing to corresponding increases in the driver’s fatigue that is related to accidents. Therefore, this study aims to improve the truck ride performance using multistage leaf springs and semi-active suspension for the driver seat. This analytical study describes the influence of the truck main suspensions on the performance indices analytically using MATLAB Simulink for different loading conditions in three case studies: fully laden articulated truck (case A), unladen truck (case B), and empty semi-trailer and a multistage leaf springs is considered after designing the main leaf spring stiffness based on particle swarm optimization (case C). This study exhibits a contribution based on the fact that changing the trailer cargo weight has considerable effects on the natural frequency of the vibration modes of the vehicle system, particularly for articulated carriage. Subsequently, the influence of the dynamic interaction of an articulated vehicle between the semitrailer and the tractor on its ride behavior has been investigated. The model has also predicted the effect of total trailer cargo on performance indices for 13 degrees of freedom model of a 6-axle articulated truck semi-trailer vehicle with a random road excitation. Additionally, a semi-active driver seat suspension based on skyhook strategy and seat passive suspension are compared in terms of the power spectral density and root mean square values. The results showed that the truck ride performance is improved significantly, and all the acceleration responses are suppressed dramatically when a designed multistage leaf spring suspension is considered in case C. The current analysis demonstrated that using specific and adjustable suspension parameters can positively enhance the riding behavior of the unladen vehicle. The results showed that the cab, tractor, and trailer acceleration improved by 22%, 21%, and 28%, respectively, which provides a comfort driving trip essentially for long distance traveling.