Indice

1   Short historical notes on motor vehicles

    1.1 Ground vehicles with mechanical propulsion

    1.2 Vehicles on wheels from prehistory to the end of the Roman Empire

    1.3 From the Reinaissance to the industrial revolution

    1.4 Motor vehicles in XIX century

    1.5 The age of motor cars

2   Forces acting between road and wheel

    2.1 Structure of pneumatic tires

    2.2 Contact pressure and stiffness

    2.3 Rolling radius

    2.4 Rolling resistance

    2.5 Tractive and braking forces

    2.6 Cornering forces

    2.7 Interaction between longitudinal and side forces

    2.8 Dynamic behaviour of tires

    2.9 Experimental study of the characteristics of tires

3   Road vehicle aerodynamics

    3.1 General considerations

    3.2 Aerodynamic field

    3.3 Aerodynamic drag

    3.4 Aerodynamic lift and pitching moment

    3.5 Side force, rolling and yawing moments

    3.6 Study of aerodynamic forces and moments

4   Longitudinal dynamics

    4.1 Load distribution on the ground

    4.2 Steady state motion on straight road

    4.3 Vehicle take-off from rest

    4.4 Acceleration

    4.5 Fuel consumption in actual driving conditions

    4.6 Electric and hybrid vehicles

    4.7 Braking on straight road

    4.8 An outline on standards for braking systems

5   Handling of a rigid vehicle

    5.1 Trajectory control in road vehicles

    5.2 Low-speed or kinematic steering

    5.3 Simplified model: Ideal steering

    5.4 High-speed cornering of a rigid vehicle

    5.5 Linearized handling model

    5.6 Linearized steady state directional behaviour

    5.7 Stability of the vehicle

    5.8 Unstationary motion

    5.9 Vehicles with two steering axles (4WS)

    5.10 Model with 4 degrees of freedom for articulated vehicles

    5.11 Linearized model for articulated vehicles

    5.12 Multibody articulated vehicles

    5.13 Limits of linearized models

    5.14 Semilinearized models

    5.15 Vehicle-driver interaction

6  Motor vehicle on elastic suspensions

    6.1 An overview of the different types of suspensions

    6.2 Generalized coordinates for rotations

    6.3 Model for an insulated vehicle

    6.4 Linearized model for an insulated vehicle

    6.5 Uncoupling between handling and ride

    6.6 Handling of a vehicle on elastic suspensions

    6.7 Ride comfort

    6.8 Quarter-car models

    6.9 Bounce and pitch motions

    6.10 Rolling motions

    6.11 Models of deformable vehicles

    6.12 Gyroscopic moments and other second-order effects

    6.13 Excitation sources

    6.14 Concluding remarks on ride comfort

    6.15 Simple model for the handling of motorcycles

7  Road accidents

    7.1 Vehicle collison: Impulsive model

    7.2 Vehicle collison: Advanced model

    7.3 Motion after the collision

    7.4 Rollover

    7.5 Motion of transported objects during the impact

Appendix A

Beginning with a brief history of land based transportation vehicles from prehistory to the present and proceeding to a thorough discussion of modern motor vehicle dynamics, the author provides an interesting and comprehensive treatment of a very complicated subject. As the title suggests, the emphasis is on deriving mathematical models that simulate vehicle dynamics to at least a first approximation. The level of mathematics should be understandable to junior and senior engineering students and to any engineer. No problem sets are provided, making the book more suitable as a technical reference than a textbook, though it could be used for a senior - or graduate - level course in the subject.

Topics covered include tractive, cornering, and braking forces between wheel and road, and dynamic characteristics of tires. Aerodynamic drag and its effect on vehicle performance and economy are presented along with a discussion of the effects of streamlining. The chapter on longitudinal dynamics deals with articulated, multiaxle vehicles as well as with single-chassis vehicles. Handling, cornering, and stability of both rigid and articulated vehicles are modeled with single- and multi-dof models. Passive and active vehicle suspension systems are described. The effects of elastic suspensions on vehicle ride and handling are modeled as multi-dof systems as well as by simplified single-dof systems. Sources of system excitation (road, internal) are discussed. A simple model of motorcycle handling is also developed.

Finally, the author tackles the difficult problem of modeling collisions between vehicles and between a vehicle and an obstacle, using both an impulsive model that assumes that the impact event occurs in a vanishingly short time, and a model that considers changes in displacement, velocity, and acceleration during a short but finite impact period. The effects of vehicle rollover and second impacts of objects carried within the vehicle are also addressed. This last chapter may be of particular interest to engineers involved in forensic accident reconstruction and litigation.

Throughout the book, empirical data as well as mathematical analysis are presented for most topics. Many useful charts and graphs of test results are provided. The index and bibliography could be more complete and extensive. The book is generally well written. The occasional minor errors in grammar and syntax (which no doubt stem from the fact that the author's native language is not English) do not detract at all from its readability and understandability. This reviewer found it quite enjoyable to read and full of useful information. Motor Vehicle Dynamics: Modeling and Simulation would be a good addition to the bookshelf of any engineer with an interest in vehicle dynamics or general automotive technology.

(L Norton, Applied Mechanics Review)