ME4214

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE

ME4214 VEHICLE DYNAMICS

(Semester I : AY2012/2013)

Time Allowed : 2 Hours

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

1. This examination paper contains THREE (3) questions and comprises FOUR (4)
printed pages.

2. Answer ALL THREE (3) questions.

3. This is an OPEN-BOOK EXAMINATION.

4. Programmable calculators are NOT allowed for this examination.

 PAGE 2 ME4214

QUESTION 1

A half car model is represented by a rigid mass-less beam of length L and is supported on
front and rear suspensions (spring stiffness K and damping constant C) as shown in Figure 1.
The mass of the front half of the car is Mf and its c.g. is located at a distance a from the
centerline while the mass of the rear half of the car is Mr and its c.g. is located at a distance
b from the centerline. The system is excited by a force F(t) = F0ejt also at distance a
from the centerline.

(a) Derive the equations of motion for this system at the center of the wheel base, using
either (i) Newtons law of motion or (ii) Lagrange method and present them in matrix
form.
(15 marks)

(b) Find the natural frequencies (eigen-values) and mode shapes (eigen-vectors) of the
system for the following parameters

L = 3 m, a = 1 m, b = 1 m, Mf = 1000 Kg, Mr = 800 Kg, C = 4000 Ns/m, K = 40000

N/m
(15 marks)

(c) Determine the expressions for the transfer functions: displacement/F0 and rotation/F0
if Mf = Mr = 1000 Kg and other parameters remain the same. Also, determine the
maximum magnitude of these transfer functions
(15 marks)

(d) Based on your answer in (c) determine the maximum values of the transfer functions:
acceleration/F0 and angular acceleration/F0
(5 marks)

Figure 1
 PAGE 3 ME4214

QUESTION 2

(a) A front wheel steering vehicle is given a steering angle of 10 while maintaining a
constant forward speed of 20 m/s. Determine the steady state lateral speed and yaw
rate.

The vehicle characteristics are given as follows.

Mass of vehicle = 1500 kg

Moment of inertia about vertical axis = 1200 kg m2
Distance of front axle from center of mass = 1.25 m
Distance of rear axle from center of mass = 1.2 m
Front wheel tire lateral force coefficient, CfL = CfR = 35 kN/rad
Rear wheel tire lateral force coefficient, CrL = CrR = 30 kN/rad
(10 marks)

(b) While negotiating a bend with the above steering, the vehicle was hit be an impact
from the side such that the lateral speed and yaw rate were changed suddenly to vy = 1
m/s and r = -0.5 rad/s, respectively.

Find the lateral speed and yaw rate 1 second after the impact.

You may assume that the forward speed remains constant at 20 m/s and the steering
angle held constant at 10 throughout the process.
(15 marks)

QUESTION 3

A front wheel steering vehicle negotiates a bend at a constant forward speed of 25 m/s. Given
that the steering angle applied at the front wheel is constant at = 10 and the roll angle of
the vehicle is maintained at = 5, determine the radius of curvature of the path traced out by
the vehicle.
(25 marks)

You may assume the following parameters for the vehicle.

Mass of vehicle = 1200 kg

Moment of inertia about vertical axis, Iz = 1400 kg m2
Moment of inertia about longitudinal axis, Ix = 800 kg m2
Distance of front axle from center of mass = 1.2 m
Distance of rear axle from center of mass = 1.3 m
Front wheel tire lateral force coefficient, CfL = CfR = 25 kN/rad
Rear wheel tire lateral force coefficient, CrL = CrR = 30 kN/rad
Front and rear wheel tire roll steering coefficient, Cf = Cr = 0.1
Tire camber trust coefficient, Cf = Cr = 0
 PAGE 4 ME4214

For questions 2 and 3, the coordinates and degrees of freedom follow the convention given in
Figure 2.

Figure 2

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