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Automotive Dynamics and Design Mass Prop (6 of 10 Ffor Me)
Automotive Dynamics and Design Mass Prop (6 of 10 Ffor Me)
MASS PROPERTIES
ANALYSIS
& CONTROL
ln W = a m1 + b m2 + c m3….d mN + ln c
…and then invoke an Excel (or equivalent) regression analysis of the
transformed data…
Where:
a, b = the front axle to c.g. & rear axle to
c.g. lengths.
Nf, Nr = the front and rear normal loads.
Wb = the wheelbase.
AUTOMOTIVE DYNAMICS and DESIGN 50
MASS PROPERTIES ANALYSIS
& CONTROL: ESTIMATION OF THE
TOTAL VEHICLE C.G. COORDINATES
However, if the longitudinal weight distribution for an
existing vehicle is not available, or if the vehicle in
question is not existing, but only a concept in the very
earliest of design stages, then the matter of estimating a
center of gravity location, without recourse to some
tedious “bottom-up” weight accounting approach, must
again be had by obtaining a “WER” (if that acronym can
be used in a general way to refer to estimation routines
derived for quantities other than weight) using vehicle
databases normalized by vehicle configuration, type,
and LOT (thus taking arrangement of the internal
masses into account, albeit in a very general way).
AUTOMOTIVE DYNAMICS and DESIGN 51
MASS PROPERTIES ANALYSIS
& CONTROL: ESTIMATION OF THE
TOTAL VEHICLE C.G. COORDINATES
Attempts to base a longitudinal c.g. estimation
routine on just the wheelbase or LOA are fairly
common, and unsatisfactory. Using the same
database as was used for total vehicle weight, a
correlation analysis revealed that all the major
vehicle dimensions have some relevance to the
problem:
Hcg = .25 Wb
However, relating the vehicle vertical c.g. coordinate to just the
vehicle horizontal dimension of wheelbase seems questionable
on the face of it. Allen, Rosenthal, and Szostak have an
alternative suggestion which they determined by means of a
regression analysis to be “accurate within ±5%”:
Izs = Wt kz2
Where:
Izs is the sprung weight moment of inertia
about the vertical axis.
Wt is the total vehicle weight.
kz is the vehicle sprung weight radius of
gyration about the vertical axis.
Where:
kz = √ab
a is the longitudinal distance from the vehicle
front axle line to the c.g.
b is the longitudinal distance from the vehicle
c.g. to the rear axle line.
Iz = fconfig Wt a b
Iz = L (F2 Wf + R2 Wr)
Where:
Iz is the vehicle yaw inertia.
L is a drive train configuration factor.
F is a dimension from the vehicle c.g.
to the front tire contact patch.
R is a dimension from the vehicle c.g.
to the rear tire contact patch.
Wf is the vehicle weight on the front axle.
Wr is the vehicle weight on the rear axle.
AUTOMOTIVE DYNAMICS and DESIGN 73
MASS PROPERTIES ANALYSIS
& CONTROL: ESTIMATION OF THE
TOTAL VEHICLE MOMENTS OF INERTIA
For a clearer understanding of the dimensions “F” and “R” the
following figure is provided: