Methodology & Experimental study to reduce Steering effortand improve Directional stability in a Three Wheeled vehicle Mahindra and Mahindra, Limited

Format:

Book

Conference/Event

Author/Creator:

Khanna, Nitin, author.

Conference Name:

Symposium on International Automotive Technology (2021-09-29 : Pune, India)

Language:

English

Physical Description:

1 online resource cm

Place of Publication:

Warrendale, PA SAE International 2021

Summary:

With an intense competitive automotive environment, it becomesimperative for any OEM to launch their products into the market ina short span of time and with a 'First Time Right'approach. Within the current scenario in the Automotive Industry,the selection of optimum set of hard points and wheel geometryoften becomes an iterative or a trial and error process which isboth time consuming and involves higher development cost as theremay be instances where 2 to 3 sets of iterations are needed beforespecification is finalized for production. Through this paper, anattempt has been made to develop a methodology for deciding wheelgeometry parameters (covered in the later section of this paperlike Caster, Camber, Mechanical trail, et cetera) for a three wheeledvehicle as a First Time Right (FTR) approach to cut down onconventional, expensive and time-consuming iterative approach. Inthis paper, we have studied the parameters which affects thedirectional stability and steering effort using a multi bodydynamics (MBD) model and validated it with a series of experimentson prototype three wheeled vehicles. In a three wheeled vehicle thedesign of front suspension system is very critical as the steeringsystem or the handlebar is often an integral part attached to thesame front wheel. The problem definition was approached by carryingout a literature review and identifying the parameters affectingsteering effort. Parametric studies were carried out throughsimulation to understand the effect on handlebar steering effort.The primary objective of this dissertation is to highlight thesystematic approach carried out during full vehicle dynamicsanalysis to identify key wheel geometry hard-points which influencethe steering effort and ride feel for the customer. Similarly, theimpact of the above listed parameters can be gauged by the factthat it directly effects the directional stability of the vehicle.The outcome of this study was validated on the actual test vehicleto confirm its universal applicability. Through this paper we haveattempted to bring forth new design considerations for a suspensionsteering linkage geometry in a three-wheeler vehicle which, wefeel, will be useful for future reference of similar systemarchitecture. Key words: Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM),Three wheeled vehicle, Steering effort, Shimmy, Directionalstability, Multi Body Dynamics (MBD)

Notes:

Vendor supplied data

Publisher Number:

2021-26-0083

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license