Comparative performance of innovative quad-trailer combinations Adam Ritzinger, ARRB Group Ltd. Laszlo Bruzsa, Queensland TMR

Overview

•  Background  and  project  scope  •  Vehicle  combina7ons  and  varia7ons  •  Performance  measures  and  results  •  Conclusions  and  further  work  

Background

•  Increased  preference  for  quad  trailer  combina7ons  

•  Currently  limited  opera7onal  experience  

•  Encouraging  industry  adop7on  of  innova7ve  vehicles  

•  Growing  road  freight  transport  task  

Project scope •  Three  innova7ve  combina7ons  

•  ‘As  of  right’  vehicle  

AAB-­‐quad  

BAB-­‐quad  

ABB-­‐quad  

A-­‐triple  

Project scope

•  Varying  loading  scheme  (GML/HML)  •  Tandem  and  triaxle  groups  •  Mechanical  and  air  suspension  

•  Four  common  commodity  types  –  ‘general’  container  freight  –  livestock  – quarry  product  –  fuel  tanker  

Sensitivity study

Trailer  centre  of  gravity  height  (±10%)  

Trailer  wheelbase  (-­‐5%)  

Trailer  coupling  rear  overhang  (+10%)  

•  Varied  vehicle  and  trailer  geometry  

Dolly  wheelbase  (-­‐5%)  

Quantifying vehicle performance

•  Sta7c  rollover  threshold  (SRT)  

Results: Static roll threshold Livestock  (0.30  g)  

Minimum  safe  level  (0.35  g)  

General  (0.34  g)  

Fuel  (0.37  g)  

Quarry  (0.48  g)  

Results: Static roll threshold (g)

Loading   A-­‐triple   BAB-­‐quad   ABB-­‐quad   AAB-­‐quad  

Livestock  

General  freight  

Quarry  product  

Fuel  

0.31  

0.34  

0.46  

0.37  

0.30  

0.34  

0.48  

0.37  

0.30  

0.34  

0.48  

0.37  

0.30  

0.33  

0.46  

0.37  

Quantifying vehicle performance •  Tracking  ability  on  a  straight  path  (TASP)  

Results: Tracking ability on a straight path

Quantifying vehicle performance •  Rearward  amplifica7on  (RA)  

Results: Rearward Amplification

Conclusions

•  Superiority  of  ABB  and  BAB  combina7ons  

•  Poten7al  review  of  PBS  Level  4  requirements  

•  Cri7cal  nature  of  certain  characteris7cs  – GCM,  CoG  height,  overall  length  

–  trailer  order,  coupling  type  – number  of  roll  coupled  units