Engineering and Construction
Topic:
Motorsport Developing Engineering
Motorsport Developing Engineering
Review
The performance of a number of automotive especially in motorsport industry depends on a number of factors which includes the acceleration and the lateral direction, the roll-over, and the directional stability which is determined by the center of mass of the body. Therefore there are a number of parameters which plays big roles in determining the general stability of automobiles. Consequently, the parameters affect the general perforce of the motorsport automobiles. The tests can be improved by using advance methods of determination of parameters.
In the general operation of the automobiles, the maximum lateral acceleration can be attained in s steady-state hence improving the general performance and safety of the automobiles. To attain the maximum lateral acceleration is related to the weight of the vehicle and the center of gravity which is measured in three dimensions which include longitudinal, lateral and vertical implications.
The main operation of vehicles especially used in the stability of the vehicle is the ability to attain a steady-state condition. In the process of turning, the vehicle goes through the transient phase. However, another important property is the moment of inertia about a given point. For motorsport vehicles, the lateral acceleration at which the vehicle can roll depends on the maximum lateral acceleration. The lateral acceleration at the point of which the roll-over which occurs is more than the maximum lateral acceleration. In the process of the vehicles are constructed in a manner that they can slide long before they gain the possibility of overturning. Most of the accidents in the motorsport industry occur mainly because of the obstacles that are encountered during the process of movement because the vehicle traction is great enough to reach the critical angle during the motion. The level through which the roll takes place is determined by the index safety and the center of gravity of the vehicle. The center of gravity is located as low as possible by use of chassis which increases stability in the vehicle. The lower the center of gravity the more the stable an object is. Generally, stability can be increased by lowering the center of gravity and widening the base of the vehicle.
Directional stability is another important approach in determining the general stability of the vehicle that is used in the motorsport industry. There are a number of factors and forces that determine the directional stability which includes the lateral tire traction force, the drift angle and engagement of the tires as a result of these forces. The drift angle or the lateral force is related to the normal load of the mass properties of the body. The mass property is an important factor which is determined by the directional stability of the vehicle which is contributed by the weight of the vehicle in combination with the longitudinal and the lateral distribution of weight in the body of the vehicle.
On the other hand, the static normal loads are modified in relation to the lateral direction or the disturbance forces. The disturbance creates the lateral reactions at the vehicle. The changes take place in the in the direction of normal load distribution and the longitudinal changes occur due to the resistance balance in the body. The change that takes place causes the readjustment in the drift angle or lateral force and hence affecting the general lateral inertial reaction. Consequently, the vehicle becomes unstable if the reaction affects the general disturbance of the vehicle. On the other hand, if it is used to reduce the original disturbance of the vehicle then the vehicle is considered stable. Generally, the parameters that are used in the guidance of the general operation of the vehicle includes the mass of the vehicle, the weight and the general distribution of the weight which is measured in three dimensions which include longitudinal, lateral and vertical.
Directional change of vehicle
The parameters that were measured from the laboratory are used in the determination of the directional property of the vehicle. All vehicles undergo a directional change which is affected by a number of factors and parameters that are used in to control the general motion of vehicles. The directional change in vehicles follows the motion on a plane and the rotation. A vehicle that undergoes directional change experiences a number of forces which are determined by the mass of the vehicle and acceleration. Despite the fact that the velocity of the vehicle is constant, there is a change of direction which produces acceleration. The centripetal force determines the level at which the vehicle should remain on track or skid off due to high velocity that is experienced. During circular motion, the radius is considered as large enough to provide a situation of resolution of forces. The forces are combined to produce an acceleration which is considered in a lateral orientation. Therefore, there is a relationship between different forces and the acceleration which is caused by a change in direction. The second Newton’s Law of Motion is used in the determination of the relationship between the forces and the acceleration. According to the law, F=ma, whereby F is the force which produces the effect, m is the mass of the body and a being the resultant acceleration. The rotational property of the vehicle is also determined in the directional property. Mass property of the object is an important aspect during motion and the turning of the vehicle. However, other properties of the vehicle such as the weight, the center of gravity and the moment of inertia are also considered in analyzing motion under a curved surface. Angular acceleration is as a result of a change in the angle when the vehicle is changing direction. On the other hand, it is also related to the termination of a turn or application of the brakes when the vehicle is turning. The angular velocity varies by the variation in the radius of the curved surface. A steady condition is achieved in a situation of constant angular velocity. At this point, the maximum lateral acceleration is obtained. Therefore the lateral forces on the body are guided by the weight and the center of gravity of the body. At the point of the steady state, the lateral force is equal to the product of the weight of the load and the lateral acceleration.
The general behavior of the lateral force in vehicles
The parameters that are obtained during the measurement can be used to determine the behavior of the lateral force. The direction of control by the forces is determined at the tire or road interface of the vehicle. From the law of friction
F=μN, whereby μ is the coefficient of friction and F, is the force of friction between the tire and the road. F is also known as the tractive force. The tractive force produces a nonlinear relationship.
Therefore the lateral traction coefficient μ is also a function of the normal load.
μ=b-mN, the coefficient b, and m are connected to the tire. The coefficient b is the coefficient of traction and it is closely related to the material of which the tire is material, the nature of the road and the magnitude of the area of contact between the tires. The parameters are also used in guiding the determination of the coefficient m which originates from the decrease of the area as a result of the distortion in the lateral load. The lateral load parameter causes a decrease in the area. There is also a significant decrease in the longitudinal force in the load.
Determination of weight transfer
The determined parameters are used in the determination of the transfer of weight in motorsport vehicles. The lateral force in an axle is calculated by the summation of lateral forces that are generated by the tires. There are a number of functions that are used to link different parameters and coefficients. The initial normal load and the final are equal during the static case. The weight transfer moment is experienced which changes the lateral force generation through the process of decreasing the load at the point where the tire is close to the turning center. On the other hand, it increases at points where the load if far away from the turning centers. Therefore weight is distributed in the system by keeping the loading uniform and therefore minimizing the weight transfer. For instance, during the load operation, an increase in weight does not lead to the resultant increase in lateral traction potential. The inertial load also increases with increase in the inertial loading which is related to the second Newton’s law of motion F=ma, which clearly shows that an increase in weight results into an increase in the force of inertia.
Generally, the results obtained provide guiding approaches in the manufacturing of stable vehicles are used in the motorsport industry. The values are guided by a number of parameters that ensures that the vehicles manufactured are in stable conditions and cannot topple easily especially in negotiating a sharp bend. The vehicles are manufactured to resist a number of forces such as the centripetal force that may cause instability. On the other hand, the stability is increased by lowering the center of gravity and hence the vehicle cannot topple easily at high-speed levels. The total weight of the vehicles is used to calculate the forces that guide motion during operations. The level of heights at which the vehicle is raised is used to calculate the energy gained by the vehicle E= mgh, whereby m is the mass of the body, g is the gravitational constant and h is the height of the vehicle. The acceleration and the lateral forces are used in monitoring the general operation of the vehicle. The parameters are used to determine the dynamic performance of the vehicles. The forces are used in calculating forces that are used in the motion of the vehicles.
From the analysis that is carried out from the values and the theoretical analysis, the determination of the center of gravity of bodies by incorporating the moment of inertia is used to manufacture vehicles with the low position of the center of gravity. Such kinds of vehicles are widely used in the motorsport industry. It is clear to note that the vehicles in the motorsport industry cannot be used in vehicles with a high center of gravity.
References
Wiegand, B., 2011. Mass properties and automotive lateral acceleration. In 70th Annual International Conference of the Society of Allied Weight Engineers.
Barazanji, D., 2012. Model Based Estimation of Height of Center of Gravity in Heavy Vehicles.
Huang, X. and Wang, J., 2013. Center of gravity height real-time estimation for lightweight vehicles using tire instant effective radius. Control Engineering Practice, 21(4), pp.370-380.
