Maneuverability and Movement Stability of Buses of the Especially Large Size Class

Abstract

One of the main problems of modern big city is the global crisis of normal urban environment operation as a result of structural growing of automobilization level, oversaturation of road-street network by the transport streams. Buses of the especially large size class occupy, at the least, 20% in the structure of a modern bus park. The buses of especially large size classes, with the aim of necessary maneuverability, as a rule are made articulated.
One of the ways of improving the maneuverability of articulated buses is the usage of guided towed sections. Solving the mentioned problem usually needs the mathematic models for predicting the vehicle behavior.
The aim of introducing the trailer direction is to increase the overall traffic lane of an articulated bus that ensures a necessary maneuverability. The aim is gained by a choice of a rational transmitting ratio of trailer axle gear and necessary value of braking moment on one of its wheels.
The solving of the problem concerning the stability of an articulated bus with a guided trailer axle was made by the way of analyzing the linear approaching of stationary vehicle movement.
An influence of the construction parameters of the bus and the trailer, a transmitting ratio of control gear and a value of braking moment on the parameters of bus maneuverability were analyzed. It was proved that for an articulated bus, the normal maneuverability parameters can be ensured at the trailer direction by a way of braking of one of the wheels.