Two-Way Coupled Aerodynamics and Vehicle Dynamics Crosswind Simulation of a Heavy Ground Vehicle in Winter Road Conditions

Abstract

AbstractThe present study investigates the dynamic characteristics of a heavy ground vehicle that is subjected to crosswind on winter roads by two-way coupled simulations of aerodynamics and vehicle dynamics. Three different road friction coefficients, \(\mu \) = 1.0, 0.3 and 0.15, were investigated, representing dry, snowy, and icy road conditions, respectively. Results show that the lateral displacements of the vehicle on the icy road are 13%, 20% and 26% more than the corresponding lateral displacements of the vehicle on the dry road at maximum crosswind velocities of w\(_{cw,max}\) = 3.5 m/s, 4.5 m/s and 5.5 m/s, respectively. Additionally, at w\(_{cw,max} \ge \) 4.5 m/s and a crosswind length of three times the vehicle length, corresponding to the reduced frequency of k = 2.1, the crosswind might cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle, causing it to cross the road’s lateral margins in all road conditions which could result in an accident.KeywordsAerodynamicsCoupled simulationsCrosswindWinter road conditionsVehicle dynamics