A Centrifuge Concept for Measuring the Rollover Threshold of Light-Duty Vehicles

Various means for measuring a vehicle's roll stability performance are considered in terms of the pertinence of their test conditions to the rollover crash record, the practicality and quality of the measurement, and their ability to span the performance range of the population of light-duty vehicles. Classical static measures as well as the so-called “maneuver-type” tests that have been under extensive study by the U.S. Dept. of Transportation are specifically addressed. In light of limitations facing the existing methods, the concept of a centrifuge test device is introduced and discussed. The apparatus is comprised of a relatively large machine that mounts a full-sized vehicle tangent to the rotation of a radial arm which revolves at a controlled angular rate. The minimum steady speed of rotation that induces a rollover response in the mounted vehicle corresponds to the static rollover threshold, in units of lateral (or centripetal) acceleration. One version of such a centrifuge machine is presented in the paper and several of its key attributes are discussed. Certain adaptations of this concept to the measurement of a “dynamic rollover threshold” are also examined by means of a computer simulation of centrifuge-based experiments.

• Record URL:
  • https://doi.org/10.4271/2002-01-1603
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01487191
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of SAE International.
• Authors:
  • Ervin, Robert
  • Winkler, Christopher
  • Karamihas, Steven
• Conference:
  • SAE 2002 Automotive Dynamics & Stability Conference and Exhibition
  • Location: Detroit Michigan, United States
  • Date: 2002-5-7 to 2002-5-9
• Publication Date: 2002-5-7

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: References;
• Serial:
  • SAE Technical Paper
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • ISSN: 0148-7191
  • EISSN: 2688-3627
  • Serial URL: http://papers.sae.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Centrifuges; Rolling; Rollover crashes; Stability (Mechanics); Testing equipment; Vehicle safety
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01882796
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: SAE International
• Report/Paper Numbers: 2002-01-1603
• Files: TRIS, SAE
• Created Date: May 23 2023 9:27AM