TO DETERMINE THE MOVEMENT STABILITY OF A THREE-LINK TRAILER CONTAINER TRAIN

Murovanyi, Igor; Sakhno, Volodymyr; Poliakov, Victor; Sharai, Svitlana; Bosenko, Volodymyr; Palamarchyk, Oleksii · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.33868/0365-8392-2025-2-283-69-78

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Summary

This study investigates the movement stability of a three-link trailer container train, a configuration designed to increase transportation efficiency by carrying two containers (typically one 20-foot and one 40-foot unit) with a total mass of up to 60 tons. The research addresses the technical challenges associated with the stability of heavy, articulated road trains, which are prone to instability issues such as trailer sway, jackknifing, and loss of lateral control at high speeds or during maneuvers. The authors aim to determine critical stability thresholds and identify limiting factors for different components of the train during various driving conditions. The methodology involves mathematical modeling using a system of differential equations that describe the dynamics of the towing vehicle and two trailers. The first trailer is a three-axle unit with a front steered axle (a dolly), while the second is a two-axle trailer with tandem axles. The model accounts for longitudinal and lateral forces, angular velocities, and side accelerations at the center of mass for each link. Stability was assessed by linearizing the equations of motion and analyzing the roots of the characteristic equation to determine critical speeds. Simulations were conducted using Maple software to evaluate performance during steady straight-line motion and transient maneuvers, including lane changes ("rearrangement"), steering jerks, and turn entries. Key findings indicate that the critical speed for stable straight-line movement is 31.75 m/s. However, this threshold drops significantly to approximately 28 m/s when oscillatory instability emerges, and decreases further with steering input; for instance, a steering angle of 0.3 radians reduces the critical speed by nearly threefold. During transient maneuvers, stability characteristics vary by component. In a lane change maneuver, the second trailer is the limiting factor, exhibiting side and angular velocities 20% and 12.5% higher, respectively, than the towing vehicle. Conversely, the towing vehicle experiences the highest side accelerations during turn entries and circular motion. The study also found that while the train remains within a normalized traffic corridor at 10 m/s during a lane change, speeds up to 15 m/s cause oscillations exceeding permissible limits, indicating a loss of stability. The significance of this work lies in providing specific quantitative data on the stability limits of three-link container trains, highlighting that no single component consistently dictates stability across all maneuvers. The findings underscore the necessity of considering speed-dependent stability losses during the design and operation of multi-link road trains. The results suggest that operational guidelines must account for the reduced stability margins at higher speeds and during specific maneuvers to prevent accidents, contributing to the broader field of heavy vehicle dynamics and safety engineering.

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