Optimization of Braking Force Distribution for Three-Axle Truck 2013-01-0414

To provide a greater weight capacity, the tandem axle which is a group of two or more axles situated close together has been used on most heavy truck. In general, the reaction moments during braking cause a change in load distribution among both axles of the tandem suspension. Since load transfer among axles of a tandem suspension can lead to premature wheel lockup, tandem-axle geometry and the brake force distribution among individual axles of a tandem suspension have a pronounced effect on braking efficiency. The braking efficiency has directly influence on the vehicle brake distance and vehicle travelling direction stability in any road condition, so how to improve the braking efficiency is researched in this paper. The load transfer among individual axles is not only determined by vehicle deceleration but also by the actual brake force of each axle for tandem axle suspension, which increases the difficulty of braking efficiency improving. The model of two-elliptic leaf spring suspension, one of the tandem suspension axles, is presented in this paper, where the load transfer is analyzed particularly. A new optimization model of braking efficiency is proposed, where the optimization variables are brake force distribution among individual axles. The numerical result shows that the braking efficiency has been elevated much after the optimization.