Analytical modelling and computer simulation of an 8-DOF vehicle in response to road ramps

The dynamic response of a ride vehicle on the road ramps and rough profiles is quite important from the viewpoint of passenger ride, safety, stability and the range of exerted forces on the different parts of the vehicle. In order to optimise the vehicle suspension system, we have investigated the vehicle vibrational and dynamical behaviour and studied the vehicle response to the different road ramps, especially in high speeds. The effects of obstacles such as, speed control bumps used as inputs to the vehicle suspension system were hence studied. In order to validate the results obtained from the analytical study presented, a simulation was performed by using the vehicle data and the Simulink/Simmechanics in the Matlab, and the two results were compared. It was shown that these results are in reasonable agreement.