Using the milliken moment method and dynamic simulation to evaluate vehicle stability and controllability

Abstract

The Milliken Moment Method (MMM) is a way of efficiently organizing the results from a kinematically constrained vehicle test. Using the MMM and closed-loop dynamic simulation, the authors present a new method for evaluating vehicle handling, where the MMM assesses the overall performance capability of the vehicle, and the simulation determines how much of that performance is used for a closed-loop maneuver. By mapping the simulation data onto the yaw moment - lateral acceleration diagram from the MMM, this method allows a design engineer to explicitly quantify the tradeoff between the controllability and stability of a vehicle. Results from a design case study and comparison of the stability measure to phase plane analysis show that this method captures the tradeoff in design, and clearly represents the overall capability of the driver-vehicle system. Copyright © 2004 by ASME.