A probabilistic approach for assessing the crosswind stability of ground vehicles

Abstract

This paper introduces a risk assessment procedure for the crosswind stability of ground vehicles. A random variable gust model is combined with constrained simulation techniques and variance reducing Monte Carlo methods for an efficient computation of failure probabilities. Based on the failure probability, sensitivities, the influence of additional effects such as turbulence, track irregularities or the friction coefficient between wheel and road can be investigated on an objective basis. Moreover, the procedure allows us to compute the failure probabilities for vehicle journeys or a whole line.