Simulation of Vehicle-Trailer Combinations by Real-Time Capable DAE Solvers

The realistic simulation of vehicle-trailer combinations and the development of controllers for vehicle trains require comprehensive models for the dynamics of vehicle and trailer as well as a numerically feasible representation of the hitch. While the equations of motion for the two chassis can be reduced to systems of ordinary differential equations, introducing the coupling yields additional algebraic constraints on the relative vehicle-trailer motion. In this paper, a numerical algorithm for the simulation of vehicle trains is presented which overcomes the stability and drift-off phenomena known from the treatment of differential-algebraic equations and achieves real-time capability. Numerical results from simulations with a commercial vehicle dynamics program are shown proving its effectiveness for different vehicle-trailer combinations and demanding driving maneuvers.