A Generalised Crosswind Model for Vehicle Simulation Purposes

SUMMARYWhen driving an automobile at high speed, the feeling of directional stability is depending on the vehicle reaction to external disturbances and to driver input. In this work, disturbance due to natural crosswind gusts are investigated. A model for the lateral force and yaw moment as generated by a crosswind gust is proposed. The model was generated through a combination of field measurements and an inverse simulation of the transient behaviour of the vehicle. An average of the forces and moments was calculated and modified to form a generalised crosswind situation, to which the generalised crosswind model is linked. The model is described by sets of data scaled in amplitude to the desired crosswind strength. The behaviour of the crosswind model was analysed in the VTI moving base driving simulator using 12 test persons, as well as in MATLAB-simulations. The analysis led to the conclusion that the generalised crosswind model presented is suitable to represent the transient lateral force and yaw mom...