Citation

Koutchouk M, Aubin CE, Gou M. Int. J. Crashworthiness 2006; 11(5): 485-493.

Affiliation

Ecole Polytechnique de Montrral, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Station Centre-ville, Montreal, Que. H3C 3A7, Canada

Copyright

(Copyright © 2006, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Lift truck lateral tipovers are mostly caused by its intrinsic instability. The objective of this paper was to develop a computer model of a parametric lift truck and its driver in order to simulate lateral tipover. For this, a biomechanical model of a driver (50th percentile Hybrid III dummy), a parametric lift truck (156 parameters), as well as the interface (contacts) between them and the ground were developed using the MADYMO multibody software. Two different rollover conditions were simulated: at rest (0 km/h) and high speed (20 km/h). Seven parameters (tire, ground and seat foam stiffnesses, lift truck angular and linear velocities, braking deceleration, and curve radius of a J turn) were tested to assess their influence on the vehicle and driver behaviors during rollover. Head and torso velocities and accelerations, as well as the Head Injury Criterion (HIC), were used to compare simulation results and to evaluate driver's possible traumatisms and survival probability. A realistic kinematic behavior of the models was obtained: Tire and ground stiffnesses have little influence on driver's behavior and safety. Soft foam seat has a more significant effect, but the HIC is always very high. Angular and linear velocities of the lift truck have a very large impact on operator injuries. Braking tends to minimize injury and lift truck never rolls over in larger curve radius (r greater than 4 m).

Language: en