Lateral Stability Analysis for Car-Trailer Combinations

This paper presents a parametric study of linear lateral stability of a car-trailer (CT) combination in order to examine the fidelity, complexity, and applicability for control algorithm development for CT systems. Using MATLAB software, a linear yaw-roll model with 5 degrees of freedom (DOF) is developed to represent the CT combination. In the case of linear stability analysis, a parametric study was carried out using eigenvalue analysis based on a linear yaw-roll CT model with varying parameters. Built upon the linear stability analysis, an active trailer differential braking (ATDB) controller was designed for the CT system using the linear quadratic regulator (LQR) technique. The simulation study presented in this paper shows the effectiveness of the proposed LQR control design and the influence of different trailer parameters.