PSI - Issue 77

Francisco Castro et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 77 (2026) 611–630 Francisco Castro/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2026) 000 – 000

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was observed as the vehicle performed the curve trajectory, approximately coincidence with the peak values of the lateral acceleration. 3.3. Discussion Table 6 consolidates the CoG height results obtained from static measurements, the braking motion tests and cornering motion tests, across all loading configurations.

Table 6 – Summary of CoG height estimations under different load conditions and different estimation approaches.

Static [m] Motion: braking [m] 0.102 m 0.106 m

Motion: cornering [m] 0.094 m

Vehicle

Empty

Load Case 1 Load Case 2 Load Case 3 Load Case 4 Load Case 5

0.103 m 0.105 m 0.107 m 0.119 m 0.117 m

0.108 m 0.100 m 0.102 m 0.114 m 0.120 m

0.094 m 0.102 m 0.112 m 0.109 m

0.112 m To summarize, the developed methodology for both approaches (braking and cornering) shows good correlation to the reference static values. For the braking model, the maximum error was approximately 5 %, while for the cornering method it was approximately 8.5 %. From those values, it’s possible to conclude that the results obtained for both approaches show good correlation to the real CoG values, and within acceptable bounds for dynamic vehicle applications. The main drawback of this method is that it is both time-consuming and costly, since it requires several preliminary measurements and the determination of specific constants. Specifically for the braking method, the required inputs include the vehicle’s ma ss, the longitudinal position of the CoG , and the longitudinal suspension stiffness. For the cornering method, the necessary parameters are the vehicle’s mass, the lateral suspension stiffness and the height of the roll center. Moreover, due to the small dimensions of the prototype vehicle , it’s not possible to clearly validate the method, since the obtained values for the CoG height varies only by a few millimeters for each load case scenario selected. Thus, this method should be experimented in full-scale vehicles (road cars or trucks). 4. Conclusions Currently, there isn’t any sensor capable of directly measuring the CoG height of a vehicle at motion, and the current state of art relies on the incorporation of multiple sensors, which increases the computational burden and costs. Thus, this study proposed a model-based method for the estimation of a vehicle's center of gravity (CoG) height position using two dynamic maneuvers in motion: braking and cornering. The methodology developed offers a practical and cost-effective alternative based on physical models. Two estimation methods were developed and implemented. A longitudinal vehicle dynamics model was derived for braking maneuvers, using vehicle’s mass, deceleration, pitch angle and suspension parameters to estimate the CoG height position. The second approach relies on a roll dynamics model for cornering maneuvers, where the roll angle,