Vibrational resistance to vehicle motion due to road unevenness

The subject of this study is the effect of road unevenness on the dynamics of the averaged longitudinal motion of a vehicle. These phenomena are considered in this work with the help of a minimal model which enables us to understand the mechanism of interaction between the longitudinal motion and the vertical vibrations excited by road unevenness. The analysis of this model is fulfilled in a frame of the concept of vibrational mechanics. This makes it possible to present the final result for averaged motion as a standard equation of the longitudinal vehicle with additional “vibrational”, i.e. vibration-generated, slow force. This representation makes an investigation of the vehicle behavior on the road with unevenness especially transparent. Some features of this behavior are considered. Particularly, the possibility of a Sommerfeld effect sticking at a critical velocity during increasing power) is analyzed.