BRAKING FORCE DISTRIBUTION FOR ARTICULATED BUSES OF TRANSJAKARTA BUS RAPID TRANSIT



BRAKING FORCE DISTRIBUTION FOR ARTICULATED BUSES OF TRANSJAKARTA BUS RAPID TRANSIT
I Putu Alit Putra / 56-090938-6004-1

ABSTRACT

TransJakarta is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was the first BRT system in Southern and Southeast Asia. In order to increase the capabillity and also capacity of Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit, management of Transjakarta prefer to use articulated buses than using a single bus. Although, there are several  advantages of  using  articulated buses as BRT, there are also disadvantages of using this kind of bus. One of the disadvantage that is sometimes experienced by this articulated buses are the bad braking force performance because of unbalance braking force distribution. From literature study it is known that, there are researcher that already publish their result about braking force distribution but not on the field of articulated buses.   Esmailzadeh et al did research in the field of optimized braking force distribution during a braking-in-turn maneuver for articulated vehicles. Here, Esmailzadeh et al using model of truck as a tractor vehicle with a trailer unit. Peng et al, did the research in the field of Traction and Braking force distribution for optimal longitudinal motion during curve following. They are using 4 wheel vehicle model in order to did the calculation and formula derivations.According to explanation above, This research will focus on the braking force distribution for articulated buses that applied as Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit. This research are important because TransJakarta BRT often use Articulated. This research will develop a new approach for Braking force distribution of articulated buses based on the method that already developed by Esmailzadeh et al and Peng et al. Hopefully from this research can be achieved the most optimum model for braking force distribution of articulated buses by combine Esmailzadeh et al method and Peng et al method.

Keywords:
Articulated buses, TransJakarta BRT, braking force distribution,slip control, traction force

1.      INTRODUCTION
1.1 The Background to the Study

TransJakarta is a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system in Jakarta, Indonesia. It was the first BRT system in Southern and Southeast Asia. The TransJakarta system began operations on January 25, 2004. As of February 14, 2013 the 12th corridor was added officially, with 3 more currently corridors in progress. TransJakarta was designed to provide Jakarta citizens with a fast public transportation system to help reduce rush hour traffic. The buses run in special lanes and ticket prices are subsidized by the regional government. In 2011 TransJakarta carried around 115 million passengers (about 310,000 passengers per day) which was an increase of 32% the 87 million passengers carried during 2010. The subsidy per passenger-ticket in 2011 was around Rp 2,900 ($0.29) and for 2012 the subsidy is expected be around Rp 2,100 ($0.21) per passenger-ticket. Currently TransJakarta has the world's longest BRT routes (172 km in length) and has more than 669 buses in operation.[1].
In order to increase the capabillity and also capacity of Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit, management of Transjakarta prefer to use articulated buses than using a single bus. As known, Articulated buses are being used more frequently on popular bus routes, as they can handle high volume passenger loads. Articulated buses can increase the speed of boarding and alighting at each stop, as well as reduce the number of buses needed on a route. Experts recommend the use of articulated buses as part of bus rapid transit (BRT) systems and express routes [2].


Picture 1. Articulated buses of TransJakarta BRT [1].


Although, there are several  advantages of  using  articulated buses as BRT, there are also disadvantages of using this kind of bus. One of the disadvantage that is sometimes experienced by this articulated buses are the bad braking force performance. A key aspect of good braking performance is the balanced of that braking. This occurs when each wheel brakes proportional to the weight that it carries. If this ideal is achieved then the vehicle can use all the available road friction and will have the minimum stopping distance without skidding wheels. Wheel lock-up promotes loss of directional control,particularly when it occurs on drive or trailer axles, because the locked wheel cannot provide stabilizing side forces. [3].

There are several ways to control the braking balanced between the axles like using Load Sensing Proportioning Valve. The load sensing proportioning valve (L.S.P.V) employed to adjusting braking force among axles to the normal forces on those axles and closed actual brake force to ideal brake force distribution. These valves operate based on the static deflection of the rear suspension, but they are not able to compensate for the dynamic load transfer between the front and rear axles [4].
Articulated vehicles stability, much likes for cars, requires that the tractor front axle locks first, and followed by the trailer axle, with the tractor rear axle locking up last [4]. In the modern braking systems, such as electronic brake force distribution (EBD) systems, using sophisticated algorithms formed based on slip control approach; the braking force distribution is done intelligently leads to higher stability and shorter stopping distance.
There are several papers that focusing on the braking balance (braking force distribution) and braking performance of the vehicle especially for articulated vehicle. But there is no papers that do the research for braking force distribution for articulated buses because most of that focusing on truck with trailer unit.
Esmailzadeh et al [4] did research in the field of optimized braking force distribution during a braking-in-turn maneuver for articulated vehicles. Here, Esmailzadeh et al using model of truck as a tractor vehicle with a trailer unit.They are  develop innovative approach to formulate a new braking force distribution strategy for articulated vehicles and also they are included mathematical optimization proces. The optimized strategy that Esmailzadeh et al is develop  as the other modern braking force distribution strategies, works based on wheel slip control.
Another researcher that did the research in this field were Peng et al [5]. Peng et al, did the research in the field of Traction and Braking force distribution for optimal longitudinal motion during curve following. They are using 4 wheel vehicle model in order to did the calculation and formula derivations. They did 3 scenario as the variable of research and every scenario the get the result of the mathematical equations for braking and traction force distribution.
According to explanation above, This research will focus on the braking force distribution for articulated buses that applied as Transjakarta Bus Rapid Transit. This research are important because TransJakarta BRT often use Articulated. This research will develop a new approach for Braking force distribution of articulated buses based on the method that already developed by Esmailzadeh et al and Peng et al. Hopefully from this research can be achieved the most optimum model for braking force distribution of articulated buses by combine Esmailzadeh et al method and Peng et al method.

1.2 The Purposes of the Study

1.2.1 To develop mathematical formulation of braking force distribution on articulated buses based on wheel slip control.
1.2.2  To optimized braking force distribution of articulated buses
1.2.3 To find the best strategy of braking force distribution on articulated buses that can be applied on TransJakarta Bus Rapid Transit.
     
1.3 The Significance of the Study

      This study and research are important in order to get optimum braking force distribution of Articulated buses because there is no research that focus on this field and also, this research will be useful for BRT that use Articulated Buses as their primary transportation mode like TransJakarta BRT.
     



1.4 Research Questions

1.4.1 How to develop mathematical formulation of braking force distribution on articulated buses based on wheel slip control ?
1.4.2 How to optimized braking force distribution of articulated buses ?
1.4.3  What is the best strategy of braking force distribution on articulated buses that can be applied ?

2. REFERENCES
[1] http://www.transjakarta.co.id/ accessed at 10/12/2013. 20.00 PM Thailand Time (+8GMT)
[2] Herbert S. Levinson, Samuel Zimmerman, Jennifer Clinger,and Scott C. Rutherford. Bus Rapid Transit : On Overview. Journal of  Public Transportation Volume 5, No. 2, 2002 ISSN 1077-291X
[3] National Heavy Vehicle Braking Strategy Discussion Paper February 2006
 [4] E. Esmailzadeh, A. Goodarzi, and M. Behmadi. Optimized Braking Force Distribution during a Braking-in-Turn Maneuver for Articulated Vehicles. International Journal of Automotive Engineering Vol. 1, Number 1, January 2011
[5] Huei Peng , Jwu-Sheng Hu. Traction/Braking Force Distribution for Optimal Longitudinal Motion During Curve Following. Vehicle System Dynamics, Vol. 26, No.4, October 1996, pp.301-320.  


Comments