Modular Vehicle Combinations | Session 1 | 2-3 Jul 2014
Gothenburg
Agenda Item 7.
A modular vehicle in traffic

General presentation on MVC (Lena Larsson – Volvo Group).

Volvo organized a visit of a duo-trailer combination (Semi + dolly + semi) at Schenker terminal, near Gothenburg:

  • This vehicle is being driven every night between Gothenburg and Malmö
  • This Swedish project involves several companies
  • Participants are invited to send their question to Lena Larsson
  • Comment from VBG: the results from this project will give good input for our group.
  • Lennart Cider (Volvo) is giving some examples of what is monitored on the combination: coupling forces, stability parameters like lateral acceleration at different points of the combination, weight (from air bellows and police scales) etc.

Chair presents the approach in Sweden to deal with longer vehicles (74t project)
  • Several items are under focus: braking, stability, mobility etc.
  • Stability is one of the most difficult to address.

Presentation of several videos showing double lane change manoeuvres:
  • 80km/h, with the duo trailer combination the group has seen at Schenker terminal.
  • Triple center-axle trailer combination.

Presentation of Danish trial period on EMS started in 2008
  • DK starts describing the different type of modular combinations they have in Denmark
  • Then starts a discussion around different types of combination
    • ISO 18868 is proposed as a base for our technical discussions (paragraph 4. ISO vehicle combinations definition”).
    • VBG raises that these definitions of combinations are needed in UN R55 and will give some further explanation about it later in the meeting (see point 6. Above).
  • DK paper includes some proposals for requirements: some are out of GRRF scope (front under-run protection); some are in-use-requirements; some are technical (EBS, router).
  • Again an extensive discussion around definition and requirements for a dolly: this is an open issue to be addressed in the group

More technical background is proposed to be shared at next meeting:
  • SWE and FIN agrees to present similar requirements in their own country at next meeting, focussing on technical requirements, rather than on in-use requirements.
  • NW and NL are also invited to check if they can present some information at next meeting.
  • BPW proposes to present results at next meeting from a project with Krone on “mega-trailers”.

Documentation
MVC-01-05 High Capacity Transport-Road: DUO2 (Volvo Group)
MVC-01-07 Danish rules for LHV (Long and Heavy Vehicles), MVC (Modular Vehicle Concept), and EMS (European Modular System) (DTA)