Department of mechanical engineering

Project on 3-wheeler trash collector

GROUP MEMBERS
1. Bernabas Solomon
2. Firew Teferi
3. Fitsum hailu
4. Gizealew nigguisse
Abstract
The project presents a methodology for chassis design and structural stability analysis of the 3 wheels of
trash collector design vehicle. Since this design of vehicle in this project is very non-conventional,
adapting design procedure of designing a four-wheeler into its design is very challenging task. To
enhance the design of this 3-wheeled vehicle, a combination of various successful systems in suspension
like MacPherson strut and in steering like rack & pinion have been added to the vehicle. In this project,
design of hydraulic lift for trash collector 3 wheeled vehicle is included. Mathematical modeling of
various designed parts was developed. Models were made in CAD software CATIA V5(SOLID
WORKS) and finite element analysis was done in ANSYS14.0.
 CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

1.1 BACKGROUND
Since the evolution of human being, mankind has always been trying to make life easier and vehicles
have helped a lot in this process. Due to rapid growth in population and as the city is developed, the need
to design for this user group become increasingly important. Among the various household chores, trash
disposal is universal. Even though, the municipality of Addis Ababa spends large proportion of its budget
on collection, transport and disposal of solid waste, there is still have a big problem on the primary
collection, transport and disposal of solid waste will be useful for the primary collection that is done by
micro and small enterprises. Therefore, we endeavored to create ergonomically sound and aesthetically
trash collector that would provide support for the existing primary solid waste collector.
The most important part of a vehicle is its chassis. It is a physical frame or structure of an automobile to
which all other components are attached, and it can be comparable to the skeleton of a living organism.
The components of the vehicle like axles, wheels, tires, suspension, a controlling system like braking,
steering, etc. and even electrical systems are mounted on the chassis frame.
In this project, an electrically 3-wheel vehicles of trash collector design are introduced which is more
stable dynamically, while braking simple in design. In the first step, design of each and every component
is discussed.in our design of the chassis eliminates a lot of complexity involved in vehicle design which
includes transmission system, front and rear axles, differential to name a few. The trash collector 3- wheel
vehicle is designed with the materials that can be manufactured in our country providing the capability of
supporting a person along with the driver. The dimensions were determined using ergonomic engineering,
economic and aesthetic optimization routines.
In the next step, the procedure of modeling kinematics and analysis in commercial software tools used are
CAD, CATIA V5 (SOLID WORK) and FEA of the chassis is discussed.
1.2. OBJECTIVES
The main objective of the project is to design ergonomically sound and aesthetically trash collector e wheel
electric vehicle by considering all different aspects of environmental sustainability.

 Selecting the best chassis type from the existing types of chassis so that it suits the design
requirement
 Selecting the best materials for the chassis, right material for the trash holding compartment
 Designing the chassis, trash collector as per the design requirement using CAD (SOLIDWORKS
OR CATIA V5)

1.2.1 PROBLEM DEFINITION

A standard trash collector 3-wheel vehicle such that the design is dynamically stable at turns and while
braking with simple design and choosing the appropriate suspension system, steering system and wheel.
It can also be hydraulically lifted to drop the collected trash to main trash site.

1.3 DESIGN REQUIREMENT

Based on the information received from customer observation, it is determined that this trash collector
3-wheel electric vehicle should have dynamically stable at turns, while braking it should be light and
easy, appropriate suspension system, steering system and wheel. The trash collector 3-wheel vehicle
should be hydraulically raised and lowered during dropping the collected trash to the main site.
 CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW

In this chapter, a brief study about the current collection of solid waste is introduced first to have the
basic idea. And also, vehicle handling and stability as well as the parameters affecting them will be
introduced second. Next, details of various systems employed to improve the handling and lateral
stability will be discussed. Then, vehicle ride comfort, which is directly affected by the properties of
the vehicle suspension system, will be discussed.
2.1. GENERATION & COLLECTION OF SOLID WASTE

A waste collector is a person employed by a public or private enterprise to collect and remove refuse
(waste) and recyclables from residential, commercial, industrial or other collection site for further
processing and disposal. Specialized waste collection vehicles featuring an array of automated
functions are often deployed to assist waste collectors in reducing collection and transport time and for
protection from exposure. Waste and recycling pickup work is physically demanding and it exposes
workers to many occupational hazards. The City of Addis Ababa generates a solid waste of
0.4kg/c/day. More than 200,000t are collected each year. About 550t/day, 80% of the total waste
collected. The municipality increased the collection rate from 60% to 80%. Sources of Waste
Generated: - 76% households, 18% institutions, commercial, factories, hotels, 6% is street sweeping...
The Municipality Spends large proportion of its budget on collection, transport, and disposal of solid
waste. Solid waste collection services divided in to two sub-systems: primary and secondary Collection.
Primary collection is done by micro and small enterprises. Addis Ababa, the capital city of Ethiopia,
has one of the fastest growing populations in the world. The population has leaped from 15,000 to 4
million since its establishment 100 years ago (IGNIS, 2016). With all the socio-economic problems
growing parallel, waste management in the city can take a great portion. Due to the insufficient waste
management system in Addis Ababa, the habitants suffer the site and consequences of accumulated
waste piles on the streets and drains all around the city. These piles pollute the surrounding vegetation,
ground water and soil from the leachate. Due to weather variation and chemical reaction between
materials fire ignites. The emission from the smoke pollutes the atmosphere. Moreover, these piles
provide a breeding ground for insects and rats who can potentially cause the outbreak of an epidemic.
They also cause a nauseating smell and are quite unpleasant to see. The current solid waste management
system mainly relies on the municipality to address it and there are few private participants working on
a very small scale compared to the amount of work needed in the sector. The method used by the
municipality is crude open dumping after collection from households and institutions at a place called
Repi about 15 km from the city Centre. The dump has been running for the last 50 years without proper
management. There have been few approaches to solve the problem and no significant changes have
occurred. It can easily be seen that the city has expanded out of the government’s service capacity and
the aid of the private sector is needed. The solution to the waste problem requires the committed
participation of both parties with the proper partnership
2.2. HANDLING

Handling quality is basically the way that a vehicle responds to a driver’s commands, considering the
environment that the vehicle is surrounded by, such as wind and road conditions, which affect the body and
tires, respectively [1]. In general, if the vehicle and steer wheels are easy to control, it is called that the
vehicle has a good handling [2]. Because of the importance of handling quality, many articles are published
every year on analyzing and improving the handling quality of different cars. Sometimes, the concept of
handling is confused with comfortable cornering and turning. Turning and cornering are actually about
lateral acceleration, while handling is the vehicle quality in providing feedback to the driver for a better and
easier control [3]. In general, handling quality can be considered in three categories of resistance to rollover,
steady state behaviour, and transient behaviour [4].

In general and in order to provide a good handling when a vehicle is turning, accelerating, braking, and also
during harsh maneuvers, pitch and roll acceleration should be minimized [5]. Besides, to have a good
handling, it is also essential to have a stiff chassis and suspension system [6]. The parameter, which can be
defined to determine the influence of these factors on the handling of a particular vehicle, is the under-steer
coefficient (Kus). This factor for a two-wheeled vehicle (bicycle model) can be found from [1] .

(2-1)

where Wf and Wr are the normal forces acting on the front and rear tires, respectively, while cornering
stiffness of each of the front and rear tires are Caf and Car. The magnitude of the under-steer coefficient
basically determines the behavior of the vehicle during a turn. In particular, for a constant steer angle and
at increasing longitudinal speed, a vehicle which tends to deviate to the outside of turn is called an under-
steered vehicle. In the under-steer regime, the magnitude of the under-steer coefficient is basically larger
than zero (i.e., Kus>0). At the same steer angle and longitudinal speed, an over-steered vehicle (i.e., Kus<0),
on the other hand, tends to go to the inside of the turn, while a neutral steered vehicle (i.e., Kus=0) will stays
completely on the turn path (see Figure 2-1).

In principle, when Kus is zero, side slip angles of front and rear wheels are equal (a=ar, Wf/Caf = W/Car, and
f L/R) (here, L is the length of vehicle and R is the radius of the turn) [1,7]. In the under-steer regime, when
Kus>0, however, slip angle of the front wheel is larger than that of the rear one (i.e., af>ar, Wf/Cf > Wr/Ca,
and Sf> L/R). This basically implies that when the vehicle is accelerating with a constant steer angle, the
turning radius increases. In the over-steer region, however, when the vehicle is accelerating with a constant
steer angle, the turning radius tends to get smaller (i.e., a<ar, Wf/Cf < Wr/Ca, and f L/R). In general, to have
a good handling, under-steer coefficient in the range of 2 to 6 deg/g is preferable. It should be noted that
under-steer coefficient is different for different types of vehicles (such as for sedans, sports cars, trucks,
etc.) (see Figure 2-2) [1,8].

Figure 2-2. Steer angle vs. speed of neutral steer,

under-steer, and over-steer [1].

Other than yaw rate, the other important parameter which specifies the handling quality of a vehicle is the
side slip angle. In fact, due to steer and side slip during turning, a slip angle (i.e., an angle between the
moving direction of the vehicle and the heading direction) is produced. In the following subsection, yaw
rate and side slip angle as well as the different methods employed to control them in various vehicles will
be discussed in detail.

2.1.1. Yaw rate, side slip angle, and vehicle path

In this part, yaw rate and side slip angle, as two important parameters affecting the handling of a vehicle,
are introduced. To do so, first we need to define the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) coordinate
system, based on which all equations and calculations in this thesis have been derived (see Figure 2-3) [3].
In the SAE coordinate system, the x axis is the axis located along the longitudinal axis of the vehicle in the
positive direction when the vehicle is moving forward, while y and z axes are considered right-handed to
the x axis.
In Figure 2-3, yaw is defined by the parameter r, the rotation produced about the z axis. In here, pitch (q) is
the rotation about the y axis, while roll (p) is the rotation about the x axis. Lateral speed, longitudinal speed,
and vertical speed are defined as v, u and w, respectively. To have a better turn, one needs to control and
optimize the lateral velocity, and accordingly, the yaw rate. The other important parameter, which has to
be controlled in order to improve the handling of a vehicle, is side slip angle. Side slip angle a is the angle
between the direction of wheel heading and the direction of wheel travel.
Side slip angle basically determines the lateral stability of a vehicle, which can be controlled by various
methods, such as controlling the steering system and improving lateral forces on tires [9-12]. The effect of
side slip angle on lateral forces, when there is no camber angle, can be quantified by a parameter called the
cornering force, Fya = Caa, where Ca is the cornering coefficient [1]. In general, side slip angle and the
lateral forces which are produced in tires are very influential on the vehicle handling. In terms of handling,
as the concept of interest in this section, side slip angles between 0 and 4 deg (called side slip magic
numbers) are usually favored [7].
and also the steer angle for the rear wheels were used as inputs to the controller [19]. An experimental study
was also carried out to verify the performance of the controller [19]. In another study, Zeyada et al. [20]
proposed a control method by using active steering and differential braking control by using fuzzy-logic
interference system to control and minimize the yaw rate. This combination method basically introduced a
controller that did not have disadvantages of either differential braking or active steering during high lateral
acceleration and harsh maneuver [20]. A torque-vectoring controller to control the yaw rate was also
established by Sabbioni et al. [21] for an electric vehicle. Using this system, it was shown that the peak
values of oscillation for side slip angle and yaw rate can be decreased [21]. Sakhalkar et al. [22] also showed
that by adding a torque vectoring control system to change the yaw rate of a four-wheeled vehicle, the
vehicle could be kept on a desired path. In their system, when the yaw rate was not desired, by changing
the steer wheel input, different torques were applied to the left and right wheels in order to keep the vehicle
on a desired path [22]. A nonlinear path tracking controller was also developed by Zakaria et al. [23]. Their
system was based on a steering wheel and lateral control system. The control algorithm that was developed
by this group could calculate the vehicle lateral acceleration error by using yaw rate and steer wheel sensors,
in order to obtain feedback data [23]. In another study, a proportional-integral- derivative (PID) steer
controller, which could regulate the yaw rate by using Constant Radius Constant Speed (CRCS), was
developed by Liang [24]. The other way to dynamically control the handling of a vehicle is controlling the
side slip angle. Baffet et al. [25], for instance, have worked on different observers (such as The Extended
Kalman Filter) to calculate the lateral speed and accordingly, the side slip angle. A Direct Yaw Moment
Control (DYMC) is also another very effective tool to control yaw rate and side slip angle [26].

2.1.2. Camber and tilt

In general, the most two common ways to improve the performance and stability of a three-wheeled vehicle
during turning and harsh maneuver is applying camber angle to the wheels or tilt the body. In the case of
wheel cambering, according to Figure 2-5, which shows car wheels from the front, camber angle is applied
by tilting a wheel inward or outward. In principle, when the vertical axis of the wheel is parallel to the
vertical axis of the body, there is no cambering. When the wheel goes outward or inward (relative to the
body), positive or negative camber angles are applied to the wheels, respectively
The advantage of applying camber angle is that by applying even a small angle, cornering becomes
significantly shorter [28]. However, it should be noted that in order to improve cornering, not only applying
camber angle is important, but also camber angle should be constantly and accurately controlled [29]. For
instance, during turning and maneuver, if a passive camber angle is imposed to a wheel, it will change the
under-steer characteristics of the vehicle. To avoid this, one essentially needs to constantly and accurately
control the camber angle by using a proper controller [30].
Camber controllers can be designed in various ways. For instance, some camber controllers are working
based on a proportional relationship with steer angle. Yoshino and Nozaki [31] reported on applying
positive-negative camber angle, where, according to wheel steering of the front wheels, the inner-turn wheel
was cambered in the negative direction while the outer-turn wheel was cambered in the positive direction.
Another approach in design of a camber control can be based on having camber control in a way that wheels
are always kept parallel to each other (during lateral acceleration, vertical displacement, and even roll).
Cuttino et al. [32], for example, used this type of camber controller in their experiments and they verified
the improvement in the lateral stability of their vehicle by simulation of the cornering of the vehicle in
Multibody Dynamics Adams software.

Another approach to control the maneuverability and stability of a vehicle, particularly during turning and
cornering, is applying a tilt angle to the body. In a vehicle with an active tilting system, the whole-body
bends toward the Centre of turning radius in order to change the CG position, exactly similar to what
motorcycle riders do during rapid turnings. Tilting systems are usually applied to narrow three wheeled
vehicles, because of their natural instability caused by their small track and the possibility of their rollover
(which is more elaborate for this kind of vehicles in comparison to conventional four wheeled vehicles)
[33].

Tilting system has been traditionally applied to narrow three-wheeled vehicles in order to improve their
maneuverability, particularly at high speeds and during large steering angles [34]. A three-wheeled vehicle,
which has two passenger sits behind each other, has less space in the frontal area, and therefore, the vehicle
acts like a motorcycle on roads. In a study on this type of vehicles, Berote et al. [35] has mentioned that
one of the main problems associated with their vehicle was its weak rollover stability. In order to solve this
problem, a hydraulic tilt mechanism was introduced to the vehicle suspension system [35]. A positive
inclined tilt axis for optimizing roll incident was analyzed, where a larger yaw rate was applied at the rear
wheels in comparison to that applied on the one in the front. Doing so, it was observed that the rear wheels
steered into the turn, which in turn helped the turning [35]. The other important factor that Berote et al.
considered was the speed of the actuator when tilt angle was applied to the body [35]. They found out that
when tilt angle was applied to the body, the response time had to be slowed down in order to avoid large
torques to the body [35]. Edelmam and Plochi [36], in another study, proposed a tilting system for a three
wheeler. In their study, they used a steering torque input to change the angle of tilting in order to make the
process more energy efficient. The controller they used was able to change the tilting angle according to
the steering angle, which led to decrease in the possibility of the occurrence of rollover [36].

It is worthwhile mentioning that applying tilt angle to the body can be pleasant for the passengers. For
instance, Will et al. [37] has mentioned in their study on a narrow Carver car (a three wheeler having two
wheels in the back and one in the front) that “it is so much fun to drive when it tilts that one is even inclined
to continuously zigzag along the road, which can be risky and also make it tip over”.

Overall, to avoid instability of narrow vehicles, it is necessary to have either tilting system or cambering
system. Choosing between cambering and tilting system for a narrow vehicle totally depends on the purpose
of the vehicle. In general, for maneuvering and fast driving, tilting system is suggested, while for daily
commuting in cities, cambering system is more favorable.

2.2. Lateral stability

Lateral stability (i.e., stability of a moving vehicle about the axis perpendicular to its direction of motion)
refers to the tendency of the moving vehicle to go back to its original direction when disturbed from that
direction (e.g., during turning, maneuvering, etc.). In general, the main parameters which can influence the
lateral stability of a vehicle are type of tires, magnitude of the normal load, road/tire coefficient of friction,
side slip angle, and lateral vibration [38].

Erdogan et al. [39] reported on development of a new lateral stability control system, in which
accelerometer sensors were placed in tires in order to estimate the normal force of the tires and the road/tire
friction coefficient, so it can accurately calculate the longitudinal tire forces. Based on simulation results,
they showed that the system could effectively control the lateral stability of their vehicle [39]. An active
front steering (AFS) controller was also proposed in order to improve a vehicle handling and lateral
stability, particularly during overtaking [40]. According to the readings of the controller, additional steering
angle was applied to the front wheels, resulting in better vehicle control [40]. Another parameter which has
to be considered when one tries to control the lateral instability of a vehicle is vertical vibrations. Vertical
vibrations can affect side slip angle, yaw velocity, lateral acceleration, lateral deviation, and accordingly,
lateral stability [41].
Regardless of what causes lateral instability and how it can be controlled, lateral instability can have two
catastrophic consequences: rollover and skidding, which will be discussed in the following subsections.

2.2.2. Rollover

From the time of the production of the first car, automobile factories have been trying to improve their
vehicles in order to manufacture more comfortable and safer vehicles. Undoubtedly, one of the most
important specifications of a safe and comfortable car is its low tendency to roll during turning, cornering,
and harsh maneuver. Vehicle rollover, in general, happens when the driver lose the control of the vehicle.
Because of the severe consequences which rollover might have (e.g., injuries and even deaths), it has drawn
lots of attentions [42,43]. In American highways, the second most dangerous car accidents are caused
because of rollover. In 2000 only, 9882 people got killed because of this undesirable tendency of light cars
[44]. Generally, there are two types of rollover: tripped rollover and un-tripped rollover. Tripped rollover
usually happens when the vehicle goes into skidding. During skidding, the vehicle hits an object and at that
time, the vehicle starts to roll. In the case of un-tripped rollover, on the other hand, it is the driver who is
the responsible for this phenomenon, particularly when he/she applies excessive steer angles to the vehicle
(usually at high speeds or in panic situations) [45]. Different methods have been provided to avoid this
dangerous tendency. In this connection, it is crucial to know about all constraints on the system in order not
to over step those limits.

To improve the lateral stability of a vehicle and in order to hinder its rollover, it is essential to study the
vehicle specifications in order to obtain the optimum rollover threshold in a particular broad range (which
cannot be easily achieved), allowing the car over-turn to happen as hard as possible. Lateral acceleration
threshold (also called the static stability factor (SSF)) is essentially depending on the geometry of the
vehicle [5]. For instance, rollover acceleration threshold (ay) for a four-wheeled vehicle can be determined
from [5]

where H is the distance of the CG from ground and T is the track width. As can be seen, in a particular road,
what dictate the occurrence of rollover are the geometrical properties of the vehicle.
2.2.3. Skid

Another catastrophic consequence that lateral instability might have is skidding. Skidding usually happens
on slippery roads or as a result of stopping or turning quickly. As mentioned, this dangerous phenomenon
sometimes can also lead to rollover of the vehicle by hitting an obstacle during skidding. Studying skidding
is not only very important for engineers who are trying to design safer cars, but also it is very crucial for
accident reconstruction specialists who are trying to design safer roads [46].

In analysis of the skidding of a vehicle on a dry road, different parameters (such as vehicle weight, type of
tires, longitudinal speed, etc.) should be taken into account [47]. Among all these, type of tires and
accordingly, road/tire coefficient of friction, is one of the most important factors which can influence the
phenomenon of skidding. As a matter of fact, in order to prevent skidding, the lateral acceleration must be
bounded by the road/tire friction coefficient (M) as described in Equation (2-3), stating [5]

From this perspective, it is completely clear that, for a particular vehicle on a particular road, in order to
prevent (or at least delay) skidding, the value of road/tire coefficient of friction should be always kept high.
In winter, for instance, when the road/tire coefficient of friction is naturally low, this can be achieved by
using winter tires, snow chain, and/or emergency anti-skidding devices. In case of winter tires, it has been
shown that they can significantly prevent skidding on snowy roads, although they are not very beneficial
for driving on polished ice, particularly when the temperature is between -10 and 3 °C. In case of snow
chain and emergency anti-skidding devices (which are basically textile covers), on the other hand,
satisfactory results have been reported on preventing skidding upon driving on even icy roads [48]. There
are also some controller systems (such as anti-lock brake systems (ABS)) which are able to hinder the
occurrence of skidding - via controlling the longitudinal dynamics [49,50].
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