Ever stringent vehicle safety legislation and consumer expectations inspire the improvement of vehicle dynamic performance, which result in a rising number of control strategies for vehicle dynamics that rely on driving conditions. Road profiles, as the primary excitation source of vehicle systems, play a critical role in vehicle dynamics and also in public transportation. Knowledge of precise road conditions can thus be of great assistance for vehicle companies and government departments to develop proper dynamic control algorithms, and to fix roads in a timely manner and at the minimum cost, respectively. As a result, developing easy-to-use and accurate road estimation methods are of great importance in terms of reducing the cost related to vehicles and road maintenance as well as improving passenger comfort and handling capacity. A few books have already been published on road profile modeling and the influence of road unevenness on vehicle response. However, there is still room to discuss road assessment methods based on vehicle response and how road conditions can be used to improve vehicle dynamics. In this book, we use several generalized vehicle models to demonstrate the concepts, methods, and applications of vehicle response-based road estimation algorithms. In addition, necessary tools, algorithms, and methods are illustrated, and the benefits of the road estimation algorithms are evaluated. Furthermore, several case studies of controllable suspension systems to improve vehicle vertical dynamics are presented.

Thanks to the potential of reducing fuel consumption and emissions, hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) have been attracting more and more attention from car manufacturers and researchers. Due to involving two energy sources, i.e., engine and battery, the powertrain in HEVs is a complicated electromechanical coupling system that generates noise and vibration different from that of a traditional vehicle. Accordingly, it is very important to explore the noise and vibration characteristics of HEVs. In this book, a hybrid vehicle with two motors is taken as an example, consisting of a compound planetary gear set (CPGS) as the power-split device, to analyze the noise and vibration characteristics. It is specifically intended for graduates and anyone with an interest in the electrification of full hybrid vehicles. The book begins with the research background and significance of the HEV. The second chapter presents the structural description and working principal of the target hybrid vehicle. Chapter 3 highlights the noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) tests and corresponding analysis of the hybrid powertrain. Chapter 4 provides transmission system parameters and meshing stiffness calculation. Chapter 5 discusses the mathematical modeling and analyzes torsional vibration (TV) of HEVs. Finally, modeling of the hybrid powertrain with ADAMS is given in Chapter 6.