Improvement of Road Safety through Appropriate Cargo Securing Using Outliers

Calculation of an Average Vehicle’s Sideways Acceleration on Small Roundabouts

The calculation of the average sideways acceleration, based on speed and angular velocity on small roundabouts for a vehicle of up to 3.5 t gross vehicle mass, is described in this paper. Calculations of the turning radius are derived from angular velocity and an automatic selection of events, based on the lateral acceleration of the coefficient of variation within a defined time window. The calculation of the turning radius based on speed and angular velocity yields almost identical results to the calculation of the turning radius by the three-point method using GPS coordinates, as described in previous research. This means that the calculation of the turning radius, derived from the speed of GNSS/INS dual-antenna sensor and gyroscope data, yields similar results to those from the computation of the turning radius derived from the coordinates of a GNSS/INS dual-antenna sensor. The research results can be used in the development of sensors to improve road safety.

Determination of Turning Radius and Lateral Acceleration of Vehicle by GNSS/INS Sensor

In this article, we address the determination of turning radius and lateral acceleration acting on a vehicle up to 3.5 t gross vehicle mass (GVM) and cargo in curves based on turning radius and speed. Global Navigation Satellite System with Inertial Navigation System (GNSS/INS) dual-antenna sensor is used to measure acceleration, speed, and vehicle position to determine the turning radius and determine the proper formula to calculate long average lateral acceleration acting on vehicle and cargo. The two methods for automatic selection of events were applied based on stable lateral acceleration value and on mean square error (MSE) of turning radiuses. The models of calculation of turning radius are valid for turning radius within 5-70 m for both methods of automatic selection of events with mean root mean square error (RMSE) 1.88 m and 1.32 m. The models of calculation of lateral acceleration are valid with mean RMSE of 0.022 g and 0.016 g for both methods of automatic selection of events. The results of the paper may be applied in the planning and implementation of packing and cargo securing procedures to calculate average lateral acceleration acting on vehicle and cargo based on turning radius and speed for vehicles up to 3.5 t GVM. The results can potentially be applied for the deployment of autonomous vehicles in solutions grouped under the term of Logistics 4.0.

Study of the Stability of Palletized Cargo by Dynamic Test Method Performed on Laboratory Test Bench

The paper presents a method and results of experimental testing of the stability of palletized cargo wrapped in stretch film in laboratory conditions and methods and parameterization of its application for proper cargo securing. Reduction of stretch film consumption is also significant for sustainable transport. It will contribute to the minimization of costs on a micro-scale (manufacturers and shippers) and a macro scale—a significant reduction in pollution of the environment and gas emissions by reducing stretch film production. The experiments have been performed following the requirements of EUMOS 40509 and 40511 standards. The proposed method of testing the stability of palletized cargo is based on tests performed on a laboratory test bench using FEF-200 sensors. The results of conducted experiments demonstrated that the selection of a proper stretch film and a cargo wrapping model could significantly reduce the risk of cargo damage through increasing cargo stabilizing forces and, at the same time, reducing stretch film consumption. The developed method can significantly reduce the cost of securing and concurrently assure required cargo security. This directly impacts the safety of all participants in the transport process in supply chains.

Application of MEMS Sensors for Evaluation of the Dynamics for Cargo Securing on Road Vehicles

Safety is one of the key aspects of the successful transport of cargo. In the case of road transport, the dynamics of a vehicle during normal events such as braking, steering, and evasive maneuver are variable in different places in the vehicle. Several manufacturers provide different dataloggers with acceleration sensors, but the results are not comparable due to different sensor parameters, measurement ranges, sampling frequencies, data filtration, and evaluation of different periods of acceleration. The position of the sensor in the loading area is also important. The accelerations are not the same at all points in the vehicle. The article deals with the measurement of these dynamic events with MEMS sensors on selected points of a vehicle loaded with cargo and with changes in dynamics after certain events that could occur during regular road transport of cargo to analyze the possibilities for monitoring accelerations and the related forces acting on the cargo during transport. The article uses evaluation times of 80, 300, and 1000 ms for accelerations. With the measured values, it is possible to determine the places with a higher risk of cargo damage and not only to adjust the packaging and securing of the cargo, but also to modify the transport routes. Concerning the purposes of securing the cargo in relation to EN 12195-1 and the minimum values of forces for securing the cargo, we focused primarily on the places where the acceleration of 0.5 g was exceeded when analyzing the monitored route. There were 32 of these points in total, all of which were measured by a sensor located at the rear of the semi-trailer. In 31 cases, the limit of 0.5 g was exceeded for an 80-ms evaluation time, and in one case, the value of 0.51 g was reached in the transverse direction for a 300-ms evaluation time.