Center of Gravity Height and Load Estimation in Vehicle Roll Dynamics

In modern vehicles, a variety of control functions are used to stabilize vehicle dynamics. These can be improved with precise information about the vehicle state and time-varying parameters. Examples are the vehicle mass and the center of gravity height, which can change in time due to additional loads such as a roof box. Changes in these parameters not only affect the driving behavior but can also increase the risk of rollover, particularly for sport utility vehicles (SUV), that already have a high center of gravity height. This paper therefore presents an Extended Kalman Filter for estimating the additional load, the horizontal center of gravity shift and the center of gravity height. Based on the estimated parameters, the effective roll torque is determined, which is used as a criterion for evaluating rollover criticality. This information can be used, for example, for the adaption of driving dynamics systems.