Modeling a Quad Bike for Simulating Rollover Events

Quad bike vehicles, often called all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) in the United States, are becoming increasingly popular for recreational and work applications. In particular, in countries such as Australia, ATVs are widely used in the farming environment. Unfortunately, recent statistics have indicated that high serious injury and fatality rates are associated with rollover incidents with ATVs, with the most common serious injury modes being related to chest or head injuries. Computer simulations can help in the understanding of the vehicle–rider interaction during a variety of rollover scenarios. Although previously developed computer lumped-mass models could successfully simulate the rollover kinematics of ATVs, the models presented limitations in effectively reproducing vehicle–rider contacts. The objective of this research was to develop a finite element (FE) model of a typical ATV used in a farming environment. The capability of FE models to replicate material deformation would allow simulation of the vehicle kinematics that would lead to rollover as well as any potential interaction between the rider and the vehicle. The developed model, which reproduced in detail the geometry and inertial properties of a real ATV, was validated through comparison with relevant handling tests. The model proved to be a powerful tool for investigating the risk level of potentially hazardous scenarios ranging from simple turns occurring on level terrain to more complex situations involving holes or obstacles on level terrain or slopes.