Vehicle dynamics simulations with coupled multibody and finite element models

With the advent of multibody system simulations (MSS) programs, it has beco me common practice to use computer modeling to evaluate vehicle dynamics pe rformance. This approach has proved to be very effective for predicting the handling performance of vehicles; however, it has proved less successful f or predicting the vehicle response at frequencies that are of interest in r ide harshness and durability applications. The lack of correlation between theory and experiment can be partially traced back to tire models that are inadequate for rough road simulation. This paper presents a comprehensive V ehicle dynamics model for simulating the dynamic response of ground vehicle s on rough surfaces. This approach uses a MSS program to simulate the vehic le and a nonlinear FE program for the tires. Parallel processing of the tir e models improves the efficiency of the overall simulation. Applications fo r this technology include vehicle ride and harshness analysis and durabilit y loads simulation. This paper describes the MSS vehicle model, the tire FE model, and the interface which transfers data between the two simulations. Simulation and experiment results for a single tire without a vehicle enco untering an obstacle and for a vehicle with four tires driving across a pot hole are presented. Conclusions and opportunities for further research end the paper. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.