COMPUTER SIMULATION OF VEHICLE HANDLING

AN EXISTING MATHEMATICAL MODEL OF PASSENGER VEHICLE HANDLING WAS PROGRAMMED FOR USE IN A HYBRID COMPUTER SITUATION. THE HANDLING CHARACTERISTICS OF A 1967 FORD STATION WAGON AND A 1971 VOLKSWAGEN SUPER BEETLE WERE DETERMINED BY EXERCISING THE SIMULATION AND BY PHYSICAL TESTING. THE HYBRID COMPUTER RESULTS WERE COMPARED WITH SUBSEQUENT TEST RESULTS TO VALIDATE THE SIMULATION. ESTABLISHED VEHIVLE HANDLING TEST PROCEDURES WERE UTILIZED TO DERIVE LIMITS OF VEHICLE PER- FORMANCE. THE SIMULATION OF VOLKSWAGON HANDLING ACCURATELY PREDICTED THE TEST RESULTS FOR STRAIGHT LINE BRAKING, BRAKING IN A TURN, SINUSOIDAL STEERING, AND TRAPEZOIDAL STEERING. ROAD HOLDING AND ROLLOVER TESTS IMPOSED CON- DITIONS WHICH EXCEEDED THE AVAILABLE TIRE DATA AND VIOLATED THE ASSUMPTIONS OF THE SUSPENSION MODEL SO THAT QUANTITATIVE PREDICTION WAS COMPROMISED. IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT THE SUSPENSION MODEL BE REFINED AND THAT MORE EXTENSIVE TIRE DATA BE OBTAINED FOR SPECIFIC APPLICATION TO ROAD HOLDING AND ROLLOVER TESTS. SIMULATION VERSATILITY HAS BEEN ENHANC- ED TO ACCURATELY MODEL SEVERAL VEHICLE CHARACTERISTICS. IN PARTICULAR, BOTH SOLID REAR AXLE AND INDEPENDENTLY SPRUNG REAR AXLE VEHICLES CAN BE EVALUATED. (A)

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract FH-11-7563 Rept No 6358
• Corporate Authors:

  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1972-9

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: 344 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Automobiles; Braking; Mathematical models; Simulation; Steering; Suspensions; Testing
• Uncontrolled Terms: Models
• Subject Areas: Highways; Safety and Human Factors;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00222319
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: National Safety Council Safety Research Info Serv
• Report/Paper Numbers: Final Rpt
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: Jul 16 1974 12:00AM