VEHICLE DYNAMICS CALCULATOR SERIES

On the other end of the scale are the multibody vehicle simulations as carried out by programs such as MSC ADAMS. We are huge advocates of putting down the textbook and getting your hands dirty and these videos are a great start.

VEHICLE DYNAMICS CALCULATOR SERIES

A great example of this is a series of youtube videos by Michael Chalkiopoulos. The bicycle model is a simple, yet reasonably effective method of simulating a vehicle. The simpler lap time simulators use something called the bicycle model (Which you can research further in your own time). You could move the weight balance forward, increase the mass of the car, fit different tyres, and simulate all those changes without ever needing to do anything on the physical vehicle. The vehicle model can then be slightly adjusted, and the effects of the changes can be seen on the lap time. Used the GG diagram to perform a quasi-static lap time analysis (We will get to this in the next section)Ī basic vehicle model developed using the bicycle model.Lap time simulation normally consists of a of 3 steps. To answer this question it is important to understand that there are different types of simulations for different applications.įor example, a basic form of a vehicle dynamics simulation used by many Formula Student teams is lap time simulation. This was something we found very difficult to grasp in the beginning and each day we are understanding more and more about what you get out of a vehicle dynamics simulations. Now that we know that simulating helps us speed up product development and reduce the cost of that development, we want to know the specifics. However, for the most part, a successful simulation will be a successful part in the real world. Of course, sometimes the simulations are wrong, and teams may end up at the track with a new front wing that provided an extra 0.5s per lap in simulation but in reality, there is no tangible gain. The long and the short of it is that vehicle dynamics allows engineers to design, test and decide if a new component or idea is even worth taking into the physical world. Once the models have been created, the cost of running a million simulations is still cheaper than having to build, ship, test and analyse a part in real life.Ī big part of Formula Student is modelling and simulation In reality, the part first has to be designed (Which is done through the use of models now in any case), made, fitted to the car and only then can it be taken to the track to be assessed. The time it takes to adjust a few parameters in a vehicle dynamics model, run the simulation and get the results is miles faster than the time it would take in reality. The two main reasons are simple, time and cost. You may ask yourself why bother? Seems like a lot of effort to go out and create a model of something that physically exists and can be tested in the real world. The models and subsections are then combined to form an overall picture of the vehicle.

For example, a team may have a department focussed solely on modelling the suspension system or possibly the modelling of the powertrain. Manufacturers and Formula One teams alike have specialised teams focussing on certain areas of vehicle dynamics.

“Įach individual subsection of the vehicle is further broken down and studied so that we can realise the goal of understanding these 3 categories. ” The behaviour of a vehicle in response to inputs from the external environment. In practice it is extremely difficult to sum up the massive field with one line however the general consensus is that vehicle dynamics can be summed up by the following: The logical and first question anyone would ask is “What is vehicle dynamics?”. Rather, we are engineers who have an interest in the subject and (Like yourselves) are looking to learn more about the dark art of vehicle dynamics. Before we start, it is necessary to state that we do not have years of vehicle dynamics experience behind us nor do we claim to be experts on the subject. Open any article or textbook related to the study of vehicle dynamics and you will be blasted with an avalanche of information shoving differential equations, massive matrices, and complex vector maths down your throat.Īfter having the same experience, we decided to write this article to give a gentle introduction into the field of vehicle dynamics.

The study of vehicle dynamics is a daunting task.

Vehicle dynamics calculator