Modeling of a Mid-Size Passenger Car Using a Multibody Dynamics Program

Abstract

This paper presents a multibody model of a passenger car and correlates the model with experimental data. Included in the model is a simple load-leveling control algorithm for controlling low frequency roll and pitch. The objectives of this paper are: to evaluate the effectiveness of vehicle modeling using a multibody dynamics program; to demonstrate multibody modeling techniques for complex suspension systems without the use of bushing models; and to demonstrate the feasibility of implementing control algorithms in multibody dynamics programs. The paper concludes that using multibody dynamics programs can be an effective method to model ride, handling, and braking of wheeled vehicles. The model presented in this paper shows good correlation in both the linear and nonlinear ranges for most maneuvers.