National Technical University of Athens

Diploma Thesis
«Computational Simulation of the road
behaviour of a vehicle by use of a non-
linear six-degree of freedom model»
George Mavros

Supervisor:
Assoc. Prof. Dr.-Ing
K.N.Spentzas

Athens, September 2000

 Purpose of the report
• The aim is to create a versatile
computational tool in order to predict,
analyse and understand all aspects of
the road behaviour of a vehicle.
• The whole analysis is based on an
advanced non-linear six-degree of
freedom model
 Procedure
• Selection of vehicle model -
consideration of all important
phenomena
• Equations
• Programming
• Simulations - Testing
Chapter 1: Definition of Model
• Six degree of freedom, non-linear model
with four wheels and provision for 4-
wheel steering
q y V

U
x

W r

z
Aerial View
x

-c c

a
y

O llift

b Clift
-d d
 Side View

lair

x hairside

z
 Frontal View

y hairfr

z
 Forces and torques
• Gravitational forces - provision for inclined
road
• Lateral tire forces due to slip angle
• Longitudinal forces due to acceleration or
braking - rolling resistance
• Aerodynamic forces (drag, lateral and lift)
• Spring and damping forces from the
suspension
• All consequent torques plus torque from anti-
roll bars
 Simplifications (1)
• Vehicle is symmetrical towards XZ plane
• Total mass is constant
• No Camber angles or other kinds of
inclination are introduced
• Tire contact patch does not change
• Unsprung mass is added to sprung
mass
 Simplifications (2)
• Lateral and longitudinal tire adhesion
coefficients are equal to eachother
• Steering angle on the right wheel(s) is
equal to the steering angle on the left
wheel(s)
• The function of Lateral tire force with
respect to slip angle is linear
 Chapter 2: Equations
P ro c e d u re

N o n R e la t iv it y K in e m a t ic s - v e c t o r a n a ly s is

M a t r ix a d a p t a t io n

F in a l K in e m a t ic E q u a t io n s - m a t r ix fo r m

K in e m a t ic e q u a t io n s t r a n s fo r m e d t o d y n a m ic
v ia t h e la w s o f N e w t o n - E u le r

6 X 6 N o n - L in e a r S y s t e m o f d iffe r e n t ia l e q u a t io n s

D e t a ile d c o n s id e r a t io n o f fo r c e s a n d to rq u e s
 Forces and Torques
X  ΣFx  Fx1  Fx2  Fx3  Fx4  Fxair   sinΨ  sinΘ - cosΨ  sinΦ  cosΘ   m  g  2.151

Y  ΣFy  Fy1  Fy2  Fy3  Fy4  Fyair   cosΨ  sinΘ  sinΨ  sinΦ  cosΘ   m  g  2.152

Z  ΣFz  Fzkd  cosΦ  cosΘ  m  g  2.153

L  ΣM x  M xkdroll  M xtire  M xair  2.154

M  ΣM y  M ykd  M ytire  M yair  2.155

N  ΣM z  M ztire  M zair  2.156

 6X6 System of differential
Equations
dU X
  Vr  W q  2.157
dt m

dV Y
  Wp  Ur  2.158
dt m

dW Z
  Uq  Vp  2.159
dt m

dp

L

 I yy  I zz   q  r  I zx   p  q  dr   2.160
 
dt I xx I xx I xx  dt 

dq

M

 I zz  I xx 
 p  r  zx   p 2  r 2 
I
 2.161
dt I yy I yy I yy

 N   I xx  I yy   p  q  I zx  r  q  I
 I zx 
 L
dr 1
 
xx
  2.162
   
 
2
dt I2 I zx I zx

 I zz  I
zx

    I yy  I zz  q  r   p  q 
 xx   I xx I xx 
 Chapter 3: Algorithms &
Routines
Main objectives:
• Solving the system of equations
arithmetically
• Definition of the function of front wheel
steering angle with respect to time
• Introduction of 4-wheel steering
• Introduction of criteria for the loss of tire
adhesion
 Solving the system of
equations
• All routines are created in the MATLAB
environment
• The system of differential equations is
solved by the means of a 4th order -
single step RUNGE KUTTA method
• The results obtained are extremely
close to the ones obtained when using
the built-in MATLAB function: «ode45»
 Front wheel steering
Function of front wheel Functions of front wheel
steering angle with steering angle
respect to time 0,16

0,14
INPUT: Duration of steering: T; Final angle: 0,12
δffinal; Degree of the polynomial: r
0,1 1st degree
OUTPUT: Front wheel steering angle function

angle (rad)
2nd degree
with respect to time: δf(t) 0,08
3rd degree
IF t<T THEN 0,06
4th degree
k=(δffinal/Tr)*tr 0,04
5th degree
ELSE 0,02
k=δffinal
0
END 0 1 2 3
δf(t)=k time (sec)
Introduction of 4-wheel
steering

• δr=g(δf(t))

• δr=λ*δf(t)
 Criterion for the loss of tire
adhesion
• Maximum alowable lateral force for
each tire, according to the friction circle
consept:

Simax  F2
yimax F
2
xi
 Criteria for the total loss of
roadholding at each end of the
vehicle
• Criterion for the total loss of roadholding
at the front of the vehicle:
Fy1  Fy2  S1max  S2max or Fy1  Fy2   S1max  S2max   check

• Criterion for the total loss of roadholding

at the rear of the vehicle:
Fy3  Fy4  S3max  S4max or Fy3  Fy4   S3max  S4max   check
User interface
User Interface
User interface
User interface
User interface
 Chapter 4: Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear

•57 •59 •61

 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40% rear
 Simulations
• Test 1.1 : General
case
• Weight distribution
60% front - 40%
rear
• Longer period of
running, which
shows a bigger
part of the orbit
•39
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like
Test 1.1
• BUT:
• Weight
distribution 40%
front - 60% rear

•38
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•46
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•47 •52 •54

 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•48
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•49
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•50
 Simulations
• Test 2.1: like Test
1.1
• BUT:
• Weight distribution
40% front - 60% rear

•51
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•40
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•41 •54
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•42
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•43
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•44 •55
 Simulations
• Test 4: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of damping
coefficient per 1000
N*sec/m (2500 to
3500)

•45
 Simulations
• Test 5: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of stiffness
coefficient of anti-roll
bars per 2000
N*m/rad (3500 to
5500)

•41
 Simulations
• Test 5: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of stiffness
coefficient of anti-roll
bars per 2000
N*m/rad (3500 to
5500)

•44
 Simulations
• Test 6: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of stiffness
coefficient of springs
per 4000 N/m (front)
& 5000 N/m (rear)
(19000 & 18000 to
23000)

•41 •47
 Simulations
• Test 6: like Test 2.1
• BUT:
• Increase of stiffness
coefficient of springs
per 4000 N/m (front)
& 5000 N/m (rear)
(19000 & 18000 to
23000)

•44 •50
 Simulations
• Test 7: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Braking forces
applied on all
wheels (F1=F2=-
1500 N, F3=F4=-
1000 N)

•58 •60
 Simulations
• Test 7: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Braking forces
applied on all
wheels (F1=F2=-
1500 N, F3=F4=-
1000 N)

•34
 Simulations
• Test 8: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Braking forces
applied on rear
wheels (F3=F4=-
1000 N)

•56 •60
 Simulations
• Test 8: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Braking forces
applied on rear
wheels (F3=F4=-
1000 N)

•34
 Simulations
• Test 9: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Driving torque
applied on rear
wheels (F3=F4=824
N)

•56 •58
 Simulations
• Test 9: like Test 1
• BUT:
• Driving torque
applied on rear
wheels (F3=F4=824
N)

•34
 Expanding possibilities

O p t im iz a t io n

4 - W h e e l s t e e r in g L o a d t r a n s fe r N e u t r a l h a n d lin g