DEVELOPMENT OF A VARIABLE DYNAMIC AUTOMOTIVE SUSPENSION MODEL USING VIRTUAL TEST BED

摘要

This paper is concerned with the development of a fully dynamic automotive suspension model in Virtual Test Bed (VTB), a dynamic system simulation environment developed by the University of South Carolina Department of Electrical Engineering for modeling multi-technical dynamic systems. VTB is normally used to prototype large-scale electrical systems, but as shown in this paper, it can also be used to accurately simulate dynamic mechanical devices. Mathematical equations governing vehicle dynamic motion were developed and converted into C++ code. This code was then converted into a VTB model using Microsoft C++. A model of a full car passive suspension system was developed in VTB around this model, in which all dimensions, spring and damper constants, and vehicle path can be changed easily, without recoding the model itself. The model was then compared to a previously validated model created in Matlab Simulink. The results of this comparison, as well as validation with experimental data from a quarter-car suspension system, showed that VTB is a valid platform for modeling dynamic mechanical systems, and could be used to model active vehicle suspension as well.