Sensitivity Analysis of Vehicle Design Attributes That Affect Vehicle Response in Critical Accident Situations. Part 1: User's Manual

摘要

The general purpose sensitivity methods and computer-based codes for determining the simultaneous effects of all vehicle-driver-environment characteristics on vehicle system response have been developed. The methods and codes developed have no limitations as to the complexity of vehicle model analyzed or type of vehicle maneuver performed, including critical accident situations. Structured and modularized programming techniques are utilized in three separate programs for sensitivity analysis of vehicle transient modelsi in time domain, steady state models and vehicle models in frequency domain. The user is provided with insightful graphical displays of first order standard, percentage, logarithmic, as well as second order sensitivity functions and general sensitivity measures according to his choice. The order of influence of all vehicle system parameters on chosen variables (primary and secondary) utilizing various sensitivity measures is determined. The report includes a user's manual for the sensitivity programs (Part I) and analysis of sensitivity results obtained for a vehicle handling simulation model throughout both linear and nonlinear regimes of vehicle performance (Part II).