Consultancy...

Consultancy : Vehicle Dynamics

Vehicle dynamics is the key attribute to both a vehicle's driveability and its active safety. MIRA has helped develop the ride and handling performance of some of the world's best in class vehicles. How have we achieved this?

Converting subjective desires into objective targets

Vehicle engineering involves compromises, defining these compromises requires a full understanding of who the vehicle is for and what they expect of it. Converting a customer's subjective opinions into objective targets against which the vehicle can be evaluated is one of the specialist skills MIRA's vehicle dynamicists have gained from a broad range of vehicles.

Benchmarking:

Characterises brand DNA

Gives an understanding of customer preferences

Guides necessary technical compromises

Leads to realistic & achievable targets

Combining subjective appraisal with objective measurements:

Converts subjective desires into objective targets

Facilitates cost-effective decision making

Specialist vehicle dynamicists with experience on vehicles of all types:

Passenger cars
- From MPVs to high performance and luxury marques
Commercial vehicles
Motorcycles
Motorsport
Defence vehicles

Integration of vehicle dynamics with related attributes

Working closely with our experts in steering and suspension design, nvh, aerodynamics, powertrain, electrical engineering and durability ensures decisions on the appropriate compromises, such as those between ride and handling, are made to meet the exacting specification of a particular vehicle.

Combining simulation techniques with experimental methods

In addition to a comprehensive range of tools MIRA has invested in developing proven methods to ensure they are applied to the greatest effect.

	Simulation tools on CAD desktop: Accelerate the design process Informs the design Delivers quality products
Proven simulation methods: Reduce numbers of prototypes Improve accuracy Increase confidence Save time and money
	E.g. MIRA's steering robot: Provides accurate, repeatable hand-wheel inputs

Access to test facilities on one site

From our extensive range proving ground tracks and surfaces to specialist measuring tools such as our Kinematics and Compliance (K&C) rig, MIRA is equipped to undertake all the required development work.

Access to manufacturing and prototyping on one site

By working closely with system and component suppliers for:

springs
dampers
steering system
anti-roll bars
ball joints
bushes

and with our own manufacturing and prototyping facilities we are able to make modifications and improvements rapidly ensuring the development programme is completed on schedule.

Modeling and Simulation

MSC.ADAMS is used extensively at MIRA to aid the design and development of vehicle components, systems and full vehicle attributes. MIRA has the unique capability of being able to measure most of the data required to build a high fidelity vehicle model as well as having the facilities to correlate the models, such as the MIRA Kinematics & Compliance test rig. The use of finite element (FE) flexible bodies is essential for the accurate modeling of compliant components such as twist-beams, anti-roll bars and subframes. MIRA also has the capability to generate and validate these FE models and convert them into MSC.ADAMS flex bodies.

Suspension Design & Development

Suspension and steering characteristics are simulated by conducting kinematic and elesto-kinematic (compliance) analysis in MSC.ADAMS/Car. This enables MIRA engineers to set initial handling attributes at the subsystem level such as wheel rates, roll stiffness’ and roll-steer gradients before conducting full vehicle simulations. It also enables fine tuning of system parameters later in the design process such as bush stiffness’ and anti-roll bar settings. MIRA also use MSC.ADAMS/Durability to check stress levels under operating conditions which enables any potential durability issues to be identified earlier in the design process.

Full Vehicle Dynamics

MSC.ADAMS/Car simulations are conducted to obtain the steady state and transient handling characteristics of a full vehicle model. These simulations include, constant radius steady state cornering tests, transient step steer tests and pseudo random steer tests.

System Layout Optimisation

MSC.ADAMS/View is used to conduct analysis on a whole range of models ranging from steering system layouts to truck cab mount arrangements. This can be taken through to full optimisation studies to find the optimum layout to give the required attribute such as minimised torque fluctuation or seat accelerations.

Component Durability Analysis

The use of a full vehicle MSC.ADAMS/Car model on the MIRA Virtual Proving Ground enables us to obtain simulated road load data. MSC.ADAMS is also used to generate component modal stress time history loading data that can be used to conduct fatigue life predictions of individual components. These methods have been validated by conducting similar fatigue life tests on real components laboratory test rigs and comparing failure zones and life predictions.