1. Moving toward Virtual Vehicle Development
SAIC Tire Conference
Moving toward Virtual Vehicle Development
July 24, 2012
Jonathan Darab

2. Intro
Review industry trends, tools, and key enablers such as tire data on the path to Virtual Vehicle Development
The National Tire Research Center(NTRC) and Southern Virginia Motion offers the critical tools and expertise to go from vehicle and component model to winning vehicle – in one location to revolutionize component and vehicle testing, development, and integration.
Workforce experience consists of 77 plus years in OEM vehicle development, race development and military (Aberdeen) development
Jonathan Darab – SoVa Motion Director
12 Years GM Experience * K&C Machine Engineer * High Speed Tire Test Engineer * Lead LTR Engineer at GM * Advance Tire Development Projects * Advanced Technology Vehicle Development

3. Industry Trends Reduce Cost Reduce Development Time
Knowledge from OEM and Race Industry, but applies to Military
Reduce Cost
Fewer Physical Pre-Production Properties and people
Reduce Development Time
Non-critical (safety) testing reduced
Increase First Time Quality
Conflicts with less testing
Increase Robustness of Design
Increase Customer Satisfaction

4. Enablers Reduce Cost Reduce Development Time
Knowledge from OEM and Race Industry, but applies to Military
Reduce Cost
Increase Math Simulations in place of Physical Properties
Multiple simulations can be run by one person
Reduce Development Time
Virtual Tests or Hardware in the Loop Tests
Increase First Time Quality
Virtual testing allows for multiple runs, not just one
Increase Robustness of Design
Optimization routines done with Math Simulations
Increase Customer Satisfaction
Virtual Vehicle Development
Virtual and Math are interchangable

5. Enablers
For Math/Virtual or Hardware in the Loop tests, high quality data and understanding is needed
Difficult systems to model (Hydraulic – Dampers, ABS systems) are tested physically in conjunction with a math simulation – Hardware in the Loop
New machines and processes are needed to produce high quality data and understanding
8 Post, Simulators, LTRe

6. 8 Post Used to develop components to react to a vertical input Tires
8-post test rig represents the next generation in dynamic suspension testing equipment. It has several advantages over today’s 7-post rigs:
Chassis actuators (aero-loaders) are electro-magnetic instead of hydraulic.
Adds additional chassis actuator to produce natural roll, pitch, and warping
The test rig can accommodate vehicles from a golf cart to a fully up- armored HMMWV.
Does not require a fully operational vehicle
Used to develop components to react to a vertical input
Tires
Dampers
Springs
Mounts
Structure

7. Driving Simulators
The driving simulator provides full-immersion simulation of the driving experience with visual, audible, tactile, and motion feedback to the driver.
Component suppliers can test drive virtual prototypes such as tires or suspension components to reduce development costs associated with making physical prototypes.
SoVA Motion currently has one of the only Drag Race vehicle simulations with two side-by-side simulators and realistic launch acceleration enhancements.
Must have to enable subjective evaluations for Virtual Vehicle Development

8. Flat-Trac LTRe Testing Capability
Transformational leap to establish high quality tire data for all light duty vehicles
Tire size capability: Light Truck and Race
High speed capability to ±200 mph (320 kph)
Max Tire Width: 20in Max Loaded Radius: 21.5in
Increased wheel torque capability
±7375 lb ft (10,000 Nm) is 4-5 times larger than existing Flat-Trac systems
Operable over full speed range
Uses high response electric motor
Increased lateral force capability
±6750 lb (30,000 N) is 2 times larger than existing Flat-Trac systems
High tire positioning rates for transient event simulation
Improved control to make system Hardware-in-the-loop capable
Designed to add wet testing capability

9. Tire Test Data Current Tire Test Machines have Testing Limitations
Force Capability, Dynamic Response, Max Torque, Application of Torque through entire speed range
LTRe was designed to eliminate all the limitations for all light duty vehicles and some heavy duty vehicles
Math Modeling
Due to current testing limitations, the advancement of vehicles dynamics math modeling has been slow
LTRe which replicates all light duty vehicle maneuvers enables a leap in tire modeling and vehicle dynamics modeling
As the vehicles move towards lighter and smaller vehicles the importance of understanding the vehicle dynamics increases, the importance of high quality tire data increases, and therefore the relevance of the LTRe

10. Virtual Vehicle Development Model
Vehicle on post
Driving Simulator
Tire Model
Vehicle Model
Driver and Environmental Inputs
Tire Inputs and Body Loads
Vehicle Responses
LTRe
Rolling Resistance Machine, and others
Computer Simulation

11. Summary
Industry trends are to reduce cost and time, while increasing quality and customer satisfaction
Trends are enabled by increasing math simulation uses
Math simulations need high quality data and understanding to be accurate and Hardware in the Loop for difficult systems to model
High quality tire data is essential and the foundation to have an accurate math model
The LTRe is a transformational leap in tire testing which will be able to reproduce all maneuvers a light duty and some heavy duty vehicles will encounter and produce the high quality tire data needed to move toward a Virtual Vehicle Development
Ultimate goal is for a vehicle to be purely developed virtually, but high quality data to produce math models is needed as well as the correct tools to supplement the math data