Numerical simulations offer a wide range of benefits. Therefore, they are widely used in research and development. One of the biggest benefits is the possibility of automated parameter variation. This allows testing different scenarios very quickly. Nevertheless, physical experiments in the laboratory or on a test rig are still, and will remain, necessary. Physical experiments offer benefits, e.g., for very complex and/or nonlinear systems and are required for the validation of numerical models. To enhance the quality of experimental NVH investigations and to make use of the benefits of numerical simulation during experimental investigations at the same time, numerical models can be integrated into physical test rigs using the mechanical hardware-in-the-loop (mHIL) method (also referred to as real-time dynamic substructuring, hybrid testing or active control of impedance). During experimental NVH testing, the device under test (DUT) is connected to a mHIL interface which in turn actively emulates the structural dynamics of the boundary condition based on a numerical target impedance model. The goal is to have realistic contact forces instead of blocked forces at the mounting points of the DUT.
This paper illustrates the development and characterization of a modular mHIL interface with high bandwidth for NVH testing of a vehicle’s front axle. The physical emulation of structural dynamics based on a target impedance model is demonstrated for synthetic test cases (e.g., emulation of different stiffness settings, or multi-resonant behavior) up to 1 kHz. Furthermore, emulation of the vehicle chassis’ structural dynamics in a single spatial direction is shown for an NVH investigation on a single-axis chassis dynamometer.
