Simulation Methods for Evaluating Passenger Car Ride Comfort and the Fatigue Strength of Vehicle Components

A road simulation method has been developed to investigate ride comfort and fatique strength in the laboratory. A short description is given of the road profile generation technique used.

The road to be simulated is recorded by driving the vehicle on the road and measuring the vertical accelerations and the forces of each spindle. In the laboratory the transfer behavior of the vehicle is determined with the aid of an identification technique. An iteration process is used.

The simulation of the road profile and the forces is realised in the laboratory with multi-channel electrohydraulic equipments. Laboratory test results are shown and compared with road signals.