A Numerical Model for Passenger Car Ride Comfort Studies

A Matlab based numerical model of a complete vehicle was developed for ride comfort studies. The objective of the paper is to present a comparison between numerical and experimental results. The experimental work was conducted on a rough road, on a smooth road and on a standard profile composed of a flat road with a square metallic obstacle. Vibration data was collected on a few vehicle points necessary for the vibration transmission analysis. To develop a full vehicle model several representations of the main vehicle parts, associated with vibration transmission and absorption, were implemented. Numerical results and experimental data showed good correlation for the impulsive disturbance on the standard profile test. Results for the random disturbance on smooth and rough roads showed better correlation for a point of contact tire model than for a fixed contact length tire model.