Dynamic Simulation of an Automobile Body Utilizing Finite Element and Modal Synthesis Techniques

With the advent of high speed computers, dynamic simulation of an automobile body has become a reality. The present work will discuss methods to develop a body model of manageable size which will give good correlation with tests and can also be used as a practical design tool. The basic approach is to model each component as a separate entity and then combine the components into a system model, a “Building Block Approach.” Finite element mesh considerations and modeling difficulties are discussed. An example of a vehicle body is presented to illustrate the approach.