In the automotive industry, there is a continued need to improve the development process and handle the increasing complexity of the overall vehicle system. One major step in this process is a comprehensive and complementary approach to both simulation and testing. Knowledge of the overall dynamic vehicle behavior is becoming increasingly important for the development of new control concepts such as integrated vehicle dynamics control aiming to improve handling quality and ride comfort. However, with current well-established test systems, only separated and isolated aspects of vehicle dynamics can be evaluated.
To address these challenges and further merge the link between simulation and testing, the Institute of Internal Combustion Engines and Automotive Engineering (IVK), University of Stuttgart is introducing a new Handling Roadway (HRW) Test System in cooperation with The Research Institute of Automotive Engineering and Vehicle Engines Stuttgart (FKFS) and MTS Systems Corporation. The HRW allows testing of a vehicle’s combined longitudinal, lateral and vertical characteristics and therefore provides the possibility to supplement road testing with integrated vehicle testing under laboratory conditions.
IVK, FKFS and MTS agreed to establish the HRW system in order to jointly advance the state-of-the-art laboratory evaluation of vehicle dynamics as well as to develop new test applications. The overall goal is to generate a benefit for the automotive industry through innovative scientific approaches. This paper gives an overview of the HRW in its scientific environment of existing test systems at IVK and FKFS and the synergies it will generate. A simulation environment is introduced which allows to study the HRW’s intended applications before commissioning of the system. Selected use cases and their respective limitations are presented in more detail. These include testing of the vehicle’s handling characteristics during synthetic and realistic handling maneuvers as well as extended possibilities of evaluating the vehicle’s ride comfort in different driving conditions.