NASTRAN for Dynamic Analysis of Vehicle Systems

In general, the dynamic analysis of vehicle systems has been an extremely difficult task. However, the emergence of sophisticated finite element programs such as NASTRAN and computer interfaced testing equipment has created a new dimension in the analysis of vehicle dynamics. This paper describes an approach to the dynamic analysis of vehicle systems which takes advantage of pre-processor programs, NASTRAN, post-processor programs and computer interfaced testing equipment to perform an efficient vehicle dynamic analysis. The technique uses a building block approach to the analysis of the vehicle system which allows for the overall analysis to be determined from the dynamic performance of various subsystems. The dynamic characteristics of the subsystems are determined by various computer codes and experimental investigations.