Vehicle Dynamics Library – Release 2.4

New Features

Additional Strut Components

New bushing mounted strut components were introduced in VDL version 2.2. These struts are mounted to the chassis and suspension with bushings. Based on requests from numerous customers, we have added two additional struts that provide mechanical frames connectors on the interface. This allows the connection of the antirollbar, for example, to the strut body.

The new struts are found in Vehicles.Chassis.Suspensions.Linkages.Struts.Mounted. The bushing components are replaceable, and Struts.Mounted.Strut4 has two sets of translational flanges where one can be parameterized to attach either inside or outside the mount bushings. This is useful when springs and dampers are co-located in the suspension but attach on different sides of the mount bushings. Two examples are shown here:

Path Visualizer

A path visualizer has been added to provide a visual cue of the path to which the closed-loop lateral driver model is driving towards. The path visualizer is available in both the Grounds.TabularRoad and Grounds.OpenCRG ground models. The visualization is turned on by setting visualize_path=true. The ISO double lane change maneuver with path visualization:

Improvements/Changes

Additional Chassis Initialization Parameters

Additional parameters have been added to the Vehicles.Chassis.Interfaces.Base interface class to make it possible to specify more initial states of the chassis with respect to ground. The parameters: p_x_start, p_y_start, p_z_start, w_z_start have been added to the base interface. These parameters are available on the Initialization tab for all chassis models as show below

Closed-Loop Driver Summary Variables

Three summary variables have been added to provide information about the desired path and velocity that the closed-loop driver is driving towards. These include:

  • summary_rP_x – x-coordinate of driver’s desired path
  • summary_rP_y – y-coordinate of driver’s desired path
  • summary_vP – desired vehicle velocity

Wheel Carrier Components

There were some minor changes and improvements to the wheel carrier components in Chassis.Suspensions.Linkages.WheelCarrier.

  • Axle: The axle has been modified to be based on a new axle template. Every component in the template is defined as replaceable. The axle can now be either compliant or rigid with the same implementation that has been available in the upright.
  • Hub: An optional offset has been added to offset the hub frame along the spin axis.
  • Upright: The existing compliant component has been made replaceable.

Obsolete Models

Conversion of User Libraries

User libraries will automatically be converted from version 2.3. These conversions are made using the included conversion script: VehicleDynamics/Resources/Scripts/Convert_to_2.4.mos.

Requirements

Vehicle Dynamics Library 2.4 is based on Modelon Base Library 2.5 and Modelica Standard Library 3.2.2.

Tags:
Release Notes, Vehicle Dynamics Library, Automotive