Title: Rigid-elastic coupling modelling of air suspension and fatigue life prediction of its key part for heavy-duty truck

Authors: Deng-feng Wang, Chao Cheng, Min Qin, Zong-wei Liu

Addresses: State Key Laboratory of Automotive Dynamic Simulation, College of Automotive Engineering, JiLin University, No. 5988 People Street, Changchun, 130025, PR China. ' R&D Centre, China FAW Group Corporation, No. 1063 Chuangye Street, Changchun 130011, PR China. ' R&D Centre, China FAW Group Corporation, No. 1063 Chuangye Street, Changchun 130011, PR China. ' State Key Laboratory of Automotive Dynamic Simulation, College of Automotive Engineering, JiLin University, No. 5988 People Street, Changchun, 130025, PR China

Abstract: The rigid-elastic coupling model of air suspension and the virtual prototype model of the commercial heavy-duty truck are established by means of finite element and multi-body dynamic methods. The virtual prototype model of the truck is validated by experiment and simulation analysis of a pulse excitation response. A digital Belgian block road is modelled based on measured data from a proving ground. Stress-time history of the shoulder pole beam is calculated when the virtual prototype is run on the road. Fatigue analysis of the shoulder pole beam is completed by rainflow counting method and Miner|s linear fatigue cumulation damage theory.

Keywords: commercial vehicles; heave vehicles; air spring suspension; virtual prototypes; digital test road; fatigue life prediction; multibody dynamics; rigid-elastic coupling; FEM; finite element method; heavy trucks; modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2008.020893

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2008 Vol.47 No.1/2/3/4, pp.305 - 317

Published online: 22 Oct 2008 *

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