Title: Non-linear dynamics of a whole vehicle finite element model using a harmonic balance method

Authors: F. Barillon; J.J. Sinou; J.M. Duffal; L. Jézéquel

Addresses: Laboratoire de Tribologie et de Dynamique des Systèmes UMR CNRS 5513, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36, Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully Cedex, France; Renault SA, Acoustic Research Department 1, Avenue du Golf, 78288 Guyancourt, France ' Laboratoire de Tribologie et de Dynamique des Systèmes UMR CNRS 5513, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36, Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully Cedex, France ' Renault SA, Acoustic Research Department 1, Avenue du Golf, 78288 Guyancourt, France ' Laboratoire de Tribologie et de Dynamique des Systèmes UMR CNRS 5513, Ecole Centrale de Lyon, 36, Avenue Guy de Collongue, 69134 Ecully Cedex, France

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to apply the Harmonic Balance Method (HBM) to a finite element model of a complete vehicle (body, engine and engine mounts) to calculate the non-linear response of the assembly. The non-linear effects come from the amplitude-dependent stiffness of the engine mounts. First, the HBM is presented. A condensation process on the non-linear degrees-of-freedom is also proposed. This process reduces the original non-linear system by focusing only on the solution of the non-linear equations associated with the system's non-linear components. Second, the engine mount stiffness dependency with amplitude is measured on a test bench to estimate a polynomial stiffness law. Finally, the numerical analysis is performed to analyse the non-linear response of the whole vehicle using the HBM algorithm with appropriate condensation located only on the non-linear coordinates of the system to minimise computer time.

Keywords: HBM; harmonic balance method; engine mounts; whole vehicle FEM; finite element method; modelling; amplitude-dependent stiffness; Craig and Bampton condensation procedure; nonlinear DOFs; nonlinear dynamics; vehicle design.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2013.057471

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2013 Vol.63 No.4, pp.387 - 403

Received: 08 Sep 2010
Accepted: 23 Mar 2011
Published online: 16 Oct 2014 *

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