Vehicle Dynamics Laboratory

The vibration signature of a dynamic system is the characteristic pattern of vibration it generates while it is in operation. It has been shown many times over that the vibration of an operating system provides far more information about the inner workings of that system than any other type of nondestructive test.

The lab is equipped with a vibration analysis setup with the following kits:

1. 4 channel DAQ With FFT analysis
2. Complete Modal software, using Hammer, accelerometer, and Shaker free run, Geometry creation, and direct FRF with Damping
3. Tri-Axial IEPE Accelerometer, Tapped Base, 500g range
4. Miniature Piezo-Tronic IEPE Accelerometer,50g range
5. Impact Hammer 2000N range,Sensitivity-2.5mV/N
6. Microphone - 1/2" prepolarized, IEC61672 Class 1, 6.3Hz ~ 20kHz frequency range, free-field
7. Bungee Shock cord - for hanging Model testing of Component weight up to 100Kg.
8. Fixture for Free and Forced Vibration,1/2 m cantilever beam

Apollo Tyres has donated a dedicated tire model setup. The students are taught about the construction and working of tires. The influence of tires on the dynamic behavior of the vehicle is also analyzed.

Active suspension technology is used in the automotive industry to continuously control the vertical movement of the vehicle wheel using an actively controlled actuator placed on the suspension axis. Students can tune the supplied controller or design their own controllers to optimise the various suspension performance parameters, which include:

1. Ride Comfort: This is related to the vehicle body motion sensed by the passengers. It can be measured using either the accelerometer that is mounted on the top plate or the encoder (for a direct position measurement).
2. Suspension Travel - refers to the relative displacement between the vehicle body and the tyre that is limited to a certain range of motion. This can be measured using the suspension encoder that is mounted on the capstan.
3. Road handling is associated with the contact forces between the road surface and the vehicle tyres and depends on tyre deflection. Tyre deflection is the relative displacement between the tyre and the road, and it can be measured using all the encoders.

The damping force of a shock absorber determines the ride comfort and stability of a vehicle. Thus, the study of force characteristics of shock absorbers is essential. Static and dynamic tests can be performed to evaluate the tension/compression properties of the shock absorbers. The Damper Testing machine specifications are given below:

1. Velocity 0.52 m/sec, Force 1 Ton, Stroke 100 mm, Variable cam mechanism, A.C Motor.
2. NI DAQ with 4 Analog inputs, 2 Analog outputs, Load cell with an amplifier, LVDT, A.C Drive.
3. Lab view-based application for data monitoring, data logging, and reporting.

Virtual test driving is the norm of the day, and this test method can be used to master the current requirements of vehicle development. In accordance with the automotive systems engineering approach, virtual test driving can be used to develop and test systems and system networks in their entirety within the whole vehicle in realistic scenarios. Carmaker software is used in the industry for specifically testing passenger cars and light-duty vehicles. Using Carmaker software, one can accurately model real-world test scenarios, including the entire surrounding environment, in the virtual world. The powerful and real-time-capable models for vehicles, roads, drivers, and traffic make this possible. Carmaker is an open integration and test platform that can be applied throughout the entire development process, from model to software to hardware to vehicle-in-the-loop. Carmaker's impressive performance guarantees flexibility, productivity, and precision for all simulation tasks, thereby ensuring significant savings in cost and time for the development of your vehicle.

The Vehicle Dynamics lab is equipped with 30 licences of the Car Maker software. The students receive training in the virtual testing of vehicles through the software. Students can create driver models, detailed vehicle models, and road and traffic models.

Simulink provides a standard model architecture that can be used throughout the vehicle development process. It supports ride and handling analyses, chassis control development, software integration testing, and hardware-in-the-loop testing. By integrating vehicle dynamics models with a 3D environment, one can test ADAS and automated driving perception, planning, and control software. These models let us test your vehicle with standard driving manoeuvres such as a double lane change or with our own custom scenarios.

The Vehicle Dynamics lab is equipped with 35 licenses of the MATLAB and SIMULINK software.

Powerful productivity and expandability with expandable tower and small form factor desktops with mission-critical features.

Processor: Intel i7 – processor quad-core with 8 threads processor

RAM: 8 GB

Display: NVIDIA GT 730 2 GB graphics card

Hard Disk: 1 TB 7200 rpm

Additional facilities include Conference Table with a Full HD EPSON projector for conducting training sessions and conference presentations.