Tire-Suspension-Steering Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulation

Safety and performance have always been important factors in automotive testing. These factors are highly dependent on the tires and suspensions, which should be simulated and tested throughout the development process. During development, Hardware-In-the-Loop (HIL) simulations may be used so that testings and tunings can be done earlier in the process. In this paper, designs and configurations of a newly developed tire-suspension-steering HIL are shown. An actual wheel assembly with suspension and steering components can be installed for testing with dynamic models of the rest of the car. The slip angle of the tire can be imposed in the test rig while actual tire forces can be measured and used in the dynamic model. Comparisons of HIL simulations and real experiments using the skid-pad test and the step steering test are given using Formula SAE race cars. It was found that the HIL simulation results are more accurate compared to non-HIL simulations.