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This paper discusses an approach to construct a high fidelity surrogate tire model using a two-phase optimization-based algorithm that draws on data generated by off-line nonlinear ABAQUS tire simulations. It subsequently describes the process of Simulink-based interfacing of the resulting surrogate model to a full ADAMS vehicle model to enable accurate and expeditious durability studies. The two-phase surrogate model construction relies on an identification method that draws on the Instantaneous Center Manifold (ICM) theory. In the proposed method, a generally forced non-autonomous nonlinear structural system is represented as a sequence of harmonically excited autonomous nonlinear systems. The close-form solution of each of these systems is produced using the ICM theory. The first phase of the surrogate model construction uses an optimal Orthogonal Matching Pursuit (OMP) algorithm to unify all ICMs used to approximate the reaction force of the tire at its spindle.

The use of virtual prototyping early in the design stage of a product has gained popularity due to reduced cost and time to market. The state of the art in vehicle simulation has reached a level where full vehicles are analyzed through simulation but major difficulties continue to be present in interfacing the vehicle model with accurate powertrain models and in developing adequate formulations for the contact between tire and terrain (specifically, scenarios such as tire sliding on ice and rolling on sand or other very deformable surfaces). The proposed work focuses on developing a ground vehicle simulation capability by combining several third party packages for vehicle simulation, tire simulation, and powertrain simulation. The long-term goal of this project consists in promoting the Digital Car idea through the development of a reliable and robust simulation capability that will enhance the understanding and control of off-road vehicle performance.

The paper describes a methodology to co-simulate, with high fidelity, simultaneously and in one computational framework, all of the main vehicle subsystems for improved engineering design. The co-simulation based approach integrates in MATLAB/Simulink a physics-based tire model with high fidelity vehicle dynamics model and an accurate powertrain model allowing insights into 1) how the dynamics of a vehicle affect fuel consumption, quality of emission and vehicle control strategies and 2) how the choice of powertrain systems influence the dynamics of the vehicle; for instance how the variations in drive shaft torque affects vehicle handling, the maximum achievable acceleration of the vehicle, etc. The goal of developing this co-simulation framework is to capture the interaction between powertrain and rest of the vehicle in order to better predict, through simulation, the overall dynamics of the vehicle.