System Simulation of Electric Driveline and Active Suspension using Simcenter Amesim

Abstract: Computer simulation software’s are arguably some of the most convenient and utilized tools for an engineer as it lets them model real phenomena and observe different operations without having to perform the operation physically, thus saving both time and resources. Naturally these tools varies in design depending on their intended area of application and while a large number of them supports modeling of more than one physical domain, it is often cumbersome to attain a functional interaction between them. In spite of this there do exist simulation software that have been specifically developed for effectively integrating several physical domains known as system simulation software’s. One of these are Siemens Simcenter Amesim, a computer simulation software for modeling multi domain mechatronic systems. One company that has recently found an interest in potentially adapting the concept of system simulations into their workflow is BAE Systems Hägglunds, Örnsköldsvik, where a pre-study has previously been conducted in order to define a system requirement specification as well as narrow down the number of promising tools to only a few, with Simcenter Amesim being one of them. The aim of this study is then to evaluate and assess to what degree Simcenter Amesim complies with the requirements specified by the company. The primary source of information in which this analysis will be based upon is through the modeling of two different pilot cases in Simcenter Amesim, an electric driveline as well as the hydraulic component of the active suspension system affiliated with the CV90 vehicle. The electric driveline was developed as a general model featuring a few key functionalities in terms of power setup. This being that two electric motors were to be utilized, one for driving the vehicle forward and the other for steering the vehicle left and right. Powering these two was then an electric generator which by itself was to be powered by an internal combustion engine (ICE). The active suspension system was modeled based on existing schematics and information available through company resources with the ambition of realizing a certain behavior of the system as described by a couple of real tests made. Results from simulations made using the electric driveline model indicates that the model succeeds in fulfilling its fundamental functionality. Through plain throttle and steering inputs the corresponding vehicle is able to move about in a simple and predictable fashion with data also showcasing realistic behavior in terms of velocity evolution and power generation. The hydraulic model of the CV90 active suspension system furthermore appears to replicate the behavior of the actual suspension system fairly well based on the real test data available. Analogous with both models however is the fact that they are rather primitive in their current state. The electric driveline model lacks some of the finesses and functionalities that are included in modern driveline systems, mostly coupled to the component steering and feedback system which is more arbitrarily implemented in this model. As for the hydraulic suspension system it would be beneficial to continue develop the model through further evaluation using more real life test data.