Modeling and Feasibility Study of Nonlinear Suspension Components in Multibody Systems using Absolute Nodal Coordinate Formulation Based Beam Elements -Application to Stabilizer Bar 2015-01-0642

This study concerns the modeling of the stabilizer bar in a car suspension. This is a crucial and difficult task if its non-linear behavior should be captured correctly. In this study, the modeling of a stabilizer bar is done using beam finite elements based on the absolute nodal coordinate formulation (ANCF).

An ANCF beam element is reviewed and its implementation in a multibody dynamics framework is explained. The specific element is chosen since it is assumed to be appropriate for modeling stabilizer bars. To test the feasibility of using the chosen ANCF beam element for modeling stabilizer bars, several numerical studies have been performed. These include eigenfrequency and static analyzes where results obtained using ANCF beam elements are compared with results obtained using other methods. Furthermore, the ANCF beam element has been implemented in a multibody dynamics model together with rigid bodies, springs and dampers to generate a representative model of a vehicle front suspension. This model is then subjected to a transient analysis to assess the influence of including a stabilizer bar in a front suspension.