Aerodynamic Force Measurement via Suspension Motion Replication
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing test equipment finds it difficult to measure and quantify aerodynamic forces acting on a vehicle during operation, as these forces are challenging to replicate and quantify compared to road and steer forces.
Innovation Solution
A test system that includes a force disturbance generator, motion measurement assembly, and actuator devices to replicate the motion or displacement caused by aerodynamic forces, using algorithms to control the actuators and measure the forces applied to determine the equivalent load on a test specimen.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If aerodynamic forces are measured directly during vehicle operation, then the force measurement would be accurate, but it is difficult to measure and quantify these forces compared to road and steer forces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary measurement approach where aerodynamic forces are not measured directly but are derived as a residual force after measuring road inputs through the suspension and calculating the expected body motion. The difference between actual and expected motion reveals the aerodynamic force component, effectively using the suspension system as an intermediary measurement path.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces direct mechanical force measurement of aerodynamic loads with a computational approach using motion sensors and algorithms. Instead of installing force sensors to directly measure aerodynamic forces, the system uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to measure body motion and computationally derives the aerodynamic forces from the equations of motion.
2Adaptability or versatility
If test equipment uses actuators to input force to the specimen, then the test can simulate operating conditions, but aerodynamic forces act on the vehicle body directly rather than through the suspension
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the traditional approach by not trying to replicate aerodynamic forces directly through actuators connected to the body. Instead, it measures the actual aerodynamic-induced motion and then uses actuators connected through the suspension to replicate that motion, working backwards from the effect to the cause.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the control parameter from direct force application to motion replication. By measuring body motion parameters (acceleration, velocity, position) during aerodynamic loading and then controlling actuators to replicate these motion parameters, the system achieves equivalent test conditions through parameter transformation rather than direct force replication.
Data Source
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AI summary
A test system configured to impart a body disturbance to a test specimen and measure motion or displacement of the test specimen in response to the input body disturbance. The system includes one or more actuator devices (110, 170, 172, 174, 180, 214, 226, 230, 236, 240) configured to replicate motion or displacement of the body (104) imparted through the original input body disturbance utilizing the measured motion or displacement. As disclosed, the system includes algorithms or instructions to generate control parameters (126) utilizing the measured motion or displacement (108) to control operation of the one or more actuator devices. The force applied through the one or more actuator devices to replicate the measured motion or displacement (108) is used to determine the force or load applied to the body (104) via the input disturbance.