Altair Case Studies Optimizing Brake System Performance through Co-simulation: A Case Study by Ankers

	Optimizing Brake System Performance through Co-simulation: A Case Study by Ankers Altair

Optimizing Brake System Performance through Co-simulation: A Case Study by Ankers

Altair

Technology Category	Sensors - Infrared Sensors Sensors - Thermal Conductivity Sensors
Applicable Industries	Automotive Equipment & Machinery
Applicable Functions	Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing Virtual Reality
Services	System Integration
Challenge	Ankers, a company that provides simulation, design, and development services for automotive OEMs and tier one suppliers, was faced with the challenge of determining the thermal influence of brake disks and brake pads on the braking distance of a vehicle. The frictional heat generated by brakes when decelerating a vehicle can have various negative effects on the brake system, including thermal cracks in the brake disks, premature wear or brake failure, and an increased braking distance due to changing friction coefficients at higher temperatures. The goal was to optimize system behavior by understanding and mitigating these effects. The challenge was to show that simulation results would be more accurate when considering the thermal effects via co-simulation and to demonstrate the company's co-simulation competences to its existing and future automotive customers. Read More
About Customer	Ankers is a company that supports its customers in the development of new products by providing simulation, design, and development services. The company specializes in special car development from scratch including electrical and ICE vehicles, one off super cars, and race cars for several European and Chinese automotive OEMs and tier one suppliers. Ankers' engineers aim to be at the forefront of technology and are using state of the art tools and development methods. One of their chosen tool sets is the Altair's HyperWorks suite, with which Ankers' simulation team has been working since its foundation in 2014. The tools have been used in numerous simulation and development projects, among others for structural analysis and optimization tasks. Read More
Solution	Ankers used a co-simulation approach, applying MotionView, the multibody dynamics tool of the HyperWorks suite, and solidThinking Activate, a solution to simulate and optimize multi-disciplinary systems using a 1D approach. The models used in this study were a full vehicle model and a model of the brake system, comprising of the brake disk and the brake pad. Both models were created in MotionView, using some of the various system templates the software offers via its vehicle library. To include the thermal influence caused by the energy conversion during braking, the multi-body system was co-simulated with Activate. This allowed the engineers to study the influence of the temperature due to the disk-pad contact on the braking distance. The co-simulated model was set up in MotionView (multi-body system plus advanced driver) and solidThinking Activate (friction-thermal dependent model). Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Sensors - Infrared Sensors

Sensors - Thermal Conductivity Sensors

Applicable Industries

Automotive

Equipment & Machinery

Applicable Functions

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Virtual Prototyping & Product Testing

Virtual Reality

Services

System Integration

Challenge

Ankers, a company that provides simulation, design, and development services for automotive OEMs and tier one suppliers, was faced with the challenge of determining the thermal influence of brake disks and brake pads on the braking distance of a vehicle. The frictional heat generated by brakes when decelerating a vehicle can have various negative effects on the brake system, including thermal cracks in the brake disks, premature wear or brake failure, and an increased braking distance due to changing friction coefficients at higher temperatures. The goal was to optimize system behavior by understanding and mitigating these effects. The challenge was to show that simulation results would be more accurate when considering the thermal effects via co-simulation and to demonstrate the company's co-simulation competences to its existing and future automotive customers.

About Customer

Ankers is a company that supports its customers in the development of new products by providing simulation, design, and development services. The company specializes in special car development from scratch including electrical and ICE vehicles, one off super cars, and race cars for several European and Chinese automotive OEMs and tier one suppliers. Ankers' engineers aim to be at the forefront of technology and are using state of the art tools and development methods. One of their chosen tool sets is the Altair's HyperWorks suite, with which Ankers' simulation team has been working since its foundation in 2014. The tools have been used in numerous simulation and development projects, among others for structural analysis and optimization tasks.

Solution

Ankers used a co-simulation approach, applying MotionView, the multibody dynamics tool of the HyperWorks suite, and solidThinking Activate, a solution to simulate and optimize multi-disciplinary systems using a 1D approach. The models used in this study were a full vehicle model and a model of the brake system, comprising of the brake disk and the brake pad. Both models were created in MotionView, using some of the various system templates the software offers via its vehicle library. To include the thermal influence caused by the energy conversion during braking, the multi-body system was co-simulated with Activate. This allowed the engineers to study the influence of the temperature due to the disk-pad contact on the braking distance. The co-simulated model was set up in MotionView (multi-body system plus advanced driver) and solidThinking Activate (friction-thermal dependent model).

Impact #1	The results received from the co-simulation showed an increased braking distance caused by a reduction of the friction co-efficient when the braking pad's temperature increased. The results were compared and validated with results from an existing complex model taken from literature. The good results Ankers received with this study proved that Ankers is prepared to include co-simulation into their service portfolio. The study also shows that solidThinking Activate offers a perfect addition to multibody systems, providing the possibility to include block diagram models to complete the overall system in a very easy manner, that makes it look “natural”. In this way the engineers can stay within their familiar simulation environment while contributing to the system approach.

Impact #1

The results received from the co-simulation showed an increased braking distance caused by a reduction of the friction co-efficient when the braking pad's temperature increased. The results were compared and validated with results from an existing complex model taken from literature. The good results Ankers received with this study proved that Ankers is prepared to include co-simulation into their service portfolio. The study also shows that solidThinking Activate offers a perfect addition to multibody systems, providing the possibility to include block diagram models to complete the overall system in a very easy manner, that makes it look “natural”. In this way the engineers can stay within their familiar simulation environment while contributing to the system approach.

Benefit #1	The co-simulation results were more accurate than those received from a multibody simulation only.
Benefit #2	When the temperature is taken into consideration, the example model showed that the vehicle would stop after 54m; without considering the effect the increased temperature has on the system, the simulation model resulted in a stop after 50m.
Benefit #3	Four meters difference in stopping distance can make a significant difference when developing a brake system.

Benefit #1

The co-simulation results were more accurate than those received from a multibody simulation only.

Benefit #2

When the temperature is taken into consideration, the example model showed that the vehicle would stop after 54m; without considering the effect the increased temperature has on the system, the simulation model resulted in a stop after 50m.

Benefit #3

Four meters difference in stopping distance can make a significant difference when developing a brake system.

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Overview

Optimizing Brake System Performance through Co-simulation: A Case Study by Ankers

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit