Abstract
The objective of this paper is the simulation of some different types of elements for semitrailers, like the suspension, both mechanical with springs and pneumatic with a spring anddiapresses; other parts like the wheels, the torsion bars, the fifth wheel and the suspension of the tractor unit have also been simulated. Then, the numerical simplified FE model of these elements that allows simulating the real behavior of the suspension to apply adequately the boundary conditions of a heavy vehicle has been obtained for a structural simulation using numerical tools with a good accuracy of the local and global behavior of the vehicle.
Highlights
For a good structural design of any type of structure, it is necessary to know its behavior for all possible load cases, both extreme and usual, which it can support during its useful life, and, so, the boundary conditions for each load case must be perfectly defined to have a good accuracy of the real behavior
Numerical tools like the finite elements method are usually involved in the structural design process, but some problems related to the simulation of the boundary conditions can appear, especially for a correct simulation of some kind of elements such as the suspensions and the fifth wheel with a low computational cost
The objective of this paper is the simulation of these elements using simple elements and joints to model their real behavior with a low computational cost and a low complexity
Summary
For a good structural design of any type of structure, it is necessary to know its behavior for all possible load cases, both extreme and usual, which it can support during its useful life, and, so, the boundary conditions for each load case must be perfectly defined to have a good accuracy of the real behavior. Numerical tools like the finite elements method are usually involved in the structural design process, but some problems related to the simulation of the boundary conditions can appear, especially for a correct simulation of some kind of elements such as the suspensions and the fifth wheel with a low computational cost. These elements can be simulated using a numerical mesh model comprising all their elements, parts, and their joints, but the computational cost, in terms of CPU time and hardware required, and the numerical complexity of the model increase excessively [2]. Numerical simplified models, for a mechanical suspension, for a pneumatic suspension, for the fifth wheel, and for the torsion bar, have been developed
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