FEA Of Automobile Suspension Based On Rigid-Flexible Coupling

CAE technique is playing an important role in modern design of automobile products with the development of computer technique and numerical analysis theory, which almost runs through the whole progress of automobile design as an emerging technique.Suspension system, which is closely related to riding comfort and handling stability, is an important part of automobile. McPherson suspension is widely used because of its simple configuration. Among the parts of McPherson suspension, steering knuckle and low control arm are closely related to full-vehicle performance, and they are under bad load condition. So the study on them was done.As an exploratory study, this paper has combined finite element analysis and computer simulation technique of multi-body dynamics to establish the rigid-flexible coupling suspension model, and then conduct strength analysis and fatigue life analysis of front suspension in two aspects.One aspect is finite element modeling of front suspension, to build its rigid-flexible coupling model of multi-body dynamics and gain the load boundary condition by simulating movement limit condition by a software platform of the virtual experiment, then to solve it by loading in FEM software. The other aspect was whole vehicle modeling by virtual multi-body dynamics software, to gain the time history of load of parts connecting-points by driving on B grade road, then to transfer the results of virtual experiment model and stress status of finite element analysis to fatigue analysis software, by which, the fatigue damage value of front suspension was got through constructing spectrum. Considering the influence of flexible deformation on the suspension movement parameters and loads, rigid-flexible coupling model of suspension is used for analysis. Theoretically, it's more close to the real situation, and it will be a focus of future research.The above study advanced a valuable method in design of front-suspension parts as well as other parts of automobile, by which, design cost and period will be cut down. It will have a remarkable potential in engineering application.