Video and Webinar Series

Student Competition: Physical Modeling Training

These training materials will help your student competition team get started with modeling, simulating, and analyzing automotive systems. You’ll learn about longitudinal vehicle dynamics and 3D suspension modeling enabling your team to set up a vehicle model, and predict lap times, fuel consumption, and battery life.

Estimated Time: 6-8 hours over 2 days

Overview

Student Competition: Physical Modeling Training Overview These training materials will help your student competition team get started with modeling, simulating, and analyzing automotive systems. You’ll learn about longitudinal vehicle dynamics and 3D suspension modelling.

Longitudinal Vehicle Dynamics Modeling

Part 1: Introduction to Simscape Concepts of plant modeling with Simscape and the physical network approach are explored in this training session. Using a battery model, you’ll learn how to build and simulate a model in Simscape.

Part 2: Simscape Fundamentals In this training you’ll learn fundamental concepts of Simulink like using foundation libraries, creating multidomain physical components, dividing components into subsystems, setting initial conditions for physical variables.

Part 3: Introduction to Vehicle Modeling An overview of vehicle modeling including how to model vehicle bodies, tires, brakes, and how to incorporate wind and terrain effects. This training is applicable for both combustion and electric engine student competition teams.

Part 4: Powertrain Modeling Learn about powertrain modeling and how to actuate vehicle models with power sources, build driveline mechanisms, create multi-speed transmissions, and model engines.

Part 5: Vehicle Drive and Control Learn about vehicle drive and basic control concepts including how to implement a DC motor drive mechanism, PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) actuation, closed loop control of the vehicle, running simulations with imported drive cycle data.

3D Suspension Modeling

Part 6: Introduction to Multibody Simulation Discover the concept of multibody modeling with SimMechanics. SimMechanics extends Simscape with the ability to easily model rigid body mechanical systems in 2D and 3D.

Part 7: Building Components There are several ways to create assembly components in SimMechanics. We'll show you how to create simple geometries, extruded and revolved solids, and compound bodies. The components of a suspension system are used as an example.

Part 8: Building Mechanical Assemblies, Section 1 Learn to create an assembly in SimMechanics. You’ll see how to implement coordinate transforms, represent degrees of freedom, and specify body interfaces for reusability.

Part 9: Building Mechanical Assemblies, Section 2 We continue to build on the example from Student Competition: Physical Modeling Training, Part 8: Building Mechanical Assemblies, Section 1 to show how to sense and log simulation results, add internal mechanics to joints

Part 10: Importing CAD Models into SimMechanics Learn to import CAD models into SimMechanics for dynamic simulations. You’ll discover how to visualize bodies with CAD geometries, export models from CAD software, and import CAD models into SimMechanics.

Part 11: Design Optimization Learn what Simulink Design Optimization is, how to select and design parameters, set requirements or design goals, and optimize model parameters.

Related Resources