Vehicle Dynamics:
Simulating vehicle performance and behavior with a high level of accuracy supports and provides input for the entire design process, optimizing performance and increasing the level of safety. This is the core task of the vehicle dynamics department, which acts as a concentrator for all the other engineering disciplines.
Vehicle dynamics guides the aerodynamic development, directs the mechanical design and integrates the data from the tires, the powertrain and all other performance-relevant areas.
The modular approach allows complexity to be managed, scaling it on the basis of the project and its development status.
The mathematical model:
the heart of the simulation
The heart of the simulation is the mathematical model of the vehicle, built entirely in-house by Dallara, with full details of the individual components: suspension, tires, chassis, aerodynamics, as well as systems such as cooling, braking, and more generally those directly linked to performance.
The main model can incorporate numerous external blocks such as the powertrain, controls, tires etc. owned by clients and suppliers, which may be supplied in encrypted format. The holistic approach used allows the performance of the individual components to be analyzed, along with the iterations between them in order to optimize the overall vehicle performance.
The model is able to carry out “offline” simulations with virtual driver, or “real-time” ones at the driving simulator with “driver in the loop”. Preliminary use of the simulation allows numerous solutions and alternatives to be evaluated virtually before proceeding with physical prototypes of the components or the first T-car.
The integrated approach between simulation, theory, and practical experimentation, typical of vehicle dynamics, allows innovative and optimized solutions to be transferred between the various sectors, improving efficiency and safety in all Dallara’s design areas.
Approach to Simulation
Dallara’s approach to simulation is structured into various sequential levels: offline simulations, simulations with driver-in-the-loop, physical validation and correlation of the model. This approach allows engineers and drivers to validate a vehicle before it is produced, thus replicating its behavior with great accuracy.
This allows the following to be attained:
- Greater efficiency of the production process
- Greater technical understanding and consequent improvements in performance
- Optimization of costs and timeframes
Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL)
Dallara’s Driver-in-the-Loop (DiL) represents one of the most advanced development tools in the automotive sector. Installed both in the Varano and Indianapolis plants, this simulator allows complete vehicle simulations to be carried out with real-time response times on the order of a millisecond.
The integration of external models for the powertrain, control systems, and tires, combined with road profiles based on 3D laser scans, guarantees the level of realism and immersion required by professional drivers in this kind of application.
The distinctive characteristic of Dallara’s DiL system is its ability to faithfully reproduce not only the technical aspects of the vehicle, but also the sensation of driving. This is key in allowing the drivers to provide accurate feedback during the development phases, contributing to optimization of the vehicle’s performance before it is even physically created.
Simulation is not just a representation of something real, but the bridge between mathematics and great ideas.
It is there, in the meeting of theory and experimentation, the virtual and the physical, that excellence is built.
Areas of application for driving simulators
Training
Drivers use a simulator identical to the actual vehicle (same controls and feedback) to familiarize themselves with the vehicle, track, and driving conditions.
Vehicle configuration
The interface developed by Dallara allows engineers to quickly modify and test any setup parameter and operating variant.
Development of new models
The software allows mathematical models for new vehicles to be created and validated, significantly reducing design and development times both for race cars and high-performance road-legal vehicles.