Automobiles on the test bench

The increasing complexity of modern vehicle structures and assistance systems requires powerful validation methods. The focus is on the development and validation of modern vehicle concepts in terms of safety, efficiency and driving comfort. In order to take into account the interactions between vehicle, driver and environment, validation in the overall system context is essential.

State of the art

Hardware-in-the-loop test benches, as are common in the automotive sector, are not sufficient for this application. They disregard the holistic use of a vehicle in conjunction with the underlying conditions, such as traffic and drivers. Moreover, even vehicle components that have already been tested individually may experience malfunctions or undesirable effects when interacting with each other, which must be remedied.

Technology

With the Vehicle-in-the-Loop technology, IPEK - Institute of Product Engineering has created a development environment with which the interaction of all subsystems and components in the complete vehicle can be validated under almost real conditions. For small cars to vans, the test facility offers extensive measurement and simulation options. In addition to individual tests, continuous test loops can be implemented: The relevant data is recorded directly on the vehicle, compared with simulations and repeated in slightly modified test series. A driving robot simulates different driving styles (defensive, aggressive) or driving profiles and thus supports the validation of driving dynamics. In contrast to classic chassis dynamometers, the IPEK test bench provides important tools around acoustic and vibration testing to identify disturbing noises and vibrations in the operation of the overall system.

Advantages

Vehicle-in-the-loop technology creates reproducible environmental conditions to safeguard a vehicle against problem cases (including corner cases) at the end of development or to test the integration of new components. In addition to safety-related tests, comfort issues can also be investigated. With the help of various automation solutions, extensive measurement campaigns can be realized, which can be used e.g. for parameter optimization within the vehicle components.

Options for companies

KIT offers the test bench to automotive manufacturers and suppliers for product development, troubleshooting, and validation of vehicle structures. In addition to testing services, IPEK also provides its expertise in preparation and data analysis, as well as interpretation.