Thesis (M.App.Sc.) - Carleton University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-112). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

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In this dissertation, a group of vehicle dynamics simulation tools is developed with two primary goals: to accurately represent vehicle behavior and to provide insight that improves the understanding of vehicle performance. Three tools are developed that focus on tire modeling, vehicle modeling and lap time simulation. Tire modeling is based on Nondimensional Tire Theory, which is extended to provide a flexible model structure that allows arbitrary inputs to be included. For example, rim width is incorporated as a continuous variable in addition to vertical load, inclination angle and inflation pressure. Model order is determined statistically and only significant effects are included. The fitting process is shown to provide satisfactory fits while fit parameters clearly demonstrate characteristic behavior of the tire. To represent the behavior of a complete vehicle, a Nondimensional Tire Model is used, along with a three degree of freedom vehicle model, to create Milliken Moment Diagrams (MMD) at different speeds, longitudinal accelerations, and under various yaw rate conditions. In addition to the normal utility of MMDs for understanding vehicle performance, they are used to develop Limit Acceleration Surfaces that represent the longitudinal, lateral and yaw acceleration limits of the vehicle. Quasi-transient lap time simulation is developed that simulates the performance of a vehicle on a predetermined path based on the Limit Acceleration Surfaces described above. The method improves on the quasi-static simulation method by representing yaw dynamics and indicating the vehicle's stability and controllability over the lap. These improvements are accomplished while maintaining the simplicity and computational efficiency of the two degree of freedom method. / Graduation date: 2013