A methodology for validating computer simulations of physical systems is applied to vehicle stability and control simulations. Validation is defined, within some specified operating range of the system, as a simulation's predictability of system responses being able to agree with actual measured system responses within some specified level of accuracy. The method uses repeated experimental runs at each test condition to generate sufficient data for statistical analyses. Acquisition and reduction of experimental data and the processing path for simulation data are described. Usefulness of time-domain validation for steady state and slowly varying transients is discussed. Importance of frequency domain validation for thoroughly validating a simulation is shown. Both qualitative and quantitative methods for comparison of simulation predictions with actual test measurements are developed. In order to illustrate the validation methodology, experimental testing of four different vehicles was performed. Comparisons between actual test measurements and simulation predictions are shown.
Samenvatting