Altair MotionSolve - Two- and Three-wheel Vehicle Simulation

Create detailed hydraulic circuits & actuation systems as part of your multi-disciplinary system simulations, especially for heavy machinery & agricultural equipment, in combination with multi-body systems (Altair MotionSolve®) and granular material systems (Altair EDEM®).

In this video EDEM is coupled with MotionSolve to accurately predict the performance of an off-road buggy on different terrains. With EDEM, an extensive range of terrains can be modeled to suit the vehicle test requirements, including sand, gravel or soft soils. The coupling enables engineers to validate the system dynamics under realistic operating conditions. Additionally, analysis on the vehicle component’s performance and the terrain can be conducted to fully understand the test results.

Watch examples of applications of EDEM coupled with MotionSolve and Activate in the design of tracked and wheeled vehicles.

EDEM software, powered by the Discrete Element Method (DEM), accurately represents the behavior or rocks, soils and ores and can realistically model a variety of terrains from soft-soil, dry sand, to rugged gravel surfaces. Integrating EDEM with Multi-body Dynamics tools provides great realism in vehicle mobility simulations and enable engineers to predict the behavior and performance of off-road vehicles in a variety of off-road environments and to study complex manoeuvres which otherwise might be restricted.

EDEM, MotionSolve and Activate are used to assess the performance of a 8x8 light armored vehicle (LAV) and to perform stress validation.

EDEM, MotionSolve and Activate are used to predict the behavior and performance of a tank vehicle on a sand dune and to study complex maneuvers live a pivot turn.

The presentation outlines a solution strategy for how a digital twin of a milling machine is solving mechatronic challenges. To improve cycle times, accuracy, and addressing vibration problems a holistic system simulation serves as the basis for optimization. The efficient modeling of the real system behavior with flexibilities, contacts, gaps, friction, nonlinearities in the drives (incl. saturation effects of motors), power electronics in combination with the control system is the basis for efficient controller design and optimization of the control parameters. The dynamic interaction of multiple system components combining 3D finite elements analysis multi-body dynamics and control system helps avoiding Tracking-, drag-, positioning errors rebound, and accumulation effects.  

Altair model-based development tools drive fast development for smarter connected systems. Altair customers simulate complex products as systems-of-systems throughout their entire development cycle. Explore more by combining mechanical models with electrical models to enable multi-disciplinary simulation and leverage automatic code-generation for your next generation embedded systems.

Learn more at altair.com/systems-modeling.

Altair provides an industry-leading portfolio of multiphysics-enabled software to simulate a wide range of interacting physical models including fluid-structure interaction, flexible bodies, aeroacoustics, and thermomechanical simulation. Together with Altair’s multidisciplinary optimization and scalable high-performance computing you can solve real world engineering problems quickly and effectively.

Learn more at altair.com/multiphysics.

The latest release of EDEM integrates bulk material modeling with multibody dynamics simulation and hydraulics, ideal for heavy equipment and agricultural applications. In this short video we're demonstrating the EDEM - MotionSolve coupling applied to an excavator.