New state-of-the-art vehicle dynamics simulation software developed by rFpro could reduce the costs of meeting the new RDE tests for vehicle manufacturers.
The software, which is designed for DIL (driver-in-the-loop) simulators, creates such a high level of realism that drivers behave in a manner that is representative of real-world behavior, giving manufacturers confidence in a car’s emissions performance long before prototype testing can begin.
Quantifying the influence of driving habits on emissions is difficult and time consuming when using on-road testing, due to the variation in traffic conditions and weather from test to test.
Understanding driver influenced variables, such as poor throttle modulation when cruising, or failure to anticipate traffic slowing down ahead, will be central to optimizing the calibration of the vehicle.
rFpro’s technical director Chris Hoyle said, “One of our customers estimates that over 30% of the costs incurred in developing driving attributes could be saved by frontloading the engineering activity on a DIL simulator with subjective feedback.
“We have customers linking driving simulators to both engine and drivetrain dynos, enabling highly repeatable tests to be conducted with a human driver in control. This enables vehicle manufacturers to identify and isolate those aspects of human driving that differ significantly from computer controlled operation, leading to improved accuracy in predicting how the vehicle will ultimately perform in an RDE test.
“The low variance between results enables statistical methods to be applied and saves time and cost compared with real car testing on public roads or at test facilities.”
August 30, 2016