Automated Methods for the suspension pre-development - Design of a front axle for a long range electric vehicle

Paper in proceeding, 2023

With rising customer expectations and additional requirements stem-ming from the electrification, today’s suspensions need to fulfill an increasing number of requirements: Aerodynamic efficiency targets are stricter, driving properties are defined more specifically and the use of carry-over-parts is grow-ing. Moreover, the package volume has a huge effect on the exterior design as well. This leads to complications in the pre-development process. A typical prob-lem is the sequence of development steps: if a completely new suspension is de-signed, is it more important to optimize the hard points and adjust the part geom-etry accordingly or vice versa? The common approach of a trial-and-error method is time consuming, since the design of a suspension concept takes days of engi-neering work.
To meet this dilemma, a new approach is developed. With an automized design method for kinematics and elastokinematics paired with an automatic packaging evaluation, it is possible to create a first feasible solution within minutes. This concept can then be evaluated and improved either in terms of hard points, bush-ing stiffness or packaging. Since a much higher amount of possible suspension designs can be evaluated, the probability to find an adequate solution rises tre-mendously.
This approach is demonstrated for an optimized five link suspension for bat-tery-electric vehicles (BEVs). The shape of the suspension volume should be modified in a way, that the height of engine hood can be lowered. Therefore, the aerodynamic behavior has potential to be improved. It is found that the design of an innovative concept solution can be supported by using automated methods.