Inertia coupling analysis of a self-decoupled wheel force transducer under multi-axis acceleration fields

Area of Science:

• Mechanical Engineering
• Automotive Engineering
• Sensor Technology

Background:

• Wheel force transducers (WFTs) are crucial for vehicle testing, measuring forces and torques on wheels.
• Inertia coupling, caused by the transducer's mass during acceleration/braking, reduces measurement accuracy.
• Existing WFTs face challenges with inertia loads, especially in high-speed vehicles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the inertia coupling effect on universal WFTs under multi-axis accelerations.
• To develop a method for identifying and mitigating inertia loads in WFT measurements.
• To enhance the accuracy of WFTs in dynamic vehicle testing scenarios.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a self-decoupling approach for WFTs.
• Applied the principle of equivalent mass and rotary inertia for inertia load distribution.
• Verified findings through Finite Element Method (FEM) simulations and experimental tests.

Main Results:

• Theoretical derivations for inertia load identification were validated by FEM simulations.
• A near-linear relationship was observed between acceleration and inertia loads for wheel forces and moments.
• Relative errors were consistently below 5%, with maximum inertia load impact at approximately 1.5%.

Conclusions:

• The proposed self-decoupling method effectively identifies and quantifies inertia coupling in WFTs.
• The methodology significantly improves WFT accuracy by accounting for inertia loads.
• This research contributes to more reliable data acquisition in vehicle dynamics testing.