Substructuring and Control Strategies for Hardware-in-the-Loop Simulations of Multiaxial Suspension Test Rigs

Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) simulation is a powerful tool for testing and developing mechatronic systems under realistic conditions. The real components under consideration are coupled appropriately with a real-time computer which simulates mathematical models of the remainder of the system in parallel. For mechatronic systems like vehicle axles the realization of HiL simulations with spatial excitation can be a challenging task, as in general manipulator and specimen possess a complex contact situation. In this context, the following paper presents substructuring techniques and control strategies applied to a highly dynamic vehicle axle test rig with a parallel kinematic machine used as the excitation unit. Simulation results are provided to underline the effectiveness of the presented approaches.