Coupled Simulation and Optimization for Robust Virtual Vehicle Design (SOFA)

Project description

In the reseach project SOFA, the University of Cologne, the University of Halle-Wittenberg, the Technical University of Kaiserslautern and the University of Wuppertal as well as the Fraunhofer Institute SCAI are working together on solutions for the development challenges of future vehicles.

Cologne, 2010. "The aim of the collaborative project SOFA (Coupled Simulation and Optimization for Robust Virtual Vehicle Design), which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), is to use mathematical models and methods to simulate complex systems in vehicles in order to optimize components and increase ride comfort," describes project coordinator Professor Caren Tischendorf (University of Cologne) the industrial relevance of the collaborative project.

Nowadays, vehicles already have more electronic components and functions than ever before, and in future vehicle designs, the on-board electrical and electronic systems are going to become even more complex - this includes the replacement of hydraulic braking systems by electromechanical components ("brake-by-wire"), the introduction of electronic wheel controls ("steer-by-wire") or drive concepts for hybrid and electric vehicles. Trends toward energy-saving lightweight construction, the use of energy-autonomous radio-based systems, or sensor technologies (e.g., distance sensors or communication between vehicle components or vehicles) also pose new challenges for vehicle development.

In order to face the growing demands in vehicle construction, components and processes are simulated with so-called multiphysics systems on screen. For example, the behavior of a particular component can be investigated with respect to several physical phenomena -- hence multiphysics -- such as electromagnetic and thermal behavior. In order to achieve reliable and realistic simulation results, coupled simulations of the involved phenomena are necessary.

The research groups of Prof. Martin Arnold, Dr. Tanja Clees, Prof. Markus Clemens, Prof. Michael Günther, Prof. Bernd Simeon, and Prof. Caren Tischendorf take up the mathematical problems of such multiphysics systems. Various physical processes are described in terms of different equations. Partial differential equations are used to describe spatially distributed phenomena, e.g., temperature propagation or electromagnetic interference fields. Differential-algebraic equations are used to model dynamic subsystems and their couplings between each other, e.g., electronic components or mechanical connections.

Possible applications include the coupling of cable harnesses and electronic control elements, electromagnetic sensors and control electronics, as well as multi-body systems and fluidics or elastodynamics.

Industrial cooperation partners of the research project are the automotive suppliers Delphi Deutschland GmbH and Leopold Kostal GmbH & Co. KG as well as the developers of simulation software Computer Simulation Technology AG and SIMPACK AG. They are testing the tools and methods developed in the research project SOFA for the effective and robust simulation and optimization of coupled multiphysics problems on realistic models from industrial practice and - after successful testing - integrating them into their respective simulation environments.

Project-related publications