New dynamic simulator cuts emissions and speeds innovation
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The Motion Platform of the dynamic simulator reproduces the feeling of the ride as the user drives across the virtual “proving grounds” which they see on the screen in front of them.
CNH’s first dynamic simulator reduces the Company’s carbon footprint and helps it develop better vehicles, faster
From a tractor cab installed on a dynamic platform with 6 degrees of freedom, inside CNH’s San Matteo research & development center in Modena (Italy), engineers can test new agricultural machines on virtual farms all over the world. The operator “sees” and experiences a variety of virtual farms and terrains thanks to the work of computer graphics students at the Universities of Modena and Bologna (Italy).
The difference between this dynamic simulator, launched in 2022, and previous types is that “it gives the user the feeling of being on the vehicle, so they can make both an objective and a subjective evaluation of its performance,” says Gennaro Monacelli, Head of Design Analysis and Simulation at CNH.
Suspension in the legs of the dynamic simulator reproduces the feeling of the ride as the user drives across the virtual “proving grounds” which they see on the screen in front of them.
In addition, because there is no need to wear a headset, “you can see your hands and your legs and your body. Customers also get the benefit of touching the steering wheel,” adds Monacelli. The dynamic simulator is a significant step forward in CNH’s ten-year plan to increase the amount of vehicle testing and validation done using simulators. In October 2022, the Company opened a dedicated building for dynamic simulation at San Matteo (Italy) which is now our center for developing the technology. Along with Detroit (USA), it will also be our R&D hub for electric vehicles. Some 120 new engineers were hired at San Matteo in 2022 to work on these core areas of research and development.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS DYNAMIC SIMULATOR AND PREVIOUS TYPES IS THAT IT GIVES THE USER THE FEELING OF BEING ON THE VEHICLE
Lower emissions, better results
Greater use of dynamic simulation in testing has many benefits. One of the most significant is in reducing the Company’s carbon footprint, both by cutting tailpipe emissions and using fewer materials. The savings have not yet been calculated because the machine has been in use for less than a year. But Monacelli says typically two to three prototypes are built for each big project and far fewer will be needed in the future because a lot more testing can be carried out before the vehicle goes into the field for assessment. Far less fuel will also be used as a result.
CNH also plans to use the simulator to test and verify its new generation of electric and automated vehicles. “They will have new and more complex architectures and this tool will be very useful for evaluating products,” says Monacelli.
The tests that can be carried out include assessments for subjective noise and vibration, cab and vehicle suspension and comfort, tire optimization, lane keeping assistance, driver handling and software validation.
From the simulator cab inside CNH’s San Matteo R&D center in Modena, engineers are able to test new machines on farms all over the world.
The right model for advanced vehicles
To make the simulator’s movements accurately replicate the behavior of the machine, CNH’s researchers take an existing tractor, for example New Holland’s T6 Methane Power, out into the field and put it through its full range of maneuvers. The results are recorded and the simulator is programmed to behave like the new tractor.
One of the great advantages of using simulators is repeatability, says Monacelli. “You can gather the data and repeat the same maneuver many times. Repeatability is hard to achieve in the field because the second time you drive round, it won’t be identical to the first, not least because you’ve changed the terrain by driving on it,” he explains. The configuration of the tractor on the simulator can also be changed with the press of a button, speeding up testing.
Safety is another key consideration: using a simulator, tractors can be put through extreme maneuvers without putting the operator at risk.
Dynamic simulators are widely used in the aviation industry, which cannot send early prototypes into the air for cost and safety reasons, and also increasingly by high-end carmakers. As a result, Monacelli and his team are sharing knowledge on simulation technology with fellow Emilia-Romagna-based companies Ferrari and Maserati.
For companies like CNH working with advanced vehicle technology, dynamic simulation is a valuable way to make new products even better. It helps to keep costs under control by speeding up the development and testing process and making it more efficient, says Monacelli. “With virtual evaluation, issue identification peaks a lot earlier – most of the modifications have been made during the engineering stage on the simulator,” he says. “This means you arrive at the production phase with a well-evaluated product, more quickly.”
This brings an additional competitive advantage. Many companies estimate that the use of dynamic simulation has reduced their time to market by around 30 percent, he adds.
TRACTORS CAN BE PUT THROUGH EXTREME MANEUVERS WITHOUT PUTTING THE OPERATOR AT RISK
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