A Hybrid Modeling Approach to Accurately Predict Vehicle Occupant Vibration Discomfort

Abstract

Prediction of vehicle vibration discomfort is still challenging. This is due to the non-linear dynamics of the human body and the seat foam as well as the complex coupling between the vehicle body and the seat. In this chapter, a hybrid modeling approach is developed by combining the vibration transfer matrices of sub-systems, some obtained from physical tests and some other from the Finite Element model, to predict the vibration discomfort of the vehicle occupant. The structural dynamics of the vehicle body is obtained from a vehicle body Finite Element model and modelled as a transfer matrix. The dynamics of the occupant body plus the seat foam are derived from the physical tests as a transfer matrix, while the dynamics of the automotive seat is modelled as a transmissibility matrix obtained from the Finite Element model. The developed hybrid model provided an accurate estimation of vibration response on contact with the occupant at a frequency below 100 Hz. This study demonstrates a method in predicting the vibration discomfort of the vehicle occupant by combining the analytical and the experimental transfer matrices of sub-systems.