Define Virtual Vehicle Components: Motorcycle

Use the Virtual Vehicle Composer to define the components in your chosen vehicle architecture. In the Data and Calibration pane, make selections for the body and frame, suspension, tires, powertrain, environment, and so forth.

Diagram of Virtual Vehicle Composer workflow with Data and Calibration tab highlighted

The Virtual Vehicle Composer model template starts with a set of default components, as shown in the Data and Calibration pane. The component types are listed in the menu tree on the left side of the pane. You can choose and parameterize specific components on the right side.

Virtual Vehicle Composer app Data and Calibration pane for Motorcycle

The component options depend on the products installed and your Setup selections.

For vehicles with Vehicle class set to Motorcycle:

  • Vehicle Dynamics Blockset™ is required.

  • Simscape™ Multibody™ is required

  • Model template is set to Simscape.

Body and Frame

The Body and Frame section includes inertial and geometric properties of the fully-equipped frame, the front fork, and the rear swing arm.

These assumptions apply:

  • The motorcycle frame is rigid. All components mounted to the frame are rigidly attached.

  • The frame mass includes all components mounted to the frame.

  • Masses for tire and wheel assemblies, brakes, and suspensions are accounted for separately.

Steering System

If Vehicle dynamics is set to Out-of-plane dynamics, you can choose whether to steer the front fork. Set Steering system to Steering or No Steering.

If Steering system is set to Steering, then you can choose whether to include a steering damper by setting Steering damper to Linear damper or No Damper. The Linear damper option introduces viscous damping about the steering axis.

Front and Rear Suspensions

If Vehicle dynamics is set to Out-of-plane dynamics, you can specify the suspension parameters. The only option for Front Suspension is Linear Spring and Damper Front. The only option for Rear Suspension is Linear Spring and Damper Rear.

Tire and Wheel Assemblies

You select front and rear tire and wheel assemblies separately. The choices for both are similar.

With Vehicle dynamics set to In-plane dynamics, the only Front Tire option is Linear Tire Front, and the only Rear Tire option is Linear Tire Rear. Here, longitudinal force is a linear function of longitudinal slip.

With Vehicle dynamics set to Out-of-plane dynamics, the only Front Tire option is Linear Tire Front, and the only Rear Tire option is Linear Tire Rear. Here, longitudinal force is a linear function of longitudinal slip, and lateral force is a linear function of camber angle.

Brake System

The disc option is selected for the Front Brake Type and Rear Brake Type. The model uses the physical parameters of the brake mechanism to calculate braking torque as a function of brake fluid pressure.

The Open Loop Controller option is selected for the Brake Control Unit. This option applies brake fluid pressure based on driver command and bias settings, with no control unit.

Powertrain: Propulsion System

If Powertrain architecture is set to Conventional Motorcycle with Chain Drive, you have two options for Propulsion System:

  • Simple Engine, fueled by gasoline

  • SI Mapped Engine, fueled by gasoline

The SI Simple Engine option is a simplified SI engine model using a maximum torque versus engine speed table, two scalar fuel mass properties, and one scalar engine efficiency parameter to estimate engine torque and fuel flow rate. The SI Mapped Engine is modeled using more detailed lookup tables for power, air mass flow, fuel flow, exhaust temperature, efficiency, and emission performance.

If Powertrain architecture is set to Electric Motorcycle with Chain Drive, the only option for Propulsion System is Mapped Motor. This model maps maximum torque as a function of motor speed, and efficiency as a function of torque and speed. This model assumes a synchronous permanent magnet AC motor.

Powertrain: Chain

For both powertrain architectures, Chain is set to Chain/Belt Drive. You can define either a chain- or belt-drive mechanism using the same parameters.

Environment

Use the Environment pane to set the ambient air, wind, and road conditions for your tests.

The app uses ambient air pressure and temperature in the ideal gas law to calculate air density, which the app then uses to calculate aerodynamic forces. The Engine types the app uses for the Motorcycle are not affected by ambient conditions. Their performance is calculated for temperature and pressure conditions of 293.15 kelvins and 101,325 pascals.

See Also

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