MODELING SUSPENSION DAMPER MODULES USING LS-DYNA

A suspension damper module is an integration of the vehicle chassis components that control suspension motion. Various analytical tools are currently used in vehicle suspension analyses and component designs. However, these tools are not particularly useful for analysis of proposed damper module designs since they typically do not accurately represent component interactions and force distributions within the module. This paper describes a finite element model of a suspension damper module using an explicit finite element code, LS-DYNA. The modeling techniques used to construct the components within the modular assembly are presented. The LS-DYNA model was first correlated with a side load test of the damper module on an MTS machine. The analysis results were also compared with those from an ABAQUS model of the same module. A parametric study was then conducted to investigate the effects of some design parameters on the piston side load in the damper system.