Working with Leaf Springs 319

Working with Leaf Springs

320 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Overview

Overview
Adams Chassis supports two types of leaf springs: SAE 3-link and beam element. This chapter introduces
you to the different types of leaf springs and contains two tutorials for modeling leaf springs in Adams
Chassis.
• Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs
• Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs
 Working with Leaf Springs 321
Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs

Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs

When you work with 3-link leaf springs, you use the VisEdit Property Spring Tab to display and edit
rotation spring and second stage rates, as shown Figure 44. The next two sections explain the data
displayed in the table.

Figure 44 Adams Chassis Dataview Table

Rotational Spring Rates

• KT X = Longitudinal twist stiffness of that section (front or rear) of the spring. It is important for
roll stiffness.
• KT Y = Lateral bending stiffness of that section (front or rear) of the spring. It is important for
the lateral stiffness of the suspension.
• KT Z = Vertical bending stiffness of that section (front or rear) of the spring. This value is
important since it defines the spring rate of the spring.
• TO Z = The torque applied to the interleaf bushings (that is, front-to-middle link and middle-to-
rear link). This value is important in defining the spring rate of the leaf spring.
322 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs

Second Stage Rates

• If the vehicle has a second stage (auxiliary leaf), Adams Chassis models the second stage as a
single-component force (SFORCE) between the body and the axle.
• You can enter a simple linear rate (denoted by a positive value) or a nonlinear rate.

SAE 3-Link Leaf Spring Model Tutorial

This tutorial explains how to select the files associated with 3-link beam elements, integrate them into a
rear suspension, and run an analysis and view the results.
Note that you will use the model that you create here in next tutorial, Beam Element Leaf Spring Model
Tutorial. In the Beam tutorial, you will integrate a beam element spring in place of the 3-link leaf spring.

The tutorial takes about one hour to complete.

Loading Example Vehicle Database and System File

In this section, you will copy over an example vehicle database that uses a hotchkiss rear supension for
study.
1. From the Utilities menu, select Database Utilities.
2. Select the Find tool next to the Vehicle Database text box. Choose the big_truck.vdb
database by double-clicking the selection and selecting OK in the Selection dialog box.

Hint: The path is: <adams_install_directory>\achassis\examples\vehicles\big_truck.vdb

3. Select Copy Database to Working Directory.

4. Select OK at the prompt, and then close the Database Utilities window.
5. Select the Load Model button.
6. In the Select File window, select big_truck.vdb for the Registered Database.
7. Select big_truck_rear_sys.xml, and then select Open.

Viewing Leaf Spring Data

Before you run the simulation, view the data in the VisEdit Property Editor.

To view the data:

1. In the treeview, select big_truck_rst..
2. In the property editor, select the Springs tab as shown below.
 Working with Leaf Springs 323
Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs

3. View the data.

Figure 45 Leaf Spring Visual Editing Panel

Running an Analysis

To run an analysis:
1. Select the Test mode.
2. In the bookshelf, expand Suspension, and the double-click Rear Ride Motion.
3. Select the rear ride motion event in the treeview, and then Build and Run Selected Events.
4. When the event is complete, close the command window.

Animating the Model

To animate the model:

1. Select the Review mode.
2. In the treeview, select big_truck_rear_sys_rride.
3. Select Execute Selected Animations.
4. From the dashboard, select the Play tool .
5. After the suspension goes through a complete animation, select the Pause tool .
6. Exit Adams PostProcessor, and return to Adams Chassis.
324 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with SAE 3-Link Leaf Springs

Modifying the Leaf Spring

You modify 3-link leaf springs using the same methods you have already learned for suspensions and full
vehicles: modify properties in the property editor, save the changes as a new file, and compare the
results.
 Working with Leaf Springs 325
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

A beam element leaf spring model is a series of small parts connected by beams based on first principles.
Adams Chassis provides a Leaf Spring Editor (Preprocessor) in which you can quickly and efficiently
prepare the beam element leaf spring. You use the Editor whenever you change the leaf properties.
The next sections explain more about working with beam element leaf springs and provide a tutorial that
steps you through the process of adding and analyzing leaf springs:
• Viewing and Editing Beam Element Leaf Springs
• Beam Element Leaf Spring Model Tutorial

The following is a flowchart that shows how to generate a model containing beam element leaf springs.
The tutorial, Beam Element Leaf Spring Model Tutorial, runs you through the steps needed to generate
the model in Adams Chassis.
326 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

Gather Data
Measure the leaf spring geometry in the free position.

Measure the mass of the shackle.

Measure the bushing rates of the three leaf spring bushings.

Measure the height of the leaf spring

Enter Data .ltf

Enter data in the leaf spring .ltf file.

Generate Model
Use leaf spring editor to exercise leaf model to Design condition

Adams create a leaf .py file. It contains parts, markers, beams, and so
on, that define the leaf spring.

Turn off the 3-link leaf spring and turn on the beam element leaf
spring

Figure 46 Flowchart for Working with Beam Element Leaf Spring Models

Viewing and Editing Beam Element Leaf Springs

For more information on the Editor used to model leaf springs, see Leaf Spring Editor in Adams Chassis
build mode section.

Tips for Using Beam Element Leaf Spring Models

• Increasing the thickness of the leaves increases the ride rate.
• Increasing the number of contacts between the leaves results in an increase in computational
time.
• You define two reference markers that are intended to move the leaf spring to design position:
• The reference marker height at design load is the height of the axle center at design.
 Working with Leaf Springs 327
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

• The reference marker to leafpack is the distance from the reference marker to the bottom of
an overslung leaf or the top of the underslung leaf. A negative number indicates overslung,
while a positive number indicates underslung. When Adams Chassis builds the leaf spring, it
exercises the model until the reference marker to leafpack reaches the height, which is the sum
of the two heights. The leaf will be in its deformed position.

Beam Element Leaf Spring Model Tutorial

This tutorial creates a beam element leaf spring and incorporates it into a rear suspension. It shows you
how you use the Leaf Spring Editor (Preprocessor) to generate all the necessary flexible parts (beam
elements, parts, markers, and so on) needed to define the leaf spring in your model.
The process for creating a model containing a beam element leaf spring includes gathering data and
entering the data using Leaf Spring Editor in an.ltf file. For this tutorial, we’ve gathered the data for
you and provided you with a sample .ltf file called example.ltf.
This tutorial builds upon the model you created in the tutorial earlier in this chapter, SAE 3-Link Leaf
Spring Model Tutorial. Therefore, be sure to run through that tutorial first.

The tutorial takes about one hour to complete.

Viewing the Leaf Spring

You will use the file, example.ltf, which contains a profile of a leaf spring. The leaf spring contains
four leaves.

To run the Leaf Spring Editor:

1. Copy example.ltf located in <achassis_install_dir>/examples/ltf into the springs.tbl folder in the
big_truck database in your working directory.
The data in example.ltf appears in the Leaf Spring Editor, as shown in the following figure.
2. From the Utilities menu, select the Leaf Spring Editor tool .
3. Select the Find tool for the .ltf text box.

4. Double-click the database to which you copied the example file, double-click springs.tbl, and
then select example.ltf.
328 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

Figure 47 Leaf Spring Editor

 Working with Leaf Springs 329
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

Note: If you modify the leaf spring, you must save the data before you select Run.

5. To view a plot of each leaf in the file, select each of the leaf tabs in the lower portion of the Editor.
Adams Chassis highlights the selected leaf in the plot to the right.
6. View the general information about the leaf spring by selecting each tab at the top of the Editor.
For explanations of the information displayed in each of the tabs, see Viewing and Editing Beam
Element Leaf Springs.

Running Makeleaf
To implement the leaf spring into your Adams Chassis model, you must first run the Leaf Spring Editor
(Makeleaf). The Leaf Spring Editor generates a file called example.py, which contains the beam
elements, parts, markers, and so on, needed to define the leaf spring in your model.

To run Makeleaf from the Leaf Spring Editor:

1. Select Run -> Generate Leaf.
2. To return to the Adams Chassis main window, exit the Leaf Spring Editor.

Note: The leaf spring processor can also be executed from the command line by issuing
the following command:

achassis_script -makeleaf example.ltf (where

"achassis_script" is the command to start up Adams Chassis)

Incorporating the Beam Element Leaf Spring into Your Model

To incorporate the spring into your model:

1. In the treeview, select big_truck_rst.
2. In the property editor, select the Springs tab.
3. Double click on sae3link_leafspring.
4. Under “Select Current Property”, select the Create New button.
5. In the “Enter Name and Type” dialog box, select SpringLeaf under Type.
Enter “beam_leaf” in the Name field.
6. Select the newly created beam_leaf property.
7. Select the Find tool next to the property file, and then select example.py.
8. Select Save as along the bottom, and save your new rear subsystem file as
hotch_beam.xml.
9. Select Yes to update references in the system file.
330 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

Running an Analysis and Animating It

To run an analysis of the model with a beam element leaf spring:

1. In the Test mode, expand Suspension in the bookshelf.
2. Double-click Rear-Ride Motion.
3. Select the event in the treeview, and then Build and Run the Selected Event.
Note that this analysis takes significantly longer to run than the 3-link beam analysis because the
model is more complex.
4. When the analysis is completed, close the command window.

To animate the model:

1. Switch to the Review mode.
2. Select the event in the treeview, and then select Execute Selected Animations.
3. Play the animation.
In the animation, you see many more elements than you saw in the previous 3-link leaf spring
model. Adams Chassis modeled each leaf spring as a series of beam elements.
4. Return to the Adams Chassis window.

Analyzing Effects of Leaf Spring Design Changes

Now you’ll use the model you created to examine the effect of leaf spring thickness on wheel rate. First,
you’ll change the thickness of Leaf 1 of the leaf spring, and then you’ll run an analysis and compare the
results of analysis with the previous analysis to see the effect of the different thicknesses.

To change the leaf spring thickness:

1. From the Utilities menu, select the Leaf Spring Editor.
2. Load the file example.ltf.
3. Select Leaf 1, and change its thickness to 13 mm by entering 13 in the Thickness column (third
column in the middle table).
For more information about the Thickness column, see Leaf Profile.
4. Select Save as, and change the name of your modified file to example2.ltf.
5. Rebuild the leaf model by selecting Run → Generate Leaf.
6. Select the rear suspension and select the new spring property.
7. Select Save as along the bottom, and save your new rear subsystem file as
hotch_beam2.xml.
8. To update references in the system file, select Yes.
9. To save the system file, select Save.
 Working with Leaf Springs 331
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs

To run an analysis:
1. Switch to the Test mode.
2. Double-click the Rear Ride Motion event.
3. Select Build and Run Selected Events.
4. When the analysis is complete, close the window.

To plot the analysis results:

1. In the Review mode, select the two rear ride motion analyses in the fingerprint tree.
2. Verify that Overlay Plots/Reports of Same Events is selected.
3. Select Execute Selected Plots.
4. In the treeview of Adams PostProcessor, select p03_Rear_Ride_motion.
Now you’ll view plots that show the effect of modifying Leaf 1’s thickness from 8 mm to 13 mm
on wheel rate.
5. Exit Adams PostProcessor and Adams Chassis.
As you can see from this tutorial, modeling with beam element leaf springs requires one additional
modeling step when investigating design changes.
332 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs
 Working with Leaf Springs 333
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs
334 Getting Started Using Adams Chassis
Working with Beam Element Leaf Springs