Differential Equations and Nonlinear Mechanics 
Volume 2007 (2007), Article ID 49157, 13 pages
doi:10.1155/2007/49157
Research Article

Numerical Effectiveness of Models and Methods of Integration of the Equations of Motion of a Car

Marek Szczotka,1 Szymon Tengler,1 and Stanislaw Wojciech2

 1Department of Mechanics and Informatics, University of Bielsko-Biala, Bielsko-Biala 43-309, Poland
2BOSMAL Automotive Research and Development Center, Bielsko-Biala 43-300, Poland
Received 3 January 2006; Revised 19 October 2006; Accepted 2 November 2006

Recommended by Roger Grimshaw

Abstract

The paper presents models of car dynamics with varying complexity. Joint coordinates and homogenous transformations are used to model the motion of a car. Having formulated the models of the car, we discuss the influence of the complexity of the model on numerical efficiency of integrating the equations describing car dynamics. Methods with both constant and adaptive step size have been applied. The results of numerical calculations are presented and conclusions are formulated.