Abstract
Intensive use of mathematical simulation during product development is the key to achieve the automotive industrys very ambitious targets for the reduction of cost and development time by further improvement of the product quality. While powerful simulation capabilities are already available as separate entities, further enhancements of physical and mathematical models for multidisciplinary simulation as well as a user friendly environment are indispensable in order to create the virtual test facility and to reduce a substantial part of the experimental testing effort.
Examples of applications like thermal stress calculation based on fluid-structure coupling, engine performance prediction with increased accuracy based on 1D gasdynamics and multibody systems co-simulation as well as VTMS (vehicle thermal management system) using co-simulation of various tools are available to outline the way to achieve virtual testing.
Necessary measures to integrate mathematical simulation, virtual and real test procedures are given - the key is to bring together computer models and successively available hardware components of the prototype.