| MULTI-BODY ELASTIC SIMULATION OF A GO-KART: CORRELATION BETWEEN FRAME STIFFNESS AND DYNAMIC PERFORMANCE |
| G. MIRONE |
| Università di Catania |
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| ABSTRACT |
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The elastic response of a vehicle to an applied force determines the dynamic performance, comfort, and support of the vehicle, where the elastic response depends primarily on the stiffness of the frame/chassis. Significant variations in the dynamic response of a vehicle are typically achieved with suitable shock absorbing systems, which contribute significantly to whole body flexibility. The defining feature of a go-kart is the lack of devices capable of absorbing shock and dampening vibration. The tires and body of a go-kart, which consist of a frame of welded beams, must also function as a shock absorption system. The objective of this study was to reproduce the elastic behavior of a commercially available Italian go-kart by modeling the frame in a multibody ADAMS environment and to determine the effect of elastic features on the dynamic performance of the vehicle. Frame stiffness was assessed by applying a static torsion moment, while the circular trajectory of the go-kart was evaluated at different speeds and steering wheel angles. The proposed multibody, flexible model was validated by comparing the static and dynamic response of the go-kart in simulated and experimental analyses. The results of numerical simulations demonstrated that this method may be extended to the design of customized go-kart frames and to the tuning of go-karts for specific racing conditions. |
| Key Words:
Go-kart, Slip angle, Frame stiffness, Handling |
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