Sensitivity Analysis of a Car Shock Absorber Through a Functional Mock-up Units-Based Modelling Strategy

Abstract

In Model-Based System Engineering (MBSE), some functional sub-systems can have a considerable influence on the overall system behaviour, whilst the effect of other ones can be neglected. Of course, the former requires a refined modelling approach, whilst the latter can be suitably represented by means of low-fidelity models (usually 0D models). Being capable of identifying the required precision level of sub-systems can help reducing the system complexity, with a negligible impact on the overall accuracy and help deepen the calculations in the system parts where it is necessary. To determine which sub-systems models must be refined, suitable indicators must be introduced to assess their influence on the global system behaviour. To this purpose, in this work, a sensitivity analysis based on Sobol's indices coupled with a simple mechanical model developed in the Modelica environment is proposed to achieve the aforementioned task.