MODELING VISCOELASTIC RESPONSE OF VEHICLE DOOR SEAL

A methodology to characterize the viscoelastic coefficients of the weatherstrip seal using experimental methods and curve fitting techniques is developed. Stress relaxation experiments were conducted using a robotic indenter equipped with force and displacement sensors to characterize the viscoelastic behavior of the seal. A curve-fitting algorithm was developed in MATLAB that fits the force function of a generalized Maxwell solid to the experimental stress relaxation data obtained by applying ramp and hold displacement input to the seal. The results of the curve fitting shows that the viscoelastic response of the seal can be approximated well if two Maxwell arms are used in the model. It is concluded that characterizing the viscoelastic material properties of the weatherstrip seal is very crucial especially when detailed modeling of the seal is required to investigate the effect of the seal on the vehicle dynamics.