Using intermediate reference frames to reduce numerical error in vehicle simulation

This paper examines a novel method for reducing numerical error in simulation by using intermediate reference frames. Reference frames are used to define the motion parameters of the vehicles and can determine numerical error within the simulation. This paper documents how additional reference frames, called intermediate reference frames can be introduced into a simulation to reduce numerical error. A Reference Frame Manager, which is responsible for all the reference frames in a simulation, can introduce these intermediate frames. Tests have found that intermediate frames can reduce numerical error by several orders of magnitude at very small time steps. This can be especially significant when a large degree of numerical accuracy is required in longduration simulation runs.