Design and Optimization of a Space frame Chassis

This work is a contribution to the development of a 3-D space frame vehicle structure design and numerical optimization applied to a high performance roadster vehicle. , for this type of vehicle, a chassis must be as rigid and lightweight as possible in order to fulfill drivability (the degree of smoothness and steadiness of acceleration of an automotive vehicle) and maneuverability (the quality of being capable of maneuvering or changing position) requirements. Some difficulties in obtaining the optimum design by using analytical formulation are encountered, because this real structure is a complex geometry one.

In this work a chassis design methodology that integrates a set of nature-inspired optimization tools developed under MATLAB® and finite element analysis using the commercial software ANSYS® is presented. Numerical results are reported, illustrating the success of using the presented methodology, as applied to the design optimization of a space frame vehicular structure.