Browse Topic: Body structures

Items (4,643)

A Methodology for Minimizing Liftgate-Induced Low-Frequency Boom Noise in Vehicles

2025-01-8617

04/01/2025

The significance of the liftgate's role in vehicle low-frequency boom noise is highlighted by its modal coupling with the vehicle's acoustic cavity modes. The liftgate's acoustic sensitivity and susceptibility to vehicle vibration excitation are major contributors to this phenomenon. This paper presents a CAE (Computer-Aided Engineering) methodology for designing vehicle liftgates to reduce boom risk. Empirical test data commonly show a correlation between high levels of liftgate vibration response to vehicle excitations and elevated boom risk in the vehicle cabin. However, exceptions to this trend exist; some vehicles exhibit low boom risk despite high vibration responses, while others show high boom risk despite low vibration responses. These discrepancies indicate that liftgate vibratory response alone is not a definitive measure of boom risk. Nonetheless, evidence shows that establishing a vibration level control guideline during the design stage results in lower boom risk. The

Abbas, Ahmad, Haider, Syed

Study on Relative Displacement in Assembly Structure Sections for Pre-Validation of Door Trim Noise

2025-01-8618

04/01/2025

The pre-validation process for door trim noise has gained increasing importance as noise standards have become more stringent with the transition to electric vehicles. Currently, the validation process employs squeak and rattle director simulations to evaluate noise based on relative displacement values. However, this approach is time-intensive. To address this limitation, we have improved process efficiency by developing a database of relative displacement values derived from the cross-sectional and structural characteristics of matching parts. This advancement enables noise pre-validation using only cross-sectional and structural information.

Cho, Wonhyung, Na, Hyunghyun, Kim, Donghyeon, Kim, JongSoo, Shin, Dongwan

Structural Seam Weld Optimization with Efficient Approach of DFSS

2025-01-8248

04/01/2025

In automotive engineering, seam welds are frequently used to join or connect various parts of structures, frames, cradles, chassis, suspension components, and body. These welds usually form the weaker material link for durability and impact loads, which are measured by lab-controlled durability and crash tests, as well as real-world vehicle longevity. Consequently, designing robust welded components while optimizing for material performance is often prioritized as engineering challenge. The position, dimensions, material, manufacturing variation, and defects all affect the weld quality, stiffness, durability, impact, and crash performance. In this paper, the authors present best practices based on studies over many years, a rapid approach for optimizing welds, especially seam welds, by adopting Design For Six Sigma (DFSS) IDDOV (Identify, Define, Develop, Optimization, and Verification) discrete optimization approach. We will present the case testimony to show the approach throughout

Qin, Wenxin (Daniel)

A Time-Aware Shaper-Based Method for Addressing Traffic Bursts and out-of-Order Induced by IEEE 802.1CB in in-Vehicle Networks

2025-01-8079

04/01/2025

The trends of intelligence and connectivity are continuously driving innovation in automotive technology. With the deployment of more safety-critical applications, the demand for communication reliability in in-vehicle networks (IVNs) has increased significantly. As a result, Time-Sensitive Networking (TSN) standards have been adopted in the automotive domain to ensure highly reliable and real-time data transmission. IEEE 802.1CB is one of the TSN standards that proposes a Frame Replication and Elimination for Reliability (FRER) mechanism. With FRER, streams requiring reliable transmission are duplicated and sent over disjoint paths in the network. FRER enhances reliability without sacrificing real-time data transmission through redundancy in both temporal and spatial dimensions, in contrast to the acknowledgment and retransmission mechanisms used in traditional Ethernet. However, previous studies have demonstrated that, under specific conditions, FRER can lead to traffic bursts and

Luo, Feng, Ren, Yi, Zhu, Yian, Wang, Zitong, Guo, Yi, Yang, Zhenyu

Validation of SynthEyes for Use in Collision Reconstruction

2025-01-8688

04/01/2025

Accurate reconstruction of vehicle collisions is essential for understanding incident dynamics and informing safety improvements. Traditionally, vehicle speed from dashcam footage has been approximated by estimating the time duration and distance traveled as the vehicle passes between reference objects. This method limits the resolution of the speed profile to an average speed over given intervals and reduces the ability to determine moments of acceleration or deceleration. A more detailed speed profile can be calculated by solving for the vehicle’s position in each video frame; however, this method is time-consuming and can introduce spatial and temporal error and is often constrained by the availability of external trackable features in the surrounding environment. Motion tracking software, widely used in the visual effects industry to track camera positions, has been adopted by some collision reconstructionists for determining vehicle speed from video. This study examines the

Perera, Nishan, Griffiths, Harrison, Prentice, Greg

Simulation and Parameter Optimization of Commercial Vehicle Cab Suspension System

2025-01-8268

04/01/2025

Taking a commercial vehicle cab suspension system as the research focus, a rigid-flexible coupled dynamics model was established based on the nonlinear characteristics of the integrated damper air spring and bushings. Time-domain vibration acceleration signals were acquired at the connection points between the frame, cab, and suspension. The vibration signals at the frame and suspension connection points were input into the simulation model, where the vibration responses at the cab and suspension connection points were calculated and analyzed using the established cab suspension system model. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the simulation results with experimental data. The established cab suspension system model was further used to evaluate human vibration comfort within the cab, following national standards for subjective human perception. A piecewise polynomial function was employed to fit the stiffness-damping characteristics of the integrated damper air spring

Hao, Qi, Zhu, Yuntao, Sun, Wen, Sun, Kai, Sun, Zhiyong, Huang, Yu, Zhen, Ran, Shangguan, Wen-Bin

Barrier Weight Prediction for Vehicle Compatibility in North America Market Using Finite Element Analysis

2025-01-8621

04/01/2025

The proliferation of the electric vehicle (EVs) in the US market led to an increase in the average vehicle weight due to the assembly of the larger high-voltage (HV) batteries. To comply with this weight increase and to meet stringent US regulations and Consumer Ratings requirements, Vehicle front-end rigidity (stiffness) has increased substantially. This increased stiffness in the larger vehicles (Large EV pickups/SUVs) may have a significant impact during collision with smaller vehicles. To address this issue, it is necessary to consider adopting a vehicle compatibility test like Euro NCAP MPDB (European New Car Assessment Program Moving Progressive Deformable Barrier) for the North American market as well. This study examines the influence of mass across vehicle classes and compares the structural variations for each impact class. The Euro NCAP MPDB (European New Car Assessment Program Moving Progressive Deformable Barrier) protocol referenced for this analysis. Our evaluation

Kusnoorkar, Harsha, Koraddi, Basavaraj, Guerrero, Michael, Sripada, Venu Vinod, Tangirala, Ravi

Rough Road Vehicle Dynamics Analysis for Vehicle Vibration Assessment

2025-01-8306

04/01/2025

This study is to demonstrate a vehicle dynamics simulation process to assess vehicle vibration performance. A vehicle dynamics model including non-linear tuning elements and flexible vehicle body is simulated on ride roads. The goal of the simulation is acceleration responses at the passenger locations in frequency domain. Body interface loads are recovered from the vehicle dynamic simulations. Frequency response function (FRF) of the body structure is ready in a fashion that input forces are applied to all body interface locations to the suspension and powertrains. This will give acceleration response sensitivity of the body structure to each body interface. The sum of body interface loads multiplied by FRF at each interface produces acceleration responses in frequency domain. A mid-size sedan model was used to demonstrate the process. A full vehicle dynamics model using Ansys Motion was simulated on a virtual ride road at a constant speed. The body loads were recovered in time domain

Hong, Hyung-Joo, Maddula, Pavan Kumar, Jun, Hyochan

Lattice Based Localized Energy Absorber for Improved Vulnerable Road User Performance for a Vehicle

2025-01-8723

04/01/2025

A passenger vehicle hood is designed to meet Vulnerable Road User (VRU) regulatory requirements and consumer metric targets. Generally, hood inner design and its reinforcements, along with deformable space available under the hood are the main enablers to meet the Head Impact performance targets. However, cross functional balancing requirements, such as hood stiffness and packaging space constraints, can lead to higher Head Injury Criteria (HIC15) scores, particularly when secondary impacts are present. In such cases, a localized energy absorber is utilized to absorb the impact energy to reduce HIC within the target value. The current localized energy absorber solutions include the usage of flexible metal brackets, plastic absorbers etc. which have limited energy absorbing capacity and tuning capability. This paper focuses on usage of a novel 3D printed energy absorbers, based on various kinds of lattice structures. These absorbers are either sandwiched between the inner and the outer

Kinila, Vivekananda, Agarwal, Varun, V S, Rajamanickam, Tripathy, Biswajit, Gupta, Vishal

Research on the Boundary of Pedestrian Leg Impactor Test in Low-Speed Passive and Active Conditions

2025-01-8735

04/01/2025

With the widespread application of the Automatic Emergency Braking System (AEB) in vehicles, its impact on pedestrian safety has received increasing attention. However, after the intervention of AEB, the kinematic characteristics of pedestrian leg collisions and their corresponding biological injury responses also change. At the same time, in order to accurately evaluate the pedestrian protection performance of vehicles, the current assessment regulations generally use advanced pedestrian protection leg impactors (aPLI) and rigid leg impactors (TRL) to simulate the movement and injury conditions of pedestrian legs. Based on this, in order to explore the collision boundary conditions and changes in injury between vehicles and APLI and TRL leg impactors under the action of AEB, this paper first analyzes the current passive and active assessment conditions. Secondly, the simulation software LS-DYNA is used to build a finite element model of APLI and TRL impactor-vehicle collisions to

Ye, Bin, Hong, Cheng, Wan, Xinming, Liu, Yu, Cheng, James, Long, Yongchen, Hao, Haizhou

Effects of Aging on PVC-Based Instrument Panel Skin for Passenger Airbag Deployment Analysis

2025-01-8321

04/01/2025

Plasticized polyvinyl chloride (PVC) has many applications in automotive industry including electrical harnesses, door handles, seat and head rest covers, and instrument panel (IP) and other interior trim. In IP applications, the PVC skin plays a critical role in passenger airbag deployment (PAB) by tearing along the scored edge of the PAB door and allowing the door to open and the airbag to inflate to protect the occupant. As part of the IP, the PVC skin may be exposed to elevated temperatures and ultraviolet (UV) radiation during the years of the vehicle life cycle which can affect the PVC material properties over time and potentially influence the kinematics of the airbag deployment. Chemical and thermal aging of plasticized PVC materials have been studied in the past, yet no information is found on how the aging affects mechanical properties at high rates of loading typical for airbag deployment events. This paper compares mechanical properties of the virgin PVC-based IP skin

G, Karthigan, Savic, Vesna, Ravichandran, Gowrishankar

Adapting the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) Framework to Automated Vehicle Development

2025-01-8671

04/01/2025

Abstract The technological advancements in the automotive industry have seen a significant leap with the introduction of automated driving system (ADS)-equipped Vehicles (AVs), with potential for enhanced safety, efficiency, and mobility. As the development of an AV transitions from the stages of conceptual design to deployment, assessing the maturity of the technology through a structured framework is crucial. This paper proposes the adaptation of the Technology Readiness Level (TRL) framework originally developed by NASA (and adopted widely in a variety of industries) to the AV industry to provide a consistent, understandable, and transparent method to describe an AV product’s stage of development. The TRL framework is mated to the existing safety case framework (SCF) developed in the Automated Vehicle – Test and Evaluation Process (AV-TEP) Mission, a collaboration between Science Foundation Arizona and Arizona State University. The claim that the AV is ready to transition from one

Swaminathan, Sunder, Wishart, Jeffrey, Zhao, Junfeng, Russo, Brendan, Rahimi, Shujauddin

Efficient Simulation of Multi-Body Dynamics with Roller Guide Joints Using Julia

2025-01-8285

04/01/2025

Nonlinearities in mechanical systems pose significant challenges for efficiently solving multi-body dynamics (MBD) problems. Although simulations of traditional mechanisms with perfect joints can be performed efficiently, joints in practical applications are often characterized by clearances, leading to reduced simulation efficiency and accuracy. Improving solver effectiveness is essential for simulating systems with nonlinearities. This paper explores the use of Julia, a high-performance open-source programming language, to solve MBD problems formulated as index-1 differential-algebraic equations (DAEs). Euler parameters (quaternions) are employed to represent the orientation of rigid bodies. To illustrate the method's adaptability in addressing non-standard joint types, both perfect and imperfect (with clearance or friction) planar roller guide joints are modeled alongside common perfect joints. A case study of a vehicle sliding door system is presented. The numerical results are

Tong, Jiachi, Meng, Dejian, Lian, Yubo, Gao, Yunkai, Yang, James

Drop Test Correlation in Front & Rear Landing Scenario for Two-Wheeler (Motorcycle) using Multibody Simulation

2025-01-8638

04/01/2025

Two wheelers motorcycles are used for many purposes e.g. commuting from one place to another, long highway rides, racing and off-roading. Motorcycles which are used in off-road conditions require higher suspension strokes to absorb large oscillations due to terrain conditions. These motorcycles undergo jumps of varying heights and different vehicle orientations. In some of the dynamic situations front wheel may land on the ground before the rear and in other cases it may be vice versa. To make sure that the vehicle is durable enough to withstand loads in such operating conditions, vehicle drop test was developed in test lab where vehicle is dropped from predefined heights in both front & rear wheel landing conditions. Same test case is simulated in multibody dynamics to capture loads at important connections of the frame. This paper presents the correlation exercise carried out to validate MBD model and simulation process with test data captured during lab test. Accelerations at

Jain, Arvind Kumar, Nirala, Deepak

Investigation of Skin Friction Topology on the AeroSUV Using GLOF Meter

2025-01-8782

04/01/2025

In this study, the aerodynamics and surface flow field of a 1/5 scale SUV vehicle model called “AeroSUV” were experimentally investigated. The aerodynamics and surface flow field investigations were carried out in the wind tunnel at Hiroshima University with a Reynolds number ReL = 1.2×106, baseline yaw angle β = 0° and crosswind conditions β = 5°, 10° and 15° for two rear ends, Estateback and Fastback. The results provide aerodynamic information and detailed surface flow field information for a standard middle-class SUV vehicle with different rear ends, which is important for automotive design. By applying GLOF measurements to automotive aerodynamics, the skin friction topology was revealed in detail as surface flow field information that is useful for understanding the physics of the flow. The skin friction topology clearly shows the separation lines, reattachment lines, and focus points associated with the separation flow, longitudinal vortices and recirculation vortices of this

Hijikuro, Masato, Shimizu, Keigo, Nakashima, Takuji, Hiraoka, Takenori

Virtual Analysis of Sound Propagation for Automotive Industry

2025-01-8631

04/01/2025

Physical testing is required to assess multiple vehicles in different conditions, specially to validate those related to regulations. The acoustic evaluations have difficulties and limitations in physical test; cost and time represent important considerations every time. Additionally, the physical validation happens once a prototype has been built, this takes place in a later phase of the development. Sound pressure is measured to validate different requirements in a vehicle, horn sound is one of these and it is related to a regulation of united nations (ECE28). Currently the validation happens in physical test only and the results vary depending on the location of the horn inside the front end of every vehicle. [7] In this article, the work for approaching a virtual validation method through CAE is presented with the intention to get efficiency earlier in product development process.

Alonso, Liliana, Cruz, Raciel, Alvarez, Ezequiel

The Aerodynamic Development of the Range Rover

2025-01-8781

04/01/2025

The current Range Rover is the fifth generation of this luxury SUV. With a drag coefficient of 0.30 at launch, it was the most aerodynamically efficient luxury SUV in the world. This aerodynamic efficiency was achieved by applying the latest science. Rear wake control was realised with a large roof spoiler, rear pillar and bodyside shaping, along with an under-floor designed to reduce losses over a wide range of vehicle configurations. This enabled manipulation of the wake structure to reduce drag spread, optimising emissions measured under the WLTP regulations. Along with its low drag coefficient, in an industry first, it was developed explicitly to achieve reduced rear surface contamination with reductions achieved of 70% on the rear screen and 60% over the tailgate when compared against the outgoing product. This supports both perceptions of luxury along with sensor system performance, demonstrating that vehicles can be developed concurrently for low drag and reduced rear soiling

Chaligné, Sébastien, Gaylard, Adrian Philip, Simmonds, Nicholas, Turner, Ross

Integrated Body Structure to Accommodate Manual and Power Door Sunshade Variants in a Vehicle

2025-01-8616

04/01/2025

Door sunshade in a vehicle has proven to be very comfortable and luxurious feature to the customers. Luxury vehicles provide power sunshade which is electrically operated with the activation of a switch, whereas cost conscious vehicles provide manual sunshade which requires manual coiling and uncoiling. This study is to develop a door panel structure that can accommodate both the manual sunshade and power sunshade, thereby serving both cost conscious as well as luxury seeking customers. Manual sunshade consists only of cassette, pull bar, spindle mechanism and hooks whereas the power sunshade consists of cassette, pull bar, spindle mechanism, flap mechanism, bowden cable mechanism, actuator and motor. Due to this difference in package, it becomes difficult to accommodate both variants of sunshade into the same body system. However, this study helps in developing a common body structure by ways of effective packaging, modifying the cable and actuator mechanism and critical packaging of

S M, Rahul, d, Anantha, Kakani, Phani Kumar

Establishment of Failure Simulation Models for Bonding of Carbon Fiber Laminated Skins and Cores in Monocoque Structures Based on Formula Student Racing Cars

2025-01-8006

04/01/2025

In Formula SAE , the primary function of the frame is to provide structural support for the different components and withstand the applied load. In recent years, most Formula Student teams worldwide to adopt monocoque made of carbon fiber composites, which are lighter and stronger. Enhancing the mechanical performance of carbon fiber laminates has been a key focus of research for these teams. In three-point bending tests, significant stress at the adhesive layer between the skin and the core material at both ends of the laminate, often lead to potential adhesive failure. Consequently, experimental boards often exhibit delamination between the outer skin and the core material, and premature core crushing, which compromises the mechanical performance of the laminate and fails to pass the Structural Equivalency Spreadsheet. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the influence of the bonding factor of toughened epoxy prepreg film on the mechanical properties of the laminated plate. This

Ning, Zicheng

Predicting Forming Limit of Hot Stamping Boron Steel Using a Modified Zener-Hollomon Parameter based Ductile Failure Criterion

2025-01-8225

04/01/2025

Combined with a modified Zener-Hollmon parameter, a recently proposed ductile failure criterion is further improved to predict the forming limit of boron steel at hot stamping temperatures. The ductile failure criterion takes into account the critical damage at localized necking or at fracture as a function of strain path and initial sheet thickness. The modified Zener-Hollomon parameter accounts for both effect of varying strain rate and temperature for Boron steel. Working FEM simulation, the capability of the ductile failure criterion is further demonstrated by predicting forming limit of a boron steel in an isothermal Nakajima dome test. Comparison shows the prediction matches quite well with the measurement.

Sheng, ZiQiang, Mallick, Pankaj

Regression Model based Method for Stiffness Design of Laminated

2025-01-8320

04/01/2025

This paper presents a new regression model-based method for accurate predictions of stiffness of different glass laminate constructions with a point-load bending test setup. Numerical FEA models have been developed and validated with experimental data, then used to provide training data required for the statistical model. The multi-variable regression method considered six input variables of total glass thickness, thickness ratio of glass plies as well as high-order terms. Highly asymmetrical, hybrid laminates combining a relatively thick soda-lime glass (SLG) ply joined with a relatively thin Corning® Gorilla® Glass (GG) ply were analyzed and compared to standard symmetrical SLG-SLG constructions or a monolithic SLG with the same total glass thickness. Both stiffness of the asymmetrical laminates and the improvement percentage over the standard symmetrical design can be predicted through the model with high precision.

Yu, Chao, Cleary, Thomas, Joubaud, Laurent, kister, Evan, Fisher, W Keith

Integrated Design for Body in White Fabricated by Additive Manufacturing and its Mechanical Performance Analysis

2025-01-8613

04/01/2025

With the development of additive manufacturing technology, the concept of integrated design has been introduced and deeply involved in the research of body design. In this paper, by analyzing the structural characteristics of the electric vehicle body, we designed a body in white with the additive manufacturing process, and analyzed its mechanical properties through finite element method. According to the structural characteristics of the body, the integrated structure was modeled in three dimensions using CATIA. For the mechanical properties of the body, the strength and stiffness of the body structure were simulated and analyzed based on ANSYS Workbench. The results show that for the strength of the body, the maximum stress of the simulation results was compared with the permissible stress, and the maximum stress was calculated to be less than the permissible stress under each working condition. For the body stiffness, the displacement of the body deformation was used to measure, and

Xu, Cheng, Zhang, Ming, Wang, Tao, Zhang, Tang-yun, Cao, Can, Wang, Liangmo

Simulating the DrivAer Notchback Car Model using Wall-Function LES

2025-01-8777

04/01/2025

This paper summarizes work on the application of a new and fully parallelized native GPU-based finite-volume solver on the DrivAER Notchback configuration using a wall-function LES approach. A series of meshes generated using a Rapid-Octree strategy have been investigated, and results for drag, surface pressure coefficient and velocity profile are compared with available experimental data.

Menter, Florian, Dalvi, Ashwini, Flad, David, Sharkey, Patrick

Research and Structural Optimization of Lattice Core based on Monocoque of Formula Student Racing Car

2025-01-8003

04/01/2025

Monocoque is a kind of integrated shell structure technology, which has gradually become the primary choice for various racing teams to make car bodies because of its advantages of small specific gravity and high specific strength. The unit of the monocoque is a carbon fiber composite sandwich structure, which is composed of two layers of carbon fiber skin inside and outside and core material between them. The inner and outer layers of the carbon fiber skin are stacked with carbon fiber composite materials of different directions and types.In this project, we plan to optimize the shape of the monocoque shell using the surface design software Alias, select core materials of different materials and structures, more advanced layups, and obtain feasible layup sequences and core material types through Ansys simulation and Matlab collaborative optimization, which will be verified by three-point bending experiments. Different from the previous lightweight work based a lot on experience, this

Cheng, Zhu H., Liu, JJ

Validation of the Use of Quasistatic Force Deformation Measurements for Determining Collision Force in Low-Speed Override/Underride Collisions

2025-01-5018

03/21/2025

The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of quasistatic force deformation (QSFD) data to represent the collision forces in low-speed collinear collisions when there is damage to vehicle body structures as well as the bumpers. In this study five full-scale underride/override crash tests were performed and simulated with QSFD data. In each crash test a bumper or a trailer underride guard on a bullet vehicle overrode the rear or front bumper of a target vehicle and damaged structures above the bumper of the target vehicle. A QSFD measurement was performed substantially similar to the vehicle interactions in the crash using a complete exemplar target vehicle that was rigidly attached to the earth. The output of a QSFD measurement is force deflection data for the vehicle pair. Each crash test was simulated using the QSFD data, the weights of the test vehicles, the closing speed of the test vehicles, and the restitution measured in the crash test. The output of a simulation was

Gall, Jessica, Scott, William R., Bonugli, Enrique, Watson, Richard A., Fischer, Patrick

Background Filtering and Target Detection for Traffic Objects with Roadside LiDAR Point Cloud Data

2025-01-7193

03/19/2025

Roadside perception technology is an essential component of traffic perception technology, primarily relying on various high-performance sensors. Among these, LiDAR stands out as one of the most effective sensors due to its high precision and wide detection range, offering extensive application prospects. This study proposes a voxel density-nearest neighbor background filtering method for roadside LiDAR point cloud data. Firstly, based on the relatively fixed nature of roadside background point clouds, a point cloud filtering method combining voxel density and nearest neighbor is proposed. This method involves voxelizing the point cloud data and using voxel grid density to filter background point clouds, then the results are processed through a neighbor point frame sequence to calculate the average distance of the specified points and compare with a distance threshold to complete accurate background filtering. Secondly, a VGG16-Pointpillars model is proposed, incorporating a CNN

Liu, Zhiyuan, Rui, Yikang

Classification of Pavement Distress Images Using Fusion Convolutional Neural Network of Dual Branch

2025-01-7131

02/21/2025

In recent years, the issue of highway maintenance has become increasingly prominent. How to precisely detect and classify fine cracks and various types of pavement defects on highways through technical means is an essential foundation for achieving intelligent road maintenance. This paper first constructs the DenseNet201-PDC and MobileNetV2-PDC sub-classification networks that incorporate the three-channel attention judgment mechanism MCA. Secondly, based on the principle of parallel connection, a brand-new dual-branch fusion convolutional neural network DBF-PDC capable of classifying pavement defects in highway scenarios is proposed. Finally, this paper builds the Pavement Distress Datasets of Southeast University and conducts relevant ablation experiments. The experimental results demonstrate that both the attention mechanism module and the feature fusion strategy can significantly enhance the network's ability to classify pavement defects in highway scenarios. The average

Zhang, Ziyi, Zhao, Chihang, Shao, Yongjun, Wang, Junjun

Thermal Buckling Analysis of Axially Layered Aluminium Silicon Nitride Functionally Graded Thin Beam using Taguchi Method

2025-28-0172

02/07/2025

This research examines the thermal instability of slender beams composed of functionally graded materials (FGMs), with a specific focus on their suitability for engine hood components. The FGM combines the durability of aluminum with the heat tolerance of silicon nitride. The study aims to determine the maximum temperature the beam can withstand without buckling under various support conditions, simulating the uneven heat distribution experienced by engine hoods in actual use. The FGM structure comprises four longitudinally arranged layers, where the ceramic and metallic components gradually shift across the thickness. Finite element modeling software (ANSYS) is utilized to examine the buckling response under diverse temperature conditions. To enhance the thermal performance of the engine hood panel, the Taguchi L9 orthogonal array methodology is employed utilizing Minitab 19 software. The first four layers of the FGM beam are defined as process variables, while the critical buckling

Pawale, Deepak, Bhaskara Rao, Lokavarapu

Structural Analysis of Two-Wheeler Handlebars under Varied Loads

2025-28-0053

02/07/2025

This study presents a comprehensive structural analysis of a two-wheeler handlebar subjected to various loading conditions, aiming to evaluate its strength, durability, and safety. During operation, two-wheelers encounter multiple forces, making the handlebar a critical component for rider control and safety. The analysis begins by investigating the different types of loads experienced during typical riding scenarios, including static loads when the bike is stationary, and dynamic loads arising from rider movements, braking, and handling. The primary objective is to understand how these loads impact the handlebar's structural integrity. To achieve this, critical load cases are identified and categorized. Braking loads, which apply force primarily in the forward direction due to deceleration, are examined. Manhandling loads are analyzed to understand the multidirectional forces acting on the handlebar during transportation and parking. Additionally, vertical loads are assessed

Prajapati, Akash, Rathore, Avijit Singh, Bhaskara Rao, Lokavarapu

Optimized Design and Analysis of a High-Performance, Track-Focused Quad Bike for the Indian Market

2025-28-0061

02/07/2025

This paper presents a complete approach to the optimized design and analysis of a trach-focused quad bike suitable for the Indian market. The process of design integrates several analytical factors, including driver ergonomics, aesthetics, and strategic component placement, to establish optimum vehicle dimensions. The primary objective is to address the unique demands of the Indian terrain and user preferences through ensure comfort, functionality, and visual appeal. The selection process for tires and suspension geometry is precisely conducted with the advanced OptimumKinematics software. This optimization provides greater performance and stability that the vehicle can accurately manage a variety of road conditions. The space frame chassis of a vehicle’s core structure features, engineered to minimalize tubing and facilitate ease of fabrication, contributing to both structural integrity and weight reduction. A robust 600cc four-cylinder engine is selected that emphasizing an optimal

Thanikonda, Praveen Kumar, Shaik, Amjad, Tappa, Raju, Ratlavath, Ramu, Navar, Adarsh, Challa, Ajith Kumar

Thermal Buckling Analysis of Axially Layered Aluminium Zirconia Functionally Graded Beam

2025-28-0120

02/07/2025

This study investigates the thermal buckling behavior of axially layered functionally graded material (FGM) thin beams with potential applications in automotive structures. The FGM beam is constructed from four axially stratified sections, with the proportional amount of metal and ceramic fluctuating through the thickness. The buckling analysis is carried out for three different support configurations: clamped-clamped, simply supported-simply supported, and clamped-simply supported. The primary objective is to identify the optimal thermal buckling temperature of the FGM thin beam using the Taguchi optimization method. Beam arrangements are established using a Taguchi L9 orthogonal array and analyzed using finite element software (ANSYS). Layers 1-4 of the axially layered beam are considered process parameters, while the thermal buckling temperature is the response parameter. Minitab software performs an Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) with a 95% confidence level to identify the most

Pawale, Deepak, Bhaskara Rao, Lokavarapu

Analysis and Refinement of Road Boom Noise in Electric Vehicle

2025-28-0057

02/07/2025

Customers are expecting higher level of refinement in electric vehicle. Since the background noise is less in electric vehicle in comparison with ICE, it is challenging for NVH engineers to address even minor noise concerns without cost and mass addition. Higher boom noise is perceived in the test vehicle when driven on the coarse road at a speed of 50 kmph. The test vehicle is rear wheel driven vehicle powered by electric motor. Multi reference Transfer Path Analysis (TPA) is conducted on the vehicle to identify the path through which maximum forces are entering the body. Based on the findings from TPA, solutions like reduction in the dynamic stiffness of the suspension bushes are optimized which resulted in reduction of noise. To reduce the noise further, Operational Deflection Shape (ODS) analysis is conducted on the entire vehicle to identify the deflection shapes of all the suspension components and all the body panels like floor, roof, tailgate, dash panel, quarter panel and

S, Nataraja Moorthy, Rao, Manchi Venkateswara, Raghavendran, Prasath, Selvam, Ebinezer

Forced Vibration Analysis of Cracked Functionally Graded Beams

2025-28-0169

02/07/2025

This study investigates the forced vibration characteristics of a functionally graded material (FGM) beam possessing a square cross-section and featuring a V-shaped crack. The FGM beam exhibits a gradual transition in mechanical composition from a ceramic to a metallic surface. Employing finite element analysis software, a comprehensive numerical analysis is conducted to evaluate the frequencies and mode shapes of the cracked FGM beam under simply supported boundary conditions. The study meticulously explores the effects of various crack parameters, including crack opening width, depth, and location. The findings highlight the significant influence of the crack opening width on the frequencies, indicating that wider cracks result in decreased frequencies across all mode shapes. Conversely, the impact of crack depth and location on the dynamic behavior of the cracked FGM beam within the studied ranges appears relatively minor. These insights offer valuable perspectives into the

D, Manish, C V, Prasshanth, N, Suhas, Bhaskara Rao, Lokavarapu

Numerical Study of Aerodynamic Flow and the Effects of Spoiler Wings on a Formula Student Race Car

2024-01-5247

01/28/2025

Current work details the preliminary CFD analysis performed on custom-built race car by Team Sakthi Racing team as part of Formula SAE competition using OpenFOAM. The body of the race car is designed in compliance with FSAE regulations, OpenFOAM utilities and solvers are used to generate volumetric mesh and perform CFD analysis. Formula student tracks are typically designed with numerous sharp turns and a few long straights to maintain low speeds for safety. In order to enhance the cars’ performance in sharp turns, the race car should be equipped with aerodynamic devices like nose cone and wings on both the rear and front ends within the confines of the formula student racing rules. Thus, efficient aerodynamic design is highly critical to maximizing tire grip by ensuring consistent contact with the track, reducing the risk of skidding, and maintaining control, especially during high-speed maneuvers. In this work, the performance and behavior of the race car, both with and without the

Rangarajan, Kishore, Pushpananthan, Blesscin, Anumolu, Lakshman, Selvakumar, Kumaresh, Jayakumar, Shyam Sundar

Methodology to Obtain the Operation Reaction Loads in Automotive Fuel Filler Door

2024-36-0107

12/20/2024

During the development phase of any product, it is crucial to ensure functionality and durability throughout their whole lifecycle. Physical tests have been traditionally used as the main tool to evaluate the durability of a product, especially in the automotive industry. And the evolution of computational methods combined with the Engineering Fundamentals allowed Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) simulations to predict failures in considering different conditions without building a prototype to perform a test. The use of virtual product validation using CAE simulations leads to product design flexibility on early development phase and both development costs and time reduction. This paper presents a methodology for computing the operation reaction loads in an automotive fuel filler door, which is an input needed to virtually validate the subsystem in terms of durability. The methodology is based on rigid body motion assumptions and the result shows good accuracy when comparing the

Pereira, Rômulo Franco, Espinosa-Aguilar, Jonathan, Silva, Lucas, Sarmento, Alisson, Chou, Chun Heng

Influence of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Transition Process to Electronic Ticketing in Public Transport: A Case Study in a Brazilian City

2024-36-0020

12/20/2024

The COVID-19 pandemic has reshaped public transportation dynamics globally, prompting shifts in passenger behavior and payment methods. Concurrently, the rise of fintech and Industry 4.0 has accelerated the adoption of digital payment solutions, aligning with the trend towards cashless societies. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the transition from cash to card payments for public transport fares in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Leveraging data from the city's transparency portal, analyses were conducted on passenger numbers, payment methods, and card usage from November 2019 to November 2021. Findings reveal a steady usage of card payments compared to cash, with a notable increase in individual ticket card transactions post-vaccination. Conversely, employer-provided transportation voucher card usage experienced a decline. These trends suggest a preference among users for card-based payments, potentially driven by concerns over direct cash handling and adherence to

Rodrigues, Cádmo, Santos Júnior, Wagner

Loss Function Curve to Quantify Customer (Dis)Satisfaction for Rear Opening Width Lower for Notch Back Vehicle

2024-36-0051

12/20/2024

During the early phase of vehicle development, one of the key design attributes to consider is the trunk. Trunk is the pillar that is responsible for user’s accommodate their baggage and make into customer needs in engineer metrics. Therefore, it is one of the key requirements to be considered during the vehicle design. Certain internal vehicle trunk characteristics such as the trunk height and length are engineer metrics that influence the occupants’ perception for trunk. One specific characteristic influencing satisfaction is the rear opening width lower for notch back segment, which is the subject of this paper. The objective of this project is to analyze the relationship between the rear opening width lower with the occupant’s satisfaction under real world driving conditions, based on research, statistical data analysis and dynamic clinics.

Santos, Alex Cardoso, Silva, Gustavo, Genaro, Piero, Terra, Rafael, Pádua, Antônio, Benevente, Rodrigo, Lourenço, Sergio

Dynamic SLAM with Real-Time Semantic Segmentation and Inter-Frame and Multi-Frame Motion Feature Detection

2024-01-7042

12/13/2024

Traditional Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) methods often assume static environments. This limitation can lead to inaccurate localization or even the loss of tracking in dynamic scenes. To address this issue, we propose a novel SLAM approach specifically designed for dynamic environments. Our method integrates the real-time image semantic segmentation network BisenetV2 with inter-frame and continuous multi-frame motion feature detection. Firstly, semantic segmentation is applied to render the semantic mask, which is then used by the inter-frame motion detection module to identify potential motion features. Subsequently, these suspected motion features are evaluated by a likelihood probability model across consecutive frames. Finally, points with a high probability of motion are monitored in real-time by the Luenberger observer, which filters out motion features and re-adds static ones. Our experiments demonstrate that semantic segmentation can meet real-time requirements

Qin, Xiaohui, Gao, Chengyu, Huang, Shengjie, Zeng, Conglei, Zhou, Yunshui

Effect of Combined Addition of Aluminium Titanium Carbide and Sodium on Aluminium Alloy

2024-01-5239

12/10/2024

The grain refinement of aluminium alloy has the potential for various engineering utilization like automotive, marine, and aviation. Besides, the choice of grain refinement influences better performance and compatibility action. Aluminium alloy processed with zirconium grain refinement, high cost and risk of grain coarsening reasons, this research focused on Ti-C grain refinement with sodium modifier for T6 processing by aluminium alloy (AA6013) made by stir cast route. Impacts of Ti-C grain refinement with sodium modifier T6 processing on microstructural behaviour, hardness, and tensile performance are investigated, and the hardness and tensile are followed by ASTM E384 and ASTM E8 standards. The AA6013-T6 (1:1 Ti/C) with 0.15Na is found to have better grain refinement and found the TiC particle during the casting process, which leads to better enhancement of overall mechanical behaviour. The hardness, ultimate tensile, elongation percentage, and Young's modulus of AA6013-T6 (1:1 Ti/C

Venkatesh, R., Manivannan, S., Daniel Das, A., Mohanavel, Vinayagam, Soudagar, Manzoore Elahi Mohammad

Study of Functional Behaviour of Cast Magnesium Alloy with Zirconium Addition

2024-01-5206

12/10/2024

Magnesium is the lightest material than aluminium and has a better specific strength, which is utilized for weight management applications. This research developed the magnesium (Mg) matrix with 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.5 percentages in weight (wt%) of zirconium (Zr) particles (grain refinement agent) via the squeeze cast technique. The argon inert gas is limit oxidation during the melting of Mg. The influence of Zr on the functional properties of Mg is studied and related to monolithic Mg without the Zr phase. The microstructural analysis provides the Zr particles are dispersed uniformly in the Mg matrix and exposed to superior mechanical properties. The Mg processed with 0.5 wt% of Zr offered maximum hardness, ultimate tensile strength, and elongation percentage, which are 53, 48.8, and 43.5 % better than the values of monolithic Mg. Besides, the optimum Mg refining with 0.5 wt% Zr microstructure is detailed with EDS and conforms to the contribution of Zr. This is used for automotive

Venkatesh, R., Manivannan, S., Das, A. Daniel, Mohanavel, Vinayagam, Soudagar, Manzoore Elahi Mohammad

Characteristics of Magnesium Composite Reinforced with Silicon Carbide and Boron Nitride via Liquid Stir Processing

2024-01-5237

12/10/2024

The present aim of the investigation is to prepare and evaluate the excellence of boron nitride (BN) and silicon carbide nanoparticles on characteristics of magnesium alloy (AZ91D) hybrid nanocomposite. This constitution of AZ91D alloy hybrid nanocomposite is made through the liquid state processing route, which helps to improve the spread of particles in the AZ91D matrix. The impact of BN and SiC on microstructural and mechanical properties like tensile strength, hardness, and impact strength of AZ91D alloy composites are studied, and its investigational results are compared. Besides, microstructural studies have revealed that the structure of composite is found to have better BN and SiC particle dispersion and uniformity. The 5 percentage in weight (wt%) of BN and 5 wt% of SiC facilitated better tensile strength (183 MPa), hardness (85HV), and impact strength (21.4J/mm2) behaviour, which are 26, 30, and 35% better than the monolithic AZ91D alloy. This AZ91D/5wt% BN and 5wt% SiC

Venkatesh, R., Kaliyaperumal, Gopal, Manivannan, S., Karthikeyan, S., Mohanavel, Vinayagam, Soudagar, Manzoore Elahi Mohammad, Karthikeyan, N.

Comprehend Dynamic Behaviour of Vehicle Body for Refined NVH Performance

2024-28-0265

12/05/2024

Modal performance of a vehicle body often influences tactile vibrations felt by passengers as well as their acoustic comfort inside the cabin at low frequencies. This paper focuses on a premium hatchback’s development program where a design-intent initial batch of proto-cars were found to meet their targeted NVH performance. However, tactile vibrations in pre-production pilot batch vehicles were found to be of higher intensity. As a resolution, a method of cascading full vehicle level performance to its Body-In-White (BIW) component level was used to understand dynamic behavior of the vehicle and subsequently, to improve structural weakness of the body to achieve the targeted NVH performance. The cascaded modal performance indicated that global bending stiffness of the pre-production bodies was on the lower side w.r.t. that of the design intent body. To identify the root cause, design sensitivity of number and footprint of weld spots, roof bows’ and headers’ attachment stiffness to BIW

Titave, Uttam Vasant, Zalaki, Nitin, Naidu, Sudhakara

A Study on Powertrain Modes for Optimizing the NVH Performance

2024-28-0187

12/05/2024

The stiffness and positioning of engine mounts are crucial in determining the powertrain rigid body modes and kinetic energy distribution. Therefore, optimizing these mounts is essential in the automotive industry to separate the torque roll axis (TRA) and minimize vibration. This study aims to enhance mount locations by isolating the engine rigid body modes and predicting the inter-component force (ICF) and transfer function of the vehicle. The individual ICFs for engine mountings are calculated by applying a unit force at the bearing location. Critical frequencies are identified where the amplification exceeds the unit force at the mounting interface between the engine and the frame. The transfer function approach is utilized to assess the vibration at the handlebar. Both ICF and transfer functions analyze the source and path characteristics linked to critical response frequencies. This understanding aids in enhancing mounting positions to minimize vibration levels, thereby enhancing

Jha, Niraj Kumar, Yeezaku, Antony Neomin, Victor, Priyanka Esther, Krishnamurthy, Govindasamy

Influence of Discrete Load Cases on Optimization of Chain Guide Design of Crawler Dozers under Various Ground Conditions

2024-28-0270

12/05/2024

The undercarriage is a critical component in machines such as crawlers, excavators, and compact track loaders. It includes vital elements such as the track frame, chain guides, rollers, track chains, idlers, carrier rollers, final drive, and sprockets. Among all these machines, crawler dozers encounter harsh environments with various ground conditions. During operations, the chains are subjected to traverse and side loads, which cause the chains to tend to slip out of the bottom rollers. The chain guide plays a crucial role in assisting and maintaining the chain in the correct position. The forces acting on chain guides are influenced by factors such as track chain tension, roller wear, chain link wear, and counter-rotation (where one track moves forward while the other moves in reverse). Among all the load cases, there are two critical load cases which are vital to be studied in order to determine the required number of chain guides along with other attributes like profile or section

Masane, Nishant, Bhosale, Dhanaji, Sarma, Neelam K

Impact on FEAD Dynamic Performance of Mild Hybrid Engine with Increase in Engine Torque

2024-28-0204

12/05/2024

Front End Accessory Drive (FEAD) systems are used in automobiles to transfer power from the engine-to-engine accessory components such as the alternator, water pump, etc. using a Belt and Tensioner. The emergence of Mild hybrid technologies has led to the replacement of alternator with Belt-driven Integrated Starter-generator (B-ISG). In conventional configuration of FEAD, the power transfer is in single direction but in mild hybrid engine power transfer is bidirectional: tight and slack side of the Belt changes as per Torque assist or Regeneration mode. The presence of an integrated starter-generator (ISG) in a belt transmission places excessive strain on the FEAD System and necessitates checking the dynamic performance of FEAD System thoroughly. Study of Increase in Engine Torque in existing Vehicle was done to understand its effect on various system. This vehicle is Mild Hybrid and consists of Belt-driven Integrated Starter generator system. Increase in Engine torque lead to

Kumar, Aditya, Gupta, Avinash, Bharti, Anil Kant

Comparative Analysis of BIW Subassembly Simulation Techniques AutoForm vs LS-DYNA

2024-28-0169

12/05/2024

Assembly simulation plays a pivotal role in predicting and optimizing the distortion of an assembly, particularly in the automotive industry where precision and efficiency are paramount. In BIW parts assembly, factors such as clamping, mechanical & thermal joining, and loading direction are important. These factors affect the quality of the final assembly. Predicting and optimizing these parameters in the early design stage can help reduce development time, cost and improve the quality of the final product. Currently, LS-DYNA is used for closures like doors, hoods, and fenders. However, the pre-processing, computation and post-processing time is significantly high in LS-DYNA making it challenging to use for the Entire BIW. Employing a comprehensive approach, authors assess the distortion results, preprocessing, calculation, and post-processing time of both simulation techniques. Notably, the study reveals that AutoForm offers over 50%-time savings across all stages compared to LS-DYNA

Talawar, Vaishnavchandan, Nalam, Swaroop Raju, Dhanajkar, Narendra, Kumar, Ajay, Pasupathy, Vivekanand, Chava, Seshadri

3D-Printed Reactor Core Makes Solar Fuel Production More Efficient

TBMG-52193

12/01/2024

In recent years, engineers at ETH Zurich have developed the technology to produce liquid fuels from sunlight and air. In 2019, they demonstrated the entire thermochemical process chain under real conditions for the first time, in the middle of Zurich, on the roof of ETH Machine Laboratory. These synthetic solar fuels are carbon neutral because they release only as much CO2 during their combustion as was drawn from the air for their production. Two ETH spin-offs, Climeworks and Synhelion, are further developing and commercializing the technologies.

Computational Modeling of Aerodynamic Design Trends for a Production SUV Subjected to Incremental Design Changes: Roof Spoiler and Underbody Geometry

15-18-01-0006

11/21/2024

In this work, we evaluated computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods for predicting the design trends in flow around a mass-production luxury sport utility vehicle (SUV) subjected to incremental design changes via spoiler and underbody combinations. We compared Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) using several turbulence models and a delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES) to experimental measurements from a 40% scale wind tunnel test model at matched full-scale Reynolds number. Regardless of turbulence model, RANS was unable to consistently reproduce the design trends in drag from wind tunnel data. This inability of RANS to reproduce the drag trends stemmed from inaccurate base pressure predictions for each vehicle configuration brought on by highly separated flow within the vehicle wake. When taking A-B design trends, many of these errors compounded together to form design trends that did not reflect those measured in experiments. On the other hand, DDES proved to be more

Aultman, Matthew, Disotell, Kevin, Duan, Lian, Metka, Matthew

A Comparative Study on Autonomous Vehicle Local Path Planning Through Model Predictive Control and Frenet Frame Method

12-07-04-0029

10/07/2024

In recent years, autonomous vehicles (AVs) have been receiving increasing attention from investors, automakers, and academia due to the envisioned potentials of AVs in enhancing safety, reducing emissions, and improving comfort. The crucial task in AV development boils down to perception and navigation. The research is underway, in both academia and industry, to improve AV’s perception and navigation and reduce the underlying computation and costs. This article proposes a model predictive control (MPC)-based local path-planning method in the Cartesian framework to overcome the long computation time and lack of smoothness of the Frenet method. A new equation is proposed in the MPC cost function to improve the safety in path planning. In this regard, an AV is built based on a 2015 Nissan Leaf S by modifying the drive-by-wire function and installing environment perception sensors and computation units. The custom-made AV then collected data in Norman, Oklahoma, and assisted in the

Arjmandzadeh, Ziba, Abbasi, Mohammad Hossein, Wang, Hanchen, Zhang, Jiangfeng, Xu , Bin

A New System for Shape and Contact Detection of Continuum Robots

TBMG-51711

10/01/2024

In nature, many organisms like octopuses with their flexible tentacles or elephants with their trunks, exhibit remarkable dexterity. Inspired by these natural structures, researchers aim to develop highly flexible continuum robots that offer robustness and safety. Ideally, a continuum robot is characterized by many degrees of freedom (DOFs) and the number of joints, more than needed for most tasks. These characteristics allow them to adjust and modify their shape dynamically, enabling them to avoid obstacles and unexpected situations. However, their complex movements make it difficult to characterize their shape and motion.

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