Browse Topic: Vehicle body pillars
In the stringent market of BEV, the development of integrated Drive Modules (iDM) fitting environmental and customer needs is mandatory. It is important to extract the best from the less. To achieve those goals, a deep insight into complex multiphysics phenomena occurring in an iDM has been achieved by accurate and validated models. This engineering methodology is applied through the development of BorgWarner products, comprising non-exhaustively iDM 180-HF, Externally Excited Synchronous Machine and Multi-Level Inverter. The paper will review the methodology development for deeper understanding involving in-house technical excellence and complemented by strategic partnerships with academic institutions and start-ups. It will present the approach of integrating advanced multiphysics models with high-quality experimental validations, specifically on loss evaluation on electrical machines and inverters. Complex models involving multiphysics such as thermal/fluid coupling or electric-magnetic-mechanical behaviors are usually difficult to optimize separately since their objectives are often contradictory. Thus, BorgWarner PDS Engineering uses tools involving close coupling to optimize iDM products. The lecture will focus on innovation and optimization which are supported by several key pillars in the scope of a Next Generation iDM development. These are based on the following strategic levers such as process and design development, material development and control strategy among others. This ensures tailoring all components at the best of their capabilities to reduce their weight and maximize their use. Finally, the results achieved by the high-fidelity model-based optimization on the selected example will be presented (e.g., impact of the cooling improvement on overall iDM performances), demonstrating the benefit of capturing the system from granular view to a helicopter view in the design phase of next generation eDrives.
Commercial success of the autonomous truck may be closer than we think. The last half decade has brought the best of times and worst of times for the commercial autonomous truck sector. While some perceived pillars of this technology have fallen, others have continued to carry the weight of bringing driverless trucks closer to commercialization. Consolidation was inevitable given the volume of speculative investment that brought a tidal wave of capital to various startups. Even so, some industry experts and Wall Street investors wondered if the autonomous truck sector might collapse entirely.
In vehicle development, occupant-centered design is crucial to ensuring customer satisfaction. Key factors such as visibility, access, interior roominess, driver ergonomics, interior storage and trunk space directly impact the daily experience of vehicle occupants. While automakers rely on engineering metrics to guide architectural decisions, however in some cases doesn’t exist a clear correlation between these quantitative parameters and the subjective satisfaction of end users. This study develops a methodology which addresses that gap by proposing the creation of quantitative satisfaction curves for critical engineering metrics, providing a robust tool to support decision-making during the early stages of vehicle design. Through a combination of clinics, research, and statistical analysis, this project outlines a step-by-step process for developing (dis)satisfaction curves, offering a clearer understanding of how dimensions like headroom, glove box volume, and A-pillar obscuration influence occupant perception. This project highlights the importance of aligning engineering targets with human-centered insights, enabling the delivery of more comfortable, user-focused vehicles. Ultimately, this research contributes to the development of a systematic approach for integrating subjective feedback into objective design criteria, enhancing overall product quality and customer satisfaction.
Safety improvements in vehicle crashworthiness remain a primary concern for automotive manufacturers due to the increasing complexity of traffic and the rising number of vehicles on roads globally. Enhancing structural integrity and energy absorption capabilities during collisions is paramount for passenger protection. In this context, longitudinal rails play a critical role in vehicle crashworthiness, particularly in mitigating the effects of rear collisions. This study evaluates the structural performance of a rear longitudinal rail extender, characterized by a U-shaped, asymmetric cross-section, subjected to rear-impact scenarios. Seventy-two finite-element models were systematically developed from a baseline configuration, exploring variations in material yield conditions, sheet thickness, and targeted geometric modifications, including deformation initiators at three distinct positions or maintaining the original geometry. Each model was simulated according to ECE R32 regulation standards, ensuring validity and compliance with relevant safety criteria. Specific energy absorption (SEA), load uniformity, and structural acceleration were used as key measures of crashworthiness. Simulation outcomes indicated that reductions in thickness significantly increased SEA due to enhanced deformability. Thinner configurations demonstrated greater energy absorption and improved load uniformity, whereas thicker components increased structural rigidity, resulting in decreased energy absorption and higher accelerations transmitted to the vehicle’s B-pillar. Material properties had moderate influence, with higher-strength materials elevating accelerations. Geometric modifications, particularly deformation initiators at specific positions, substantially improved SEA, achieving enhancements up to 42% compared to baseline. These findings highlight the potential of strategic adjustments in geometry, material selection, and thickness to significantly enhance vehicle crashworthiness and occupant safety.
To address the growing concern of increasing noise levels in urban areas, modern automotive vehicles need improved engineering solutions. The need for automotive vehicles to have a low acoustic signature is further emphasized by local regulatory requirements, such as the EU's regulation 540/2014, which sets sound level limits for commercial vehicles at 82 dB(A). Moreover, external noise can propagate inside the cabin, reducing the overall comfort of the driver, which can have adverse impact on the driving behavior, making it imperative to mitigate the high noise levels. This study explores the phenomenon of change in acoustic behavior of external tonal noise with minor geometrical changes to the A-pillar turning vane (APTV), identified as the source for the tonal noise generation. An incompressible transient approach with one way coupled Acoustics Wave solver was evaluated, for both the baseline and variant geometries. Comparison of CFD results between baseline and variant showed spectral broadening of critical tone in variant case. Impact of various other simulation parameters like turbulence intensity, turbulence length scale, time-step size and sampling time, on the critical tonal frequency, was also evaluated. Reduction in time step had a significant impact on the acoustic behavior of the APTVs due to spectral broadening & reduction of tonality. Whereas turbulence intensity is observed to have a significant effect on the frequency of the critical tone, the effect of other simulation parameters was not significant. Coherent vortex shedding from the APTV is identified to be the underlying source of the noise, exhibiting a dipole acoustic behavior. Geometric modification to the leading edge of the APTV is observed to reduce the tonal amplitude due to reduced coherence of vortex shedding and weak vortex core. The current method is able to predict the change in acoustic behavior due to geometric modifications for a particular yaw angle, further studies are ongoing to improve accuracy for full yaw sweep.
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. This paper describes the development journey of the car, from initial phases extensively exploiting simulation through to testing pre-production prototype vehicles in both FKFS Aeroacoustic and Thermal Wind Tunnels.
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.
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, panel gages, body pillars joints’ attachment stiffness etc. was conducted using CAE tools. Identified structural weaknesses were converted into optimum design solutions, which were then validated using Experimental Modal Analysis (EMA). The proposed structural modifications in the body showed good improvement in the idle tactile vibrations and overall NVH of all production vehicles, validating the whole approach.
In the early stages of vehicle development, it is critical to establish performance goals for the major systems. The fundamental modes of body and chassis frames are typically assessed using FE models that are discretized using shell elements. However, the use of the shell-based FE method is problematic in terms of fast analysis and quick decision-making, especially during the concept phase of a vehicle design because it takes much time and effort for detailed modeling. To overcome this weakness, a one-dimensional (1D) method based on beam elements has been extensively studied over several decades, but it was not successful because of low accuracy for thin-walled beam structures. This investigation proposes a 1D method based on thin-walled beam theory with comparable accuracy to shell models. Most body pillars and chassis frame members are composed of thin-walled beam structures because of the high stiffness-to-mass ratio of thin-walled cross sections. However, thin-walled cross-sections are also vulnerable to sectional deformations in out-of-plane and in-plane directions, called warping and distortion, respectively. The proposed higher-order beam elements employ these sectional deformations as additional degrees of freedom. The validity of the proposed method is verified by solving the frame and body structures of a vehicle, whose results are compared with those of shell models. Furthermore, we develop a pre/post-processing program for higher-order beam analysis. Through this program, we can save significant time and effort in not only building higher-order beam models but also conducting sensitivity analysis for various variations.
Blind spots created by the driver-side B-pillar impair the ability of the driver to assess their surroundings accurately, significantly contributing to the frequency and severity of vehicular accidents. Vehicle manufacturers cannot readily eliminate the B-pillar due to regulatory guidelines intended to protect vehicular occupants in the event of side collisions and rollover incidents. Furthermore, assistance implements utilized to counteract the adverse effects of blind spots remain ineffective due to technological limitations and optical impediments. This paper introduces mechanisms to quantify the obstruction caused by the B-pillar when the head of the driver is facing forward and turning 90°, typical of an over-the-shoulder blind spot check. It uses the metrics developed to demonstrate the relationship between B-pillar width and the obstruction angle. The paper then creates a methodology to determine the movement required of the driver to eliminate blind spots. Ultimately, this paper proposes a solution, the Blind Spot Eliminator, and demonstrates that it successfully decreases both the obstruction angle and, consequently, the required driver movement. The Blind Spot Eliminator is a lens on the rear-most section of the left driver’s side window that utilizes refraction to display objects in the surrounding areas. A prototype of the Blind Spot Eliminator was constructed and experimented with using a mannequin to model human vision in a typical passenger vehicle. The results of this experiment illustrated a substantial improvement in viewing ability, as predicted by earlier calculations. This paper concludes that the proposed Blind Spot Eliminator has excellent potential to improve driver safety and reduce vehicular accidents.
Contemporary power boxes (or feeder pillars, as they are known outside of the U.S.) are mounted in the street and control the electrical supply to dwellings within a neighborhood. As residents increasingly prioritize the aesthetic and continue to place a high value on urban living, there is a need for less conspicuous power boxes.
In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Jing-Yau Chung along with Joseph Pope published several external General Motors reports on the then novel measurement of sound intensity (SI) using the two-microphone, cross-spectral method. Application of this measurement method was then extended to sound intensity measurements in flow. Through component wind tunnel measurements, it was determined that the intensity of noise sources could be accurately measured up to a level of 15 dB below the sound pressure level generated by flow noise on microphones. An initial application of this method was to the identification of noise sources alongside rolling truck tires. It was then extended to the measurement of the aerodynamic noise generated by protrusions added to automotive vehicle designs. These included items such as outside rearview mirrors, windshield wipers, A-pillar offsets, grille whistles, roof racks, underbodies, and fixed-mast radio antennas. Many of these could be applied on the early full-size clay models or other mock-ups as well as actual vehicles. An application of sound intensity was the development of the straked antenna design leading to a GM Defensive Patent and its now universal application to virtually all vehicles with simple fixed-mast antennas. The development of this design is highlighted along with the background on the application of sound intensity to measurements in air flow.
In this article, the method based on the combination of the acoustic perturbation equations and the statistical energy analysis has been used to simulate and optimize the interior aerodynamic noise of a large sport utility vehicle model. The reliability of the method was verified by comparing the analysis results with the wind tunnel test. Influenced by the main noise sources such as A-pillar, exterior rearview mirror, and front sidewindow, the wind noise of the model was significantly greater than that of the same class. To improve the wind noise performance, the side mirror was optimized with the method, including the minimum distance between the rearview mirror and the triangle trim cover, the angle between the rearview mirror and the front sidewindow, and the shell groove of the rearview mirror. The simulation results show that the overall sound pressure level in the car decreases by 2.12 dBA and the articulation index increases by 4.04% after optimization. The development target of wind noise performance was achieved finally. The research demonstrates that the method combining the acoustic perturbation equations and the statistical energy analysis could be effectively utilized in the design optimization of the exterior shape to improve the wind noise performance of the vehicle during the conceptual design stage of the vehicle development.
To control ice formation on a plane, even when it’s in flight, researchers created a de-icing method that exploits how frost grows on pillar structures to suspend ice as it forms into a layer that’s easier to remove.
This paper deals with vehicle door 120-degree joint rust issue and water leak faced in most of SUV cars. Generally based on vehicle segment its styling curves and exterior design are defined. A Sedan or Hatchback is provided with curves to show its fluidic design but a SUV is provided with Straight lines to show its aggressive look. In existing condition door frame Joint has sharp joints where weld bead is added to prevent rust in joint area, but still improper seating of weather strip on weld bead cause water leak. Door’s A Pillar Frame and Horizontal Frame match at 120 degree joint edges are chamfered straight to match perfectly. Weld bead runs over the matching profile to join it. But weld bead project over the Frame surface and affects weather strip seating & results in poor sealing. Adhesive added for better sealing also follows the same path on bead and create a path way for water entry. Thus in long run this water stagnates and cause chronic rust issues in frame. This in turn results in high claim cost within warranty period. It is serious issue which should be addressed. This paper investigates deeply the process of eradicating the rust issue and water leak issue simultaneously. Edges of frame are provided with forming at 120 Joint matching areas. So that weld bead gets sink into shallow depth without projecting out from the surface. This flattened profile of weld bead on frame surface results in perfect sealing of weather strip. This is how sink weld prevents rust and arrest water entry.
Aesthetics contribute significantly to the customer’s buying decision of an automobile. This is traditionally achieved through painting. Sustainability and cost challenges have led automakers to look at substituting painting through molded-in color polymers in decorative bezels like pillar appliques. These appliques and bezels have a unique mix of material requirements that include color tone, gloss, stiffness, scratch resistance and weathering. Polycarbonates are an interesting class of polymers that has the potential to meet these challenging requirements. This paper reports the work done in evaluating a polycarbonate compound in piano black shade to meet the functional and aesthetic requirements. The results prove that the material can substitute painting thereby resulting in significant cost savings. This is a ready to mold material used in injection molding process. This modified polycarbonate material has been explored for thin wall appliques and bezels with thickness of 2.7 mm. These trims have critical functional requirements such as newness retention, load versus deflection criteria, gap and flush aspects under sun load. Structural durability of the design was validated by virtual engineering. Part design and material combinations with better tooling design iterations were analyzed by using mold flow analysis. Complete product performance was validated for predefined key test metrics such as structural durability, thermal aging, cold impact, scratch resistance and weathering criteria. This part met required specifications. The combination of material, optimized part and tool design led to weight savings, good surface quality, dimensional stability under sun load, grill integration and considerable cost reduction.
This paper aims at providing the scientific community with an overview of the H2020 European project 3beLiEVe and of its early achievements. The project has the objective of delivering the next generation Lithium-Nickel-Manganese-Oxide (LNMO) battery cells, in line with the target performance of the “generation 3b” Li-ion battery technology, as per EU SET-plan Action 7. Its activities are organized in three main pillars: (i) developing the 3b next generation LMNO battery cell, equipped with (ii) an array of internal and external sensors and complemented by (iii) manufacturing and recycling processes at scale. At present, 3beLiEVe is approaching the completion of its first project year (out of a total project planned duration of 42 months). Hence this paper, beyond presenting the overall project’s structure and objectives, focuses on its earliest results in the fields of the cell material formulation, arrangement of sensors and design of the battery pack.
Many research projects are focusing on automated vehicles and reinventing the automotive industry. New technologies are introduced, and the pillars of the ground vehicle are revisited and new challenges appeared. This article focuses on the chassis systems and their control strategies. While assistance strategies use to manage specific operations, autonomous vehicles need to handle simultaneous operations. Optimal solutions for systems coordination are discussed in this article. Robust control synthesis and optimization-based control allocation algorithms are adopted. Results show that the more we get closer to fully autonomous driving where an important number of embedded systems are needed, the more optimal coordination strategies are relevant. These strategies should be considered in the upcoming automotive industrial standards.
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