Body&ChassisDesign

G.N.Kotwal

Contents
Considerations BodyDesign:
BodyStyles sedan,hatchback,stationwagon,SUV,etc. BodyShell BodyComponents:Bumpers,grills,glasses,headlights, etc. Bodyinteriors passengercompartment restraint systems,airbags,Dashboard,trimmings,seats, materials, t i l HVAC. HVAC

ChassisDesign:

VehicleStructureRequirements
Tomaintaintheshapeofthevehicleandtosupportthe variousloadsappliedtoit. Accountsforalargepartofthedevelopmentand manufacturingcostinanewvehicle. Imp.Criteria:strengthandstiffness. Adesignaimstoachievethesewithaslittlemassas possible. StructuralDesigninvolves
Selectionoftype. ProperElementlayoutforcontinuousloadpaths(equilibriumof edgeforcesbetweensimplestructuralsurfaces) SizingofPanels,Sections&Joints.

Strength&Stiffness
SufficientStrengthforallloadcases.(Resistance againstfailure) Stiffness Deflectionswithinelasticlimit. Lowstiffness Lotofvibrations, vibrations Alterationin Geometry.Majoronesnecessary:
BendingStiffness Torsional Stiffness Vibrational Behaviour decidedbystiffness&natural freq.

Body
Madeofsteel steel,aluminum, aluminum fiberglass, fiberglass plastic,orcompositematerials Formstheoutsideofthevehicle Servesasanattractivecoveringforthe chassis h i IntegralwithChassisforLightVehicles(Wt. <3tonnes) p ybuiltforheavy yvehiclesoverthe Separately chassis.

Chassis
Consistsofthevehicle vehicles sframeand everythingattachedtoitexceptthebody Includesthetires, tires wheels wheels,engine, engine transmission,driveaxleassembly,and frame

Frame
Strongmetalstructurethatprovidesamountingplacefor otherpartsofthevehicle BoxorChannelsectionsused. Hasadeepersectioninthecentreareathebendingstressis greatest. Inareaswhereadditionalstrengthisrequired, required (suspension membersattachment),specialstrengtheningsupportsare tted. Body B d overframe/ f /Body B d onchassis h i construction t ti (L (Ladder) dd )
chassispartsandbodybolttotheframe

Unibody y( (unitized) )construction

sheetmetalbodypanelsareweldedtogethertoformthebody andframe Bodypanels linedwithsoundabsorbingmaterialontheinside. Forprotectionagainstrustandcorrosion,theymaybe galvanized,ortreated

Unibody Construction

Theframeisanintegralpartofthebody

BodyoverFrameConstruction

Thebodyboltstoathicksteelframe(Ladder)

CHASSISSTRUCTURES
Stressedbyinternalandexternalloads loads. Externalloads:thewheelgroundinterface, throughthesuspensionanditselastic elements,andfromtheaerodynamics. Internal I lloads l d :massof fthe h vehicle hi l and d payloads(suchaspassengersandbaggage). AlsoDuetothereactionforcesofthepower trainsuspension.

 Chassisstructures:
Canbeseparatedfromthebody,(asinindustrial vehiclesandsomecommercialandoffroad vehicles), ortheycanbeintegrated,asfoundinunitized bodies. bodies Inthiscase,auxiliarystructuresareapplied,to betterdistributelocalloadstothebody, body supporting suspensionmechanisms,engineorpowertrain, transmissionandfinaldrive.

Chassisstructuresinthesethreecasesarealso called,frames,underbodiesandsubframes.

Unitised BodyShell

UNDERBODY
Similartothechassisofanoldcarorindustrialvehicle. vehicle Alsocalledplatform. Modularunderbodiesaredesignedsothat interchangeablesidebeamsandcrossbeamsof differentlengthcanbeassembledtogethertogenerate platformsforthedifferentwheelbasesandtracks producedbycommonfacilities. Theintegratedbeamsperformingthefunctionofthe chassisstructure; thelongitudinalelementsarestillcalledsidebeams, andthecrossbeamscrossthebodyshell. Theshapeofthesebeamsalsoplaysamajorrolein determiningthebehaviorofthebody(deformation, energy gyabsorption p andoccupant p p protection) )inthe eventofacrash.

 Thebodyspaceframe:composedofaladder structurefortheunderbody,andatopframe, belowtheroof roof,connectedbyvertical elements,thepillars. usually, usually thoseaheadofthefrontdoorsare calledApillars,whilethosebehindthefront doorsarecalledBpillars. pillars Cpillarsarethose behindthereardoors.

SUBFRAME
Subframes orauxiliary yframesp performthefollowing gfunctions: tothefrontofthecar,offermountingpointsforsuspensionlower arms,antirollbar,steeringboxandpartofthepowertrain. suspensionsandpowertrainmountsanddistributetheloads tothebodyareamostsuitablefromastructuralstandpoint. Buildasecondarysuspension,whenmountedonthebody withelasticelements, ,abletofiltervibrationsfromthe powertrain andwheels,atfrequenciescriticaltoacoustic comfort. contributetomanage g body ydeformationsintheeventofa crash. Offeranassemblysupporttomanyelementsofthechassis, Theirreduceddimensions,ascomparedwiththedimensions ofthebody,allowbettercontroloftoleranceofthesuspension mounts,withbenefitsfortheirelastokinematicbehavior. connectedtothebody ythrough g twolarge g mounts exible rubberbushing,designedtolter powertrainandwheel vibrations.

BodyShell/SpaceFrame
Imaginedasaspaceframe(allbeamsmakingup theframedonotlieonasingleplane,asin conventional ti lframes) f )with ithmanythin thi panels, l such h aswall,roof,sidesandoor contributingtothe structurethroughtheirshearstiness. ness SideBeams:thelongitudinalintegratedbeams performing p gthefunctionofthechassisstructure. Oer sti mountstosuspensions,powertrain, bumpersandotherchassiscomponents. Beamc/sshape playsamajorroleindetermining thebehavior(deformation,energyabsorptionand occupantprotection)intheeventofacrash.

BodyDesign&Styling
DonebyDesignStudios ByStylists&Engineers First i Design i S Studio di setupi in1927 92 atGM. G

DesignMethod

CrashProtection
Moderncars easiertocrumpleinanaccidentthanheavieroldcars. Oldcarshavepoorcrumplezones,sotheydecelerateextremely rapidlyinacrashandexertanenormousforceonthepassengers. passengers Thatiswhypassengersinanoldcarsufferfrommoreseriousinjuries inatrafficaccident. Crashtestresearchhasshownthatthiscanreduceinjurytothe passenger. Largebumpersofsoftmaterials, materials sothatthefrontandtherear sectionswillcrumpleintoacontrollablesizeduringacrash. The"crumplezones"reducemuchoftheimpactforcebylengthening theimpacttime tomakeacarcrumpleinaprogressivemanner. Thepassengersection betweenthefrontandtherearsectionsofa car. car Verystrongandrigidpassengersectionwhichcanwithstandhigh energyloadinacrash.

PassengerProtection
Inadditiontothestrengthrequiredfornormal conditions,vehiclesaredesignedtoprotect theoccupantsintheeventofacollision. Twomajorareasofareprovidedforthis:
1.Crumplezones,2.Sideimpactprotection.

Crumplezones
Inacollisionthekineticenergyisabsorbedin di distorting i the h vehicle hi l structure. Ifthisdistortioncantakeplaceoutsidethe passengercompartment,adegreeofprotectionfor thevehicleoccupantscanbeprovided. Thefrontandrearendsaredesignedtocollapsein p zones theeventofacollision knownascrumple Prototypevehiclesaresubjectedtorigorousteststo ensurethattheycomplywiththestandardsthatare setbygovernmentalbodies.

Sideimpactprotection
providedbythebarsthat aretted insidethedoors

Example
Atruckofmass3000kginitiallyatrestishitbyacarofmass1000 kgfromthefront.Thecarhasaninitialvelocityof20m/s.Thecar andthetruckmovetogetheraftercollision.
Whatistheircommonvelocityjustaftercollision? Whatistheimpactforceonthecarif i)thecarhasagoodcrumblezone(impacttime:0.2s),and ii)thecarhasapoorcrumblezone(impacttime:0 0.1 1s)?

VehicleAeroDynamics
Studyoftheaerodynamicsofroadvehicles. Aerodynamicsstudyoftheforcesgenerated bytheflowofairaroundasolidobject. Maingoals
reducingdragandwindnoise noise, minimizingnoiseemission, preventingundesiredliftforcesandothercauses ofaerodynamicinstabilityathighspeeds.

Racing gvehicles Top producedownforce to improvetractionandcorneringabilities.

Atruckwithaddedbodyworkontopofthecabto reducedrag.

 History: 1920s:engineerstoconsiderautomobileshapein reducingaerodynamicdragathigherspeeds. 1950s:Systematicallyanalyzetheeffectsof automotive i drag d f forthe h higher hi h performance f vehicles. hi l Late1960s:Scientistsalsobecameawareofthe significantincreaseinsoundlevelsemittedby automobilesathighspeed. Aerodynamics AffectsVehicledesign&performance infollowingways:
FuelConsumption(pollution) Styling Noise&Vibration ControlandHandling

Shape&Styling
Alotofenginepoweris consumedindrivinga vehicleagainsttheair resistance. Theairresistanceisaffected bydragcoefcient dependentontheshapeof thevehicle Airresistance=Cd *A*V2 whereCdisthedrag coefcient,
Aisthefrontalareaofthe vehicle,and Visthevelocityofthe vehiclerelativetothewind speed. d

FeaturesofStreamlined/AerodynamicVehicles
Streamlining majorfactorinreducingthedragcoefcient .
Integratethewheelarcsandlightsintotheoverallshape Recessingdoorhandlesandshapingofexteriormirrors,Roofrails,etc. Nosharpedgescrossingthewindstreamabovethewindshield AtailcalledafastbackorKammback orliftback. Reducetheareaoftheirback. AirEnteringintotheenginebay usedforcooling cooling,combustion combustion,andfor passengers,thenreacceleratedbyanozzleandthenejectedunderthe floor.
Flatandsmoothfloortosupportthe Venturi effectandproducedesirable downwardsaerodynamicforces. Airdamtted tothefrontofavehicle. reducesunderbodyturbulence. Suspensioniseitherstreamlinedor retracted. retracted Airflowthroughthewheelbaysissaidto increasedrag

ComparisonwithAircraftAerodynamics
Roadvehicle muchlessstreamlinedcomparedtoanaircraft. Vehicleoperatesveryclosetotheground,ratherthaninfreeair. Operatingspeedsarelower(andaerodynamicdragvariesasthe squareofspeed). Vehiclehasfewerdegreesoffreedomthananaircraft, its motionislessaffectedbyaerodynamicforces forces. Vehicleshavespecificdesignconstraints
intendedpurpose, high hi hsafety f t standards t d d ( (requiring, i i f forexample, l more'dead' 'd d'structural t t l spacetoactascrumplezones),and certainregulations.

R Roads d much hworse(smoothness, ( th debris) d b i )than th the th average airstrip. Cardrivers vastlyundertrainedcomparedtopilots,anddonot d i to drive t maximize i i efficiency. ffi i

MethodsofStudyingAerodynamics
Usingboth b hcomputermodelling d ll and dwind dtunnel ltesting. Windtunnel Researchtoolusedinaerodynamicresearch.To studytheeffectsofairmovingpastsolidobject. Motion simulatedbymovingair(fluid)aroundtheobjectof interest. Propertiesmeasured pressures,forces,velocities,andvibrations. Not100%accurate Sometimesequippedwithamovablefloorfortheworkingsection, whichmovesatthesamespeedastheairflow, flow topreventsa boundarylayerfromandaffectingtheresults. Awindtunnelcannotalwayssimulateroadconditions,e.g.,
Ground G deffect ff t Tirerotation Reynoldsnumber(scalecorrections) W llinterference Wall i f Naturalvariationsinambientconditions

Dragcoefficient(Cd)
Commonlypublishedratingofacar's car saerodynamic smoothness,relatedtotheshapeofthecar. MultiplyingCd bythecar'sfrontalareagivesanindexof t t ld total drag. The Th result lti iscalled ll dd dragarea. Thewidthandheightofcurvycarsleadtogross overestimationoffrontalarea.

Downforce
Downwardpressurecreatedbytheaerodynamiccharacteristicsofacar
allowsittotravelfasterthroughacornerbyholdingthecartothetrackor roadsurface. Increaseinvehicledownforce mayalsoincreasedrag.

Veryimportanttoproduceagooddownwardaerodynamicforce affects thecarsspeedandtraction. Principleofcreatingliftinaeroplanes usedinreversetoapplyforcethat pressesthecaragainsttheroad referredtoas"aerodynamic "aerod namicgrip"and differentfrom"mechanicalgrip,"whichisafunctionofthecarmass repartition,tiresandsuspension. Increaseswiththesquareofthecar car's sspeedandrequiresacertain minimumspeedinordertoproduceasignificanteffect. Twoprimarycomponentsusedtocreatedownforce :
shape p ofthebody, y and useofairfoils(wingsorspoilers).

Bodyworkontopofthecarcanbeaddedtoallowasmoothflowofairto reachthedownforcecreatingelements(i.e.,wingsorspoilers,and underbody d b d tunnels). t l)

OtherAerodynamicConsiderations
Cd &Cd xA( (TotalDrag) g) Makingvehiclesmallerinfrontview. Slipperiness MoreAirPressureontop pthanunderneath. AirBreathingneededBreathingApertures EngineCooling Opening 2/3oftheradiatorsize.

 Steel:Cheapest,versatile,cheapesttoform, Strong,Ductile(Formable),Weldable,Durable, Recyclable,Corrodable. Aluminium :Notsoformable,weldable, FRP,CFRP CFRP, Plastics:FRP