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SAE TECHNICAL
PAPER SERIES 2002-01-0813

FEM Static and Dynamic Analysis of the Body

Structure of SK6120 Low Floor City Bus
Hailiang Wang, Xianlong Jin and Zhongqin Lin
School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

Reprinted From: Computer Simulation for Automotive Applications

(SP-1663)

SAE 2002 World Congress

Detroit, Michigan
March 4-7, 2002

400 Commonwealth Drive, Warrendale, PA 15096-0001 U.S.A. Tel: (724) 776-4841 Fax: (724) 776-5760
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FEM Static and Dynamic Analysis of the Body
Structure of SK6120 Low Floor City Bus
Hailiang Wang, Xianlong Jin and Zhongqin Lin
School of Mechanical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University
Copyright © 2002 Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc.
ABSTRACT
The numerical modeling and analysis of static
and dynamic performance of the low floor city bus
body structure are carried out by a standard CAE
software platform. The calculation simulates
several operating conditions such as running with
uniform speed, one wheel down or up the road
surface due to its harshness, stop instantly and
abrupt turning. The application method of
corresponding load and boundary conditions are
also discussed in detail.
INTRODUCTION
With rapid development of city urban road
networks in China, different types of city buses
with consideration of pollution protection and
comfort engineering are potentially demanded to
meet increasing requirements of city bus
transportation capability for operating and tourist
population. Bus and related components
industries in big cities are faced with opportunities
of development to manufacture city buses,
especially low floor city buses.
For structural optimization of the chassis frame
and body of SK6120 low floor city bus developed
recently by SJTU Inst. for Automotive
Engineering and SAIC Shanghai Shenwo Bus
Manufacturing Co. Ltd., the numerical modeling
2002-01-0813
and analysis of static and dynamic performance
of fully loaded bus structure are carried out by
FEM beam and shell elements for stress
distribution and displacements within a standard
CAE software platform. Computational numerical
results for bending stresses and displacements of
the city bus body are obtained by beam element
directly as well as for strength information of
particular sections local joints, shell and solid
elements are used according to the
computational accuracy required.
Generally, the static and dynamic stiffness
analysis of the city bus frame structure in overall
bending and torsion conditions is performed [1].
Since the front axle with 1x2 air suspensions and
the rear axle with 2x2 air suspensions are chosen
to equip the low floor city bus, a number of
specific loading conditions are also imposed for
numerical simulations of ultimate strength of the
bus. For example, in cases that the city bus
suffers a panic stop and a turning around
simultaneously, inertia forces in the longitudinal
and lateral directions must be added and
transferred to the thrust rods of the suspensions
and the city bus structure. In combination of
quasi-static inertia loadings with such typical
operating conditions as one wheel down or up the
road surface due to its harshness, the treatment
for the nodal forces and constraints are applied to
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the FEM mesh idealization of the bus structure deformation under loads and no effects to the
and the static and dynamic performance are also calculating of spring elements.
discussed.

FE ANALYSIS MODEL OF BODY

STRUCTURE

FE ANALYSIS MODEL OF BODY SKELETON

STRUCTURE

With the interface of graphic data exchange, the

model of body skeleton structure built with 3D
CAD platform can be transformed into the FE
analysis model. Owing to the asymmetry of body
skeleton structure, the FE model of whole
structure is analyzed.
The body skeleton consists of box channel, slot,
angle iron and flat structure with different
thickness. They can endure loads both in-plane
and out-plane, so the shell element is adopted in
the process of building FE analysis model (see
Fig.1).

MATERIALS

The under-frame is adopted with 09SiV alloy steel,

and other body skeleton components with A3
general carbon steel. The detailed properties of
the materials are showed in table 1.

FE ANALYSIS MODEL OF AIR SUSPENSION

STRUCTURE

For accurately simulating the boundary condition

of different operating conditions, the equivalent
calculating model (Fig.2) is adopted to simplify
the rear air suspension structure (Fig.3). The
equivalent calculating model consists of 5 nodes
and 4 elements. Among them, ID I and IV are
linear spring elements; ID III and IV are beam
elements with large stiffness which have little
DEFINING OPERATING CONDITIONS
AND RESULTS ANALYSIS
"Automotive products design finalized test
regulations" defines that the prototype of new
automotive must run certain miles on all kinds of
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roads by certain speed [2]. These typical roads

includes highway, general road and curve road.
The operating conditions are mainly bending,
torsion, braking urgently and turning abruptly.
The former two operating conditions are
discussed in most papers [1] [3] [4] [5], but for the
later two operating conditions with high
appearance frequency especially for city bus,
little discuss are proceeded. Only considering
overall possible operating conditions, the strength
and stiffness of body structure meeting
requirements are determined and optimal design
can be applied.

BENDING OPERATING CONDITION

Calculating under bending operating condition is

mainly to check the structural strength and
stiffness when the four wheel of bus are all on the
surface of road to support full load. The
distribution of stress and deformation can be
gained to simulate the bus running straightly on
the good road surface by constant speed.
Loads: the loads applied on the body are mainly
the centralized mass of engine, gearbox, clutch
and front&rear axle, mass of passengers
(applying on the under-frame) and air-condition of gearbox, clutch, cooling system radiator and
(applying on the top frame). The centralized air-condition compressor etc. components also
masses are applied on the corresponding nodes applied at the rear of under-frame, furthermore
according their center of gravity and connect the under-frame near the rear axle welded with
position on the body skeleton, and turned into three segments (see fig.6), results in the poor
centralized loads on these nodes. Moreover, the stiffness and larger deformation at the rear of the
masses of passengers (65kg/every person) are bus. The largest deformation is at the end of
treated as uniform loads applied on the under-frame to support engine, and its value is
under-frame.

Constraints: The following freedoms at the

connection of air suspension with the axle are
constrained: translation in z direction of the front
and rear air suspension; translation in x direction
of the front air suspension; translation in y
direction of the front and rear air
suspension at
the left side (see
fig.4).
Result Analysis: as showed in fig.5, engine
placed at the rear of the bus and the mass
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As showed in fig.7, because of more loads
applied on the rear of the bus, and the connection
between back wall with under-frame, the stiffness
of under-frame are far greater than the back wall
(the thickness of under-frame beam section is
6mm, thicker than 1.5 mm of the thickness of
back wall section). From the rear of under-frame
to the back wall, a sudden change happens on
the stiffness. So the maximum stress comes into
being at the position of the connection of back
wall and under-frame, with its value about
150N/mm2. The stress of under-frame is relatively
smaller and its maximum doesn't
75N/mm2. The maximum stress is at the
connection of the rear air suspension outrigger
and the main beam of under-frame. The practical
experiences indicate that this place is where
cracks appeared most frequently of the
under-frame. The main cause is that loads
applying on this place are very complex, and
boundary constraints are also applied on this
place at the same time.
TORSION OPERATING CONDITION
The follows are mainly considered in the torsion
operating condition: The effect of torsion loads
applied on the axles when one wheel hangs in the
air. The practical experiences indicate that the
most serious torsion operating condition which
the bus body suffered is occurred during the
process of the bus running on the harsh road
surface by low speed [1]. Under this operating
condition, the dynamic loads changed slowly and
the inertia loads are very small. It means that the
torsion property of the body can be treated as
static approximately. The weakness part of the
bus skeleton in the static loads torsion test is
consistent with it in the dynamic loads test. So the
results of torsion test with static loads can
reflected the actual strength of the bus body
skeleton.
Loads: Same as the bending operating condition.
exceed
Constraints: Remove the constraints applied on
one of the connection of air suspension with the
axle, and the rest constraints are same with the
bending operating condition.
Result Analysis: As showed in fig.8, there are
larger displacements from the top frame to
under-frame near the removing constraints region
of bus body and the largest value reaches to
22mm. Both the numerical value and appeared
position of the maximum deformation contrast
differently with bending operating condition.
As showed in fig.9, the largest stress occurred at
the place which the upper crossbeam connected
with the pillar of the front frame with its value
about 180N/mm2, larger than the value under
bending operating condition. The stress of
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under-frame also has larger amplitude comparing
with the bending operating condition and the
maximum stress is still at the connection of the
rear air suspension outrigger and the main beam
of under-frame.
on the front and rear wheels can be obtained by
the mss transfer coefficient of the sprung mass
and unsprung mass when the bus breaks. Define
the adhesive mass of wheel as m , in which the
sprung adhesive mass is ms , the unsprung
adhesive mass is mu , and the corresponding
inertia force as Fs and Fu .
Fa = mgö
Fu = mugf
Fs = msgf

where Fb - breaking force on the wheel;

f - adhesive coefficient;
g - gravity acceleration.
Fig.10 shows the drawbar of front and rear air
suspension on axles, where R is the radius of
wheel, r1 is the distance from the lower
BREAKING INSTANTLY OPERATING drawbar to the center of axle, h is the distance
CONDITION between the upper and lower drawbars.
According equilibrium of forces and moments, the
The follows are mainly considered in breaking
instantly operating condition: The effects of
breaking force applied on the bus body from road
surface when the bus stops with the largest
deceleration 0.7g. As air suspensions are both
adopted on the front and rear axles of low floor
bus, and the air suspension can only endure
vertical force, the longitudinal and lateral force
must transform to the under-frame through
drawbars. So the drawbars and their seats must
have enough strength to endure larger tension
and compression force.
following two equations are formed:
Loads: The equivalent calculating model of the air
suspension in Fig.2 can not simulate the effects
of breaking force applied on the bus body from
road surface. The loads must be applied to the From the above two equations, the forces of
corresponding nodes of body FE model as the upper and lower drawbars can be solved:
additional equivalent loads to really reflect the
effects of breaking force [5].
When the bus breaks instantly, the maximum
breaking force on the wheel is the adhesive
power Fa of the wheel, and the adhesive mass
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The breaking force F is transferred to the bus
body by the upper and lower drawbars and the
force of upper drawbar is F2, the lower
drawbar F1. So the effects of breaking force
applied to the bus body can be equivalent by
additional loads.
Constraints: Same as the bending operating
condition.
Result Analysis: As showed in Fig.11, there are
larger displacements in the rear of the
under-frame which maximum value is about 9mm,
distinguishingly smaller than the value under the
former two operating conditions. It is due to the tilt
of the bus body acted by the inertia force when
breaking so that the deformation caused by
vertical loads is counteracted partially.
As showed in Fig.12, the maximum stress occurs
at the beam of side frame near the rear wheel
with its value about 167N/mm2. The stress of
under-frame is larger than the value of the former
two operating conditions with the maximum value
119N/mm2 and the maximum stress is still at the
connection of the rear air suspension outrigger
and the main beam of under-frame.
TURNING ABRUPTLY OPERATING
CONDITION
The follows are mainly considered in turning
abruptly operating condition: The centrifugal
effect applied on the bus body when the bus turns
abruptly with the largest turning acceleration 0.4g.
Same with the breaking instantly operating
condition, the lateral force must be transformed to
the under-frame through drawbars. So the
drawbars and their seats must have enough
strength to endure larger tension and
compression force.
Loads: Same as the breaking instantly operating
condition; the only changed factor is centrifugal
force instead of longitudinal breaking force, and
the breaking deceleration 0.7g changes to the
centrifugal acceleration 0.4g. The force of upper
and lower drawbar F2 and F1
also
can be
calculated to simulate the effects of the turning
centrifugal force applied on the bus body.
Constraints: Same as the bending operating
condition.
Result Analysis: As showed in Fig.13, there are
larger displacements in the rear of the
under-frame which maximum value is about
17mm. As showed in Fig.14, the maximum stress
occurs at the outrigger of front air suspension and
its value is about 258N/mm2. Because of the
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material of the under-frame is 09SiV which yield conditions, the stress of body skeleton is higher
stress is 330N/mm2.It
can
be sure that the than in the other operating conditions. Especially
under-frame is safe. for the connection of the rear air suspension
outrigger and the main beam of under-frame, the
loads applied at this place are very complex so
that the fatigue crack will be come into being after
long term employed.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The author would like to express appreciation to

the assistance of Wang Weisheng and Lin Fei in
SAIC Shanghai Shenwo Bus Manufacturing Co.
Ltd.

REFERENCES

1.T.Z., Huang. The Bus body. Hunan

University, Changsha, PR China. 1988 (in
Chinese).
2.The state standards of PR China. GB/T
13043-91. Automotive products design
finalized test regulations. 1991 (in Chinese).
3.T.M. He, X.N. Xu, W.F. Yang et al. Strength
analysis for bus half-integral body. Journal of
Wuhan automobile industry university, 1996,
18(1) (in Chinese).
4.G.S. Feng. Finite element analysis for bus
body structure. Chinese journal of
mechanical engineering. 1999, 35(1) (in
Chinese).
5.Taeg Kim. Study on the stiffness
improvement of bus structure. SAE Paper
CONCLUSION 931995, 1993.
6.G.G. Wu, X.Y. Wu. To adopt the loads of
According to the characters of the low floor city passenger car body on strength analysis by
bus structure, the applying method of loads and finite element method. Chinese journal of
boundary constraint conditions of several typical mechanical engineering.1997, 33(5) (in
operating conditions considering the bus actual Chinese).
operations, especially breaking instantly and
turning abruptly, are developed. The static and
dynamic properties of bus body structure are
analyzed by FEM. To get better calculating
precision, shell elements are adopted to the
whole bus body skeleton. The results show that in
the turning abruptly and torsion operating