DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF

A PROTOTYPE CAR CHASSIS

FOR SHELL ECO-MARATHON
Thesis submitted for the undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering
at the
University of Central Punjab

Project Members: Project Advisor(s):

Sultan Khalid: L1F11BSME0039 Dr. Muhammad Kashif

Hamza Waseem: L1F11BSME00071 Engr. Ahmad Mahmood

Hassan Amjad: L1F11BSME0097

Session 2011-2015
Faculty of Engineering,
University of Central Punjab, Lahore Pakistan
 DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF
A PROTOTYPE CAR CHASSIS
FOR SHELL ECO-MARATHON
Thesis submitted for the undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering
at the
University of Central Punjab

Internal Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

External Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

Session 2011-2015
Faculty of Engineering,
University of Central Punjab, Lahore Pakistan
 DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF
A PROTOTYPE CAR CHASSIS
FOR SHELL ECO-MARATHON
Thesis submitted for the undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering
at the
University of Central Punjab

Internal Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

External Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

Session 2011-2015
Faculty of Engineering,
University of Central Punjab, Lahore Pakistan
 DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF
A PROTOTYPE CAR CHASSIS
FOR SHELL ECO-MARATHON
Thesis submitted for the undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering
at the
University of Central Punjab

Internal Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

External Examiner:
Name and Signature: ___________________________

Session 2011-2015
Faculty of Engineering,
University of Central Punjab, Lahore Pakistan
Contents
Acknowledgments ..............................................................................................................................8
Abstract .............................................................................................................................................9
CHAPTER 1 .................................................................................................................................... 10
1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 10
1.1.1 Need statement: ................................................................................................................ 10
1.1.2 Goal: ................................................................................................................................ 10
1.1.3 Focus: .............................................................................................................................. 11
CHAPTER 2 .................................................................................................................................... 11
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW:........................................................................................................ 11
2.1.1 Study:............................................................................................................................... 11
2.1.2 Its principal function: ........................................................................................................ 12
2.2 CLASSIFICATION OF CHASSIS ........................................................................................... 12
2.2.1 According to control:......................................................................................................... 12
2.2.2 According to fitting to engine: ........................................................................................... 13
2.3 FRAME:................................................................................................................................. 16
2.3.1 Frame is made of following sections:.................................................................................. 17
2.3.2 Types of Chassis frame: ..................................................................................................... 17
2.3.2.2 Semi Integral Frame: ...................................................................................................... 18
2.3.3 Some of important Chassis are: .......................................................................................... 20
2.3.4 Things we are doing in this project: .................................................................................... 20
2.4 General characteristics, functions and chassis requirements: ....................................................... 24
2.5 Materials for chassis and body of lightweight vehicle: ............................................................... 26
2.6 Chassis failures: ...................................................................................................................... 27
2.7 Handling of vehicle ................................................................................................................. 28
2.7.1 Center of mass height: ....................................................................................................... 28
2.7.2 Centre of mass: ................................................................................................................. 28
2.7.3 Roll angular inertia............................................................................................................ 29
2.7.4 Yaw and pitch angular inertia (polar moment) ..................................................................... 29
2.8 Project execution plan:............................................................................................................. 30
2.8.1 Project Methodology: ........................................................................................................ 30
2.8.2 Project timeline: ................................................................................................................ 31
2.8.3 Expected outcome of the project: ....................................................................................... 31
CHAPTER 3 .................................................................................................................................... 32
 3.1 Design methodology................................................................................................................ 32
3.2 DESIGN LIMITATIONS: ....................................................................................................... 34
3.3 DESIGN: ................................................................................................................................ 35
3.3.1 First design ....................................................................................................................... 35
3.3.2 Second design ................................................................................................................... 36
3.3.3 Third design ..................................................................................................................... 43
3.3.4 Centre of gravity: .............................................................................................................. 46
CHAPTER 4 .................................................................................................................................... 48
4.1 Steering Mechanism design...................................................................................................... 48
4.1.1 Steering and its requirements: ............................................................................................ 48
4.1.2 Different types of steering mechanisms .............................................................................. 50
4.2 Designing of rack and pinion mechanisms................................................................................. 52
CHAPTER 5 .................................................................................................................................... 54
5.1 Fabrication.............................................................................................................................. 54
5.1.1 PVC pipe fabrication: ........................................................................................................ 54
5.1.2 Metal fabrication ............................................................................................................... 57
Conclusion: ...................................................................................................................................... 61
Future Work: .................................................................................................................................... 62
References: ...................................................................................................................................... 62

List of figures:
Figure 1: Official logo of Team UCP for SEM. ...................................................................................... 11
Figure 2: Conventional type forward chassis of a vehicle. .................................................................... 12
Figure 3: Semi-forward type chassis of a vehicle. ................................................................................ 13
Figure 4: Full-forward type chassis of a vehicle. .................................................................................. 13
Figure 5: Example of engine at front type chassis................................................................................ 14
Figure 6: Example of a crosswise engine at front type chassis. ............................................................. 15
Figure 7: Example of engine fitted at center of the chassis. ................................................................. 15
Figure 8: Example of an engine fitted at back chassis. ......................................................................... 16
Figure 9: Example of a frame type chassis structure. ........................................................................... 17
Figure 10: Tubular section. ................................................................................................................ 17
Figure 11: Box section. ...................................................................................................................... 17
Figure 12: U-channel section. ............................................................................................................ 17
Figure 13: Structure of a conventional type frame chassis. .................................................................. 18
Figure 14: 3D model of structure of a full Semi-integral frame type chassis. ......................................... 18
Figure 15: Example of an integral frame chassis structure. .................................................................. 19
Figure 16: Ladder type chassis structure type. .................................................................................... 21
Figure 17: Backbone type chassis structure type. ................................................................................ 22
Figure 18: Monocoque type chassis structure. .................................................................................... 23
Figure 19: Tubular frame chassis structure of a vehicle. ...................................................................... 24
Figure 20: A comparison chart between cost and strength of different metals and alloys ........................ 26
Figure 21: Schematic representation of project process flow-chart. ...................................................... 31
Figure 22: Project timeline Gantt chart............................................................................................... 31
Figure 23: Different chassis designs of prototype cars for Shell Eco-Marathon...................................... 34
Figure 24: Top view of first design of chassis of prototype car. ............................................................ 35
Figure 25: Front view of first design of chassis of prototype car. .......................................................... 35
Figure 26: Side view of first model of chassis of prototype car. ............................................................ 36
Figure 27: A complete view of the first design of chassis of prototype car. ........................................... 36
Figure 28: Side view of second design of chassis of prototype car. ....................................................... 37
Figure 29: Front view of second design of chassis of prototype car. ..................................................... 38
Figure 30: Top view of second design of chassis of prototype car......................................................... 38
Figure 31: Full view of second design of chassis for prototype car........................................................ 39
Figure 32 : Static structural directional deformation (Y axis) in the chassis frame. ................................ 40
Figure 33 : Static structural total deformation in the chassis frame of prototype car. .............................. 40
Figure 34 : Static structural equivalent elastic strain in the chassis frame of prototype car...................... 42
Figure 35 : Static structural equivalent stress in the chassis frame of prototype car. ............................... 42
Figure 36: Base frame of the third design of chassis frame of prototype car. ........................................ 43
Figure 37: Complete 3D view of the third design of chassis frame of prototype car............................... 44
Figure 38: Top view of third design of chassis frame of prototype car. ................................................. 44
Figure 39: Front view of third design of the chassis frame of prototype car. ......................................... 45
Figure 40: Side view of third design of the chassis frame of prototype car. ........................................... 45
Figure 41: Total width of final design of chassis frame (62 cm). ........................................................... 46
Figure 42: Total length of final design of chassis frame (193 cm).......................................................... 46
Figure 43: Total height of final design of chassis frame (70 cm)............................................................ 46
Figure 44: Centre of gravity of chassis frame from a 2D sketch of chassis. ............................................ 47
Figure 45: Classification of steering mechanisms in use. ..................................................................... 50
Figure 46: Steering mechanism rack and pinion design and its components attached to wheel
and hub. .......................................................................................................................................... 53
Figure 47: Steering mechanism mounted at the front section of chassis frame. .................................... 54
Figure 48: Steering mechanism attached to wheel and hub and mounted to front section of
chassis frame.................................................................................................................................... 54
Figure 49: Base sketch of chassis on floor of the working room showing old and new base
lines................................................................................................................................................. 55
Figure 50: Base of chassis made by PVC pipes from base sketch on floor of working room. ................... 56
Figure 51: Complete chassis frame structure of prototype car made by PVC pipes. ............................... 56
Figure 52: The complete chassis frame structure of prototype car with driver inside chassis. ................ 57
Figure 53: Chassis base frame from chassis base sketch on white sheet below. .................................... 58
Figure 54: Complete base of chassis frame fabricated by mild steel in workshop. ................................. 59
Figure 55: Base and seat support of chassis frame. ............................................................................. 60
Figure 56: Cutting of metal pipes of chassis frame. ............................................................................ 60
Figure 57: Complete metal fabrication of chassis frame structure of the prototype car. ........................ 60

Acknowledgments
Our team would like to thank Mr. Hassam from NUST-PNEC for presenting us all the
basic information required for the Shell Eco-Marathon Competition. He has played a
vital role in the startup of our project. We would also like to thank Dr. Muhammad
Kashif for the engineering insight he has given us regarding this project as he is also
our project advisor.

We give thanks to our co-advisor Engr. Ahmad Mahmood for his helping hand in this
project. Thanks to both our advisors for the guidance they have given us regarding our
project. Their assistance has been very beneficial for the team.
Abstract
The objective of the shell Eco-marathon Competition is to create a car that maximizes
fuel efficiency. There are two categories in this competition, a Prototype and an
Urban concept category. We are working on the prototype category in which the
reduction in fuel consumption is achieved by using a light weight chassis design and
aerodynamic body. In previous years teams from different engineering universities of
Pakistan have participated in the event and achieved reasonable results. The main
object of this project is to design a fuel efficient prototype car moved by an internal
combustion engine to participate in Shell Eco-marathon. The purpose of current
project is to model, manufacture and test a vehicle with optimum aerodynamics,
minimum weight and reasonable budget according to the guidelines of shell. One of
the main points to achieve low fuel consumption is by reducing the weight of the car
chassis. A new chassis was designed and analyzed with required load to select the
best chassis design to achieve low fuel consumption.

Making of the proposed car is divided into two projects. Two groups are working on
this task one group is to design and model the prototype car chassis and the task of the
other group is the aerodynamic body design of the prototype car. The team is working
with another team from UCP who is working on the aerodynamic body design of the
car. This prototype car is a joint venture of these two groups.

CHAPTER 1
1.1 Introduction

1.1.1 Need statement:

Significant numbers of vehicles run on finite resources as mean of transportation, so it
has become necessary to research and develop means to stretch these finite resources
further. Shell has sponsored a competition to promote this research and development
in the field of fuel efficiency. The scope of this project is to design, build, test, and
present a vehicle that conforms to the set requirements and constraints and shows
extremely high fuel efficiency.

1.1.2 Goal:
The goal was to design an integrated car chassis for a prototype car that will be able to
travel with least amount of energy. The team will be focusing on the design of the car
chassis and systems that will be connected with the chassis. The team will work in
conjunction with another team from University of Central Punjab that will be working
on the aerodynamic body design of the prototype car.

1.1.3 Focus:
The main point to reduce fuel consumption is by reducing chassis weight and
aerodynamic drag on the body. So our main focus will be on the light weight chassis
design that able to withstand the load of components, driver and car body weight.

The team is looking forward to participate in Shell Eco-Marathon. The logo in the
figure 1 is the official logo of our team for Shell Eco-Marathon.

Figure 1: Official logo of Team UCP for SEM.

CHAPTER 2
2.1 LITERATURE REVIEW:

One of the main concerns these days is the rising of earth’s temperature, the
phenomenon called Global warming. This increase in the earth’s temperature could
lead to catastrophic results. The biggest catalyst to this phenomenon is the emission of
greenhouse gases. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane are mainly
generated due to the combustion of fossil fuel, one of them being oil that moves our
cars. The emission of these gases into the atmosphere increases greenhouse effect. So
in Shell Eco-Marathon we not only look for alternatives of energy but also to improve
and optimize the ones found today. Oil will still be the main source of energy for our
cars in near future, so by doing this we will explore ways to improve mileage per liter.

2.1.1 Study:
Chassis is a French term and was initially used to denote the frame parts or Basic
Structure of the vehicle. It is the back bone of the vehicle. A vehicle without body is
called Chassis. The components of the vehicle like Power plant, Transmission
System, Axles, Wheels and Tires, Suspension, Controlling Systems like Braking,
Steering etc., and also electrical system parts are mounted on the Chassis frame. It is
the main mounting for all the components including the body. So it is also called as
Carrying Unit.

2.1.2 Its principal functions are:

• To safely carry the maximum load.
• Holding all components together while driving.
• Accommodate twisting on even road surface.
• Endure shock loading.
• It must absorb engine & driveline torque.

2.2 CLASSIFICATION OF CHASSIS

2.2.1 According to control:

• Conventional- forward chassis.
• Semi-forward chassis.
• Full-forward chassis.

2.2.1.1 Conventional chassis:

• Engine is fitted in front of the driver cabin or driver seat such as in cars.
• Chassis portion cannot be utilized for carrying passengers and goods.
Example of Conventional chassis is shown in figure 2 (ref.19)

Figure 2: Conventional type forward chassis of a vehicle.

2.2.1.2 Semi-forward chassis:
• Half portion of the engine is in the driver cabin and remaining half is outside
the cabin such as in Tata trucks.
• In this arrangement a part of the chassis is utilized for carrying extra
passengers.
A typical example of Semi-forward chassis is shown in figure 3. (ref.19)

Figure 3: Semi-forward type chassis of a vehicle.

2.2.1.3 Full-forward chassis:

• Complete engine is mounted inside the driver cabin
• Driver seat is just above the front wheel
A typical example of Full-forward chassis is shown in figure 4 (ref.19)

Figure 4: Full-forward type chassis of a vehicle.

2.2.2 According to fitting to engine:

• Engine at front
• Engine fitted in front but crosswise
• Engine fitted at the center of the chassis
• Engine fitted at the back
2.2.2.1 Engine at front:
Conventionally the engines are fitted at front and drive is given to the wheels from the
rear.
Advantage:

• Enough space is available for luggage behind the rear seat.

• The weight of vehicles is well balance.
• Increased efficiency of cooling system.
Disadvantage:

Weight of the vehicle shift to the rear wheels which is not desirable for better
adhesion/attachment.
A typical example of engine at front is shown in figure 5.

Figure 5: Example of engine at front type chassis.

2.2.2.2 Engine is fitted in front but crosswise:

• Drive is given to front wheel.
• As in Maruti & B.M.C.
A typical example of engine at front but crosswise is shown in figure 6.
 Figure 6: Example of a crosswise engine at front type chassis.

2.2.2.3 Engine fitted at the center of the chassis:

• Drive is given to the rear.
• As in royal tiger world master buses previously piled by.
• This arrangement provides full space of floor for use.
A typical example of engine at center is shown in figure 7.

Figure 7: Example of engine fitted at center of the chassis.

2.2.2.3 Engine fitted at back:

• Real engine drive.
• Vehicles employing this system are dolphin.
• A typical example of engine at back is shown in figure 8.
 Figure 8: Example of an engine fitted at back chassis.

Advantage:

• Flat floor is available since long propeller shafts are eliminated.

• With elimination of propeller shaft the center of gravity lowered giving stable
driving.
• Better adhesion on road specially when climbing hill.
Disadvantage :

• While climbing hills proper adhesion may be affected since the weight of
vehicles moves to the rear, thereby reducing the weight on the front wheel.
• As a result of grouping of the engine with clutch, gear box and differential, the
repair and adjustment become difficult due to congestion at the rear.

2.3 FRAME:
• Frame is the main parts of chassis on which remaining part of chassis are
mounted.
• Frame should be extremely rigid and strong so that it can withstand
shocks, twist, stresses and vibrations when vehicle is moving on road.
 Figure 9: Example of a frame type chassis structure.

2.3.1 Frame is made of following sections:

 Channel sections.
 Box sections.
 Tubular section.

Figure 10: Tubular section. Figure 11: Box section. Figure 12: U-channel
section.

Figure 10, 11, 12 shows the channel, box and tubular sections
respectively.
Note: Channel section good in bending, tubular in torsion &box in bending & torsion.

2.3.2 Types of Chassis frame:

• Conventional Frame
• Integral Frame
• Semi Integral frame

2.3.2.1 Conventional Frame:

• It is also known as non-load carrying frame. Here loads on the vehicles are
transferred to the suspensions by frame.
 • This type of frame is not suited to resist torsion. As shown in figure 13.

Figure 13: Structure of a conventional type frame chassis.

2.3.2.2 Semi Integral Frame:

• In this type of frame load is transferred to the body structure also.
• This Frame however is heavy.
• In semi integral frame half frame is fixed in the front end on which engine
gear box and front suspension is mounted.
• This type of frame is used in some of the European & American cars.
Example of Semi Integral frame is shown in figure 14.

Figure 14: 3D model of structure of a full Semi-integral frame type chassis.

Integral Frame:
 In this type of construction there is no frame and all assembly units are
attached to the body.
 The chassis, floor and body are assembled by from a large number of mild
steel pressings.
 This is the modern form of construction for almost all cars and lighter
commercial vehicles. As shown in figure 15.

Figure 15: Example of an integral frame chassis structure.

2.3.3 Some of important Chassis are:
• Ladder Frame
• Tabular Space Frame
• Monocoque Frame
• Backbone Frame
• Aluminum Space Frame
• Carbon Fiber

2.3.4 Things we are doing in this project:

We are going to design and fabricate the chassis of this prototype car. For that we
have reviewed much kind of chassis to see which one is of our best interest. There are
many different designs each have their own strengths and weaknesses. Each chassis is
a compromise between weights, component size, and complexity and ultimately cost.
And even within a basic design method, strength and stiffness can vary significantly,
depending on the details. The types that we studied are:

 Ladder.
 Backbone.
 Monocoque.
 Tubular Space frame.

2.3.4.1 Ladder:
This is the earliest kind of chassis. From the earliest cars until the early 60s, nearly all
cars in the world used it as standard. Even in today, most SUVs still employ it. The
ladder frame is a shorthand description of a twin-rail chassis. Its construction,
indicated by its name, looks like a ladder - two longitudinal rails interconnected by
several lateral and cross braces. The longitude members are the main stress member.
They deal with the load and also the longitudinal forces caused by acceleration and
braking. The lateral and cross members provide resistance to lateral forces and further
increase torsional rigidity. The engine of the vehicle using the ladder frame is placed
in front or something in the rear and supported at suspensions points. Figure 16 shows
a ladder type chassis.

Advantages:
Well, it has no much advantage in these days. It is easy and cheap for hand build,
that's all.

Disadvantages:

Since it is a 2-dimensional structure as shown in torsional rigidity is very much lower

than other chassis, especially when dealing with vertical loads or bumps.

Figure 16: Ladder type chassis structure type.

2.3.4.2 Backbone:
Backbone chassis is very simple: a strong tubular backbone (usually in rectangular
section) connects the front and rear axle and provides nearly all the mechanical
strength. Inside which there is space for the drive shaft in case of front-engine, rear-
wheel drive layout like the Elan (car). The whole drive train, engine and suspensions
are connected to both ends of the backbone. The body is built on the backbone,
usually made of glass-fiber. It's strong enough for smaller sports cars but not up to the
job for high-end ones. The space within the structure is used to place the drive shaft in
case of front engine and rear wheel drive layout. Figure 17 shows a backbone type
chassis.

Advantages:
Strong enough for smaller sports cars, easy to be made by hand thus cheap for low-
volume production and Simple structure benefit cost. The most space-saving other
than monocoque chassis.

Disadvantages:

Not strong enough for high-end sports cars. The backbone does not provide protection
against side impact or off-set crash. Therefore it needs other compensation means in
the body. Cost ineffective for mass production.

Figure 17: Backbone type chassis structure type.

2.3.4.3 Monocoque:
A monocoque chassis can be referred to the vehicle where the external body is load
bearing. Monocoque is a one-piece structure which defines the overall shape of the
car. While ladder, tubular space frame and backbone chassis provides only the stress
members and need to build the body around them, monocoque chassis is already
incorporated with the body in a single piece.

Monocoque is a one-piece structure which defines the overall shape of the car. While
ladder, tubular space frame and backbone chassis provides only the stress members
and need to build the body around them, monocoque chassis is already incorporated
with the body in a single piece. Figure 18 shows a monocoque chassis.

Advantages:
Cheap for mass production. Inherently good crash protection. Space efficient.

Disadvantage:

Heavy, impossible for small-volume production.

Figure 18: Monocoque type chassis structure.

2.3.4.4 Tubular space-frame:

As ladder chassis is not strong enough, motor racing engineers developed a 3
dimensional design Tubular space frame. A true space frame has small tubes that are
only in tension or compression and has no bending or twisting loads in those tubes. A
space-frame chassis uses a series of straight small diameter tubes to achieve strength
and rigidity with minimal weight. It employs dozens of circular section tubes, position
in different directions to provide mechanical strength against forces from anywhere.
These tubes and welded together and form a very complex structure. Figure 19 shows
a Tubular space frame chassis.

Advantages:

Cheap in low production, very strong in any direction. (Compare with ladder chassis
and monocoque chassis of the same weight).

Disadvantages:
 Complex for bigger designs, costly for mass production and impossible for robotized
production. Besides, it engages a lot of space raise the door sill and result in difficult
access to the cabin.

Figure 19: Tubular frame chassis structure of a vehicle.

The fundamental principal of a chassis design is that the chassis is designed to achieve
rigidity in terms of torsional or lateral forces. The concept of the supporting frame is
by sticking a diagonal element or a rectangular frame to avoid extension of the frame
when applying the load. For this competition, we define the main component as the
front box, driver compartment and engine compartment.

2.4 General characteristics, functions and chassis requirements:

To design the chassis of a vehicle some key factors should be identified first. These
factors will ultimately determine the final design of the vehicle.

Firstly we need to identify basic application requirements like what will be vehicle
used for? What are the performance requirements?

Secondly we need to determine applicable design constraints. The dimensional limits

(width, height, length, weight). Operational restrictions, financial constraints.
Determine net payload requirement, payload weight, and payload volume. Next thing
is to determine the components installation requirement (chassis frame requirements,
clear cab-to-axle distance, exhaust system location restrictions, etc.). Operational
requirements (equipment power sources and access requirements, etc.).

Any good chassis should do several things:

1. Be structurally sound in every way over the expected life of the vehicle and
beyond. This means nothing will ever break under normal conditions.

2. Maintain the suspension mounting locations so that handling is safe and

consistent under high cornering and bump loads.

3. Support the body panels and other passenger components so that

everything feels solid and has a long, reliable life.

4. Protect the occupants from external intrusion.

The chassis frame should be symmetric along its length because its center of gravity
will lie on that axis and stability will improve this way because we will only have to
place the load in such a way that is equally distributed on both sides of the axis of
symmetry. This will improve the stability of the vehicle.

A space-frame chassis lies somewhere between the ladder chassis and the monocoque,
it is constructed from an arrangement of small, simple members which make up a
larger frame. A space-frame is analogous to a truss style bridge which is made up of
small (generally straight) members in a triangular pattern which are always in pure
compression or tension. By having members in pure compression or tension (i.e. they
do not experience bending forces) they do not have to be oversized to support bending
loads.

Light weight is the primary goal as lower weight requires less force to accelerate by
the same amount. Newton’s second law states

Force = Mass x Acceleration

………………………………….E (1)

So given same force a lighter car will accelerate quicker. Stiffness is also a desirable
property for a chassis to have.
2.5 Materials for chassis and body of lightweight vehicle:
Materials used for light weight body are mostly carbon fiber and glass fiber, both are
however similar in nature but carbon fiber has greater strength to weight ratio but it is
more expensive. These decisions were to be made by the other team working on
aerodynamic body design. Lightweight and stiffness are the most important properties
of a chassis and the stiffness of the completed chassis will be affected by the stiffness
of the material from which it is built. Material stiffness is known as Young’s Modulus
and the controlling mechanism for stiffness in a material is the inter-molecular forces.
So stiffness or Young’s Modulus is a material constant which cannot be significantly
changed by any mechanical or chemical processes. Alloying elements also have little
effect on stiffness meaning that more expensive grades of steel have the same
stiffness as mild steel, this justifies the decision to use mild steel for chassis
construction as more expensive steels are unlikely to improve the chassis stiffness.

Figure 20: A comparison chart between cost and strength of different metals and alloys
For chassis material selections we looked for many comparison graphs between
different materials and our main concern was high strength with low cost. The figure
below shows the comparison of metals and alloys with respect to cost and strength.
The easily available material were mild steel and aluminum, aluminum gives a fine
look as compared to mild steel which is also referred as low carbon steel. As our
chassis will be covered by the body shell we do not need a fine look for the chassis
frame and the comparison graph shows that mild steel is cheap and have high strength
as compared to aluminum. By comparisons and technical decisions with our advisors
we decided to make the chassis frame of mild steel, since it suits us in every way.

2.6 Chassis failures:

They can be many reasons that can lead to chassis failure. Some important points that
I have picked are as follow:

 Avoid cutting on uneven sections of the frame, such as frame forms or

irregular bends and depressions.
 Frame inserts must be the same dimensional shape, metal gauge/thickness,
material type and yield strength as the original frame side member.
 Variations in equipment and welding materials make it difficult to recommend
specific amperage, electrode specifications and welding speed.
 Do not weld at the lower flange of the frame, either on the flange or at the
edge.
 For the final weld operation, fillet welds the reinforcement slots or holes to the
frame.
 Prior to any welding, disconnect all negative (ground) cable(s) from all battery
(ies). Never use oxyacetylene to weld frame rails.
 Vehicle load capacity depends on strength and rigidity. For effective repairs,
make sure that frame service is performed only by qualified personnel using
proper materials and equipment.
2.7 Handling and stability of vehicle
We looked for different factors that affect the handling of the vehicle. One of the main
factors is the weight distribution of the vehicle. Weight distribution is the
apportioning of weight within a vehicle.

2.7.1 Center of mass height:

Height of the center of mass relative to the wheelbase determines load transfer
between front and rear. The car's momentum acts at its center of mass to tilt the car
forward or backward, respectively during braking and acceleration. Since it is only the
downward force that changes and not the location of the center of mass, the effect on
over/under steer is opposite to that of an actual change in the center of mass. When a
car is braking, the downward load on the front tires increases and that on the rear
decreases, with corresponding change in their ability to take sideways load.

2.7.2 Centre of mass:

In steady-state cornering, front-heavy cars tend to under-steer and rear-heavy cars to
over-steer, all other things being equal. The mid-engine design seeks to achieve the
ideal center of mass, though front-engine design has the advantage of permitting a
more practical engine-passenger-baggage layout. All other parameters being equal, at
the hands of an expert driver a neutrally balanced mid-engine car can corner faster,
but a FR (front-engine, rear-wheel drive) layout car is easier to drive at the limit.

The rearward weight bias preferred by sports and racing cars results from handling
effects during the transition from straight-ahead to cornering. During corner entry the
front tires, in addition to generating part of the lateral force required to accelerate the
car's center of mass into the turn, also generate a torque about the car's vertical axis
that starts the car rotating into the turn. However, the lateral force being generated by
the rear tires is acting in the opposite torsional sense, trying to rotate the car out of the
turn. For this reason, a car with "50/50" weight distribution will under-steer on initial
corner entry.

Using wheels and tires of different sizes (proportional to the weight carried by each
end) is a lever automakers can use to fine tune the resulting over/under-steer
characteristics.
2.7.3 Roll angular inertia
This increases the time it takes to settle down and follow the steering. It depends on
the (square of the) height and width, and (for a uniform mass distribution) can be
approximately calculated by the equation E (2).

𝑀 ( ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 2 +𝑤𝑖𝑑𝑡ℎ2 )
𝐼= ……………………………….. E (2)
12

Greater width, then, though it counteracts center of gravity height, hurts handling by
increasing angular inertia. Some high performance cars have light materials in their
fenders and roofs partly for this reason.

2.7.4 Yaw and pitch angular inertia (polar moment)

Unless the vehicle is very short, compared to its height or width, these are about
equal. Angular inertia determines the rotational of an object for a given rate of
rotation. The yaw angular inertia tends to keep the direction the car is pointing
changing at a constant rate. This makes it slower to swerve or go into a tight curve,
and it also makes it slower to turn straight again. The pitch angular inertia detracts
from the ability of the suspension to keep front and back tire loadings constant on
uneven surfaces and therefore contributes to bump steer. Angular inertia is an integral
over the square of the distance from the center of gravity, so it favors small cars even
though the lever arms (wheelbase and track) also increase with scale. (Since cars have
reasonable symmetrical shapes, the off-diagonal terms of the angular
inertia tensor can usually be ignored.) Mass near the ends of a car can be avoided,
without re-designing it to be shorter, by the use of light materials for bumpers and
fenders or by deleting them entirely. If most of the weight is in the middle of the car
then the vehicle will be easier to spin, and therefore will react quicker to a turn.

Some other important factors that affect the handling of the vehicle are:

Suspension, tires and wheels, track and wheelbase, unsprang weight, aerodynamics,
delivery of power to wheels and brakes, steering, electronic stability control, static
alignment of wheels, rigidity of frame.
2.8 Project execution plan:
2.8.1 Project Methodology:

START

Identify the chassis

criteria

Redesign or create a new chassis on

requirements given

Analyze the chassis using

software

Find problem and failure in the

designed chassis

Modification
Redesign the chassis

Finalize the design

Fabrication

END
 Figure 21: Schematic representation of project process flow-chart.

2.8.2 Project timeline:

Oct Nov Nov Nov Nov Nov Nov Feb Feb Mar Mar Mar April April
Starting
28 5 6 13 14 17 18 15 16 5 15 30 20 30
Studying
about Shell
Eco
Marathon
Literature
review Of
Chassis
Preparing
proposal
Finalizing
Chassis
Design and
Creating
CAD
Market
Survey
Getting
sponsors
Fabrication
and
completion

Figure 22: Project timeline Gantt chart.

This timeline was made to complete the project in the proposed time. However the
fabrication phase took longer time than expected due to certain market problems.

2.8.3 Expected outcome of the project:

 Fuel saving
 Less environmental pollution
 Reduction of 2-wheel unsafe vehicles
CHAPTER 3
3.1 Design methodology
As previously mentioned it was determined there were two main needs that pertained
to body and chassis of the car. These were to make the car aerodynamic and lighter
while still maintaining the strength of the car. There are different ways to achieve this
by changing the design or material of the body and frame. There were two different
ways that were determined that could be used to achieve this. The first way was to
build a structural frame with an outer body shell, which is usually seem in Shell Eco-
Marathon, the other way was a unibody car. A unibody car has its structural support
built into its body shell. A unibody car will have better aerodynamics because of its
no interference with the frame as it has structural support built inside its shell and it
will be light weight because the will be no supporting frame. Second options fulfills
our engineering needs better but it requires more engineering to build, more time and
more cost. We had to consider all factors while selecting the kind of chassis we will
made. As cost was of main concern here so first option was considered to be the best.
It has also been used by the teams at Shell-Eco marathon.

Before building the design of the chassis there were certain other things that had to be
considered while starting the designing of the chassis. These things would change the
geometry of the chassis, because we had to decide whether to make a three wheel or
four wheel car, tires to be inside the body shell or outside. Engine in front or at the
rear of the car and front wheel or rear wheel steering.

For deciding the three or four wheels of the car we looked into the previous
competitions of Shell Eco-marathon, it was seen that there is basically no need for a
four wheel car for this competition because almost all the cars performing where three
wheel design. In addition to this a three wheel design would weigh less, it will be
simpler in design, it will cost us less, will be easier to build and give the car better
aerodynamics.

Next decision was whether to keep the wheels inside or outside the body. If we keep
the wheels inside it would reduce the viscous drag from the wheels but it will increase
the frontal area of the car that would increase the overall drag which is much more
important that viscous drag, so it was decided that wheels would not be kept inside the
body shell.

Now we had to decide whether to make front wheel steering or rear wheel steering
car. The front wheel steering is used in almost all cars. To decide this we had to take
stability and ease of the steering to interface with engine in mind. Frontal wheel
steering is more stable that rear wheel steering because of weight distribution
throughout the car specially when turning.

Now we had to decide whether to keep the engine at front wheels or back wheels.
Keeping the engine at front wheels will shift he weight more to the frontal wheels.
Since we were having a front steering so it would be add more weight to front of the
car, and performing steering as well as powering then with engine would make it a
little difficult to engineer. So we decided to perform one function frontal and one
from rear wheel. Also by mounting the engine at the back we can release exhaust at
the back of the car which improves the aerodynamics. So it was decided that keeping
engine at the back would be more beneficial for us.

Now all the important decisions regarding the design were made so it was time to start
with the modeling of the chassis, we used Creo parametric 2.0 to model the design as
we learned this software during our lab sessions of Machine Design.

The design of the chassis was proposed to be tubular frame structure, the reason for
such type of chassis structure is that it is simple, easy to fabricate, cheap and is being
used by most of the prototype car participants in Shell Eco Marathon.

Before starting our design we looked over about the type of chassis used for 3 wheel
vehicle for Shell Eco Marathon. We looked into the research of the participants who
uploaded their work on the internet to get the idea for our chassis design. The figure
23 shows different designs of the prototype car chassis from different participants of
Shell Eco-Marathon.
 Figure 23: Different chassis designs of prototype cars for Shell Eco-Marathon.

3.2 DESIGN LIMITATIONS:

While designing the chassis of the prototype car we had to consider some dimensional
limitations that are provided by Shell Eco Marathon. Those limitations are mentioned
in the table below:

Table 1 : Design limitations of the prototype car by Shell Eco-Marathon.

Vehicle maximum height Less than 100 cm

Vehicle track width At least 50 cm

Ratio of max. height by track width 1.25

Vehicle wheel base At least 100 cm

Maximum total vehicle width Not more than 130 cm

Maximum total length Not more than 350 cm

Maximum vehicle weight (without 140 kg

driver)

Minimum driver weight At least 50 kg

 Turning radius 8 M

3.3 DESIGN:

3.3.1 First design

We made our design using a CAD design software Creo parametric 2.0. The design
was first sketched on paper then a proper drawing of the design was made using the
knowledge from Engineering drawing, the course we studied during in our first year
of mechanical engineering. All three views of the design top, side and front were
made and then with the help of software we were able to translate our 2D model into
3D. Figures 24,25,26,27 show all the views of the chassis model.

Dividing engine and driver’s compartment

Figure 24: Top view of first design of chassis of prototype car.

The figure 24 shows the top view of the chassis model. Tires in the model were made
just to show their position where they will be mounted on the chassis.

Driver’s seat support

Figure 25: Front view of first design of chassis of prototype car.

 Engine compartment Passenger compartment

Figure 26: Side view of first model of chassis of prototype car.

Figure 27: A complete view of the first design of chassis of prototype car.

3.3.2 Second design

This was the first sketch of our chassis design; this was designed on the maximum
dimensional limits provided by Shell Eco Marathon. This design was then discussed
with the project advisor and we were told about the changes that we had to make on
this design.

The seat in the middle of the chassis design separates the two compartments of the
car, the engine compartment and the driver compartment. It will be a rear wheel drive
car. Rear wheel will be driven by roller chain drive train and front wheels will only be
used for steering mechanism. The back of the driver’s seat will contain engine,
transmission and fuel tank. While on the other half we will have the driver’s weight
and the weight of steering mechanism, axle and wheel hub assembly. These are all the
things that were considered during the first design of chassis. It was then noticed that
the dimensions provided by SEM can be used in a very flexible way, when designing
the new chassis we took the dimensions of the driver so we would make the front
compartment of the car according to him, it was noticed that by only getting the
dimension of driver we were able to reduce the chassis length and width to a larger
number. Similarly we took the dimensions of the tires that we will use the engine and
dimensions of some other components, all these rough dimensions made our design
very much close to the final design. The second design was made after many
dimensional changers and some structural changes. The figures 28,29,30,31 below
shows different views of the model after making quite a number of changes, this was
our 2nd design.

Driver’s compartment
Engine compartment

Figure 28: Side view of second design of chassis of prototype car.

 Driver seat support

Figure 29: Front view of second design of chassis of prototype car.

Front tires of chassis

Back tire of chassis

Figure 30: Top view of second design of chassis of prototype car.

 Front wheels
1 inch dia tubular frame

Figure 31: Full view of second design of chassis for prototype car.

The change in the structure can be observed by comparing this design to the previous
one. The driver’s seat in the previous design was perpendicular to the chassis base
which was a very tiring position so in this design driver’s seat is at a little angle with
the chassis base. It can also be observed that the seat in not placed in the middle of the
two compartments now, the engine compartment has now less space as compared to
the front compartment this is because the engine can easily fit is the space provided,
we don’t need extra empty space that will just increase the car weight and nothing
else. The engine that will be mounted is a 70 cc bike engine; however this is not yet
final. The tires are also bike wheels that are mounted on the chassis with proper
dimension. After the modeling of this model with proper dimensions this model was
further passed on to stress analysis. We did stress analysis using Ansys Workbench.
In the analysis we applied the loads and observed their behavior on our chassis model.
Through these stress analysis we can now modify our design and make it final design.
This was a simple structural analysis, we applied 3 loads driver’s weight, engine
weight, steering mechanism’s weight and the gravitational pull. The loads were
applied to the members of the chassis that will have to bear that load. The weight of
the steering wheel was applied to the front section of the chassis, the driver’s weight
was applied to the middle section and engine’s weight was applied to the rear or tail
section of the chassis where engine will be mounted. The results of the loads can be
observed from the figure 32,33,34,35 of stress analysis that is shown.
 Directional stress only in Y direction

Wheels showing high stress region because

they are fixed with reference to ground

Figure 32 : S tatic structural directional deformation (Y axis) in the chassis frame.

Stress concentrations showing high stress

region

Figure 33 : S tatic structural total deformation in the chassis frame of prototype car.

In the figure 33 static structural total deformation in the chassis frame of the prototype is
shown and the part where we have stress concentration is highlighted by a black circle. The
chassis frame structure was made in Creo parametric 2.0 and then imported into ANSYS
workbench for the static analysis of the frame to see how it behaves when it is static and
weight is applied. The chassis frame will have a weight of its own as well as well as gravity
will be acting on it as well so everything was taken in notice while doing this static analysis.
The tires attached to chassis structure were constrained during the analysis that is why
directional deformation in figure 31 show high stress region at the ti res, as they are fixed in
Y-axis direction and the deformation in only Y direction in show in figure 32.

Force of gravity was applied on the chassis frame as it will act on the whole structure, a force
of body weight of the driver was also applied, the ste ering mechanism at the front of the
prototype car attached to the chassis frame will carry some weight too, this weight was also
applied to the frame structure, the weight of engine at the back of car was applied to the
chassis frame along with the weight of other components. The weights were not exact but
approximations except for the weight of the driver and the gravitational force.

After applying all the forces we looked into results, as discussed before figure 32 shows only
directional deformation in the chassis frame which shows no high stress regions in the frame
of the body. Figure 33 shows total deformation due to applied loads, deformation in all
directions. Stress is shown from colors red to blue with red showing high stress region and
blue showing low/no stress region and colors between then shows stress accordingly. It can
be seen from figure 33 that a high stress region occurs which is also highlighted with a black
circle, it occurred due to many no of joints at a single point of chassis frame which showed
us where to work on our chassis design to make it better. The stress actually shows the level
of deformation at that place.
 Figure 34 : S tatic structural equivalent elastic strain in the chassis frame of prototype car.

Figure 35 : S tatic structural equivalent stress in the chassis frame of prototype car.

These figures show the total deformation (figure 32), directional deformation (figure
33), stress (figure 34) and strain (figure 35) produced in the chassis body due to the
applied loads.
This was static analysis; the tires of the car were fixed with reference to the ground. It
can be observed from figure 33 that shows total deformation that where there is a
need to modify the body structure.

With these results we modified our chassis design. We then made an even improved
design of the chassis after passing it through the stress analysis. We made the design
symmetrical so that the weight distribution of the components of the car and driver’s
weight all lies in the center of gravity of the car.

3.3.3 Third design

After the display of our second design in the general meeting of advisors, objections
were raised to our second design too. It was observed that our chassis base members
were not symmetric and high stress regions were seen in our analysis of the frame. So
yet another modification was required. This design was quite similar to the second
design the only change made this time was in the base of chassis. The base structure
was not symmetric before so in this design it was made symmetric for an even
distribution of weight on the chassis body. The figure 36 shows only the base region
of the chassis so that changes can be observed.
New base supports

Symmetrical base structure

Figure 36: Base frame of the third design of chassis frame of prototype car.

Some other views of this design are shown in figures 37,38,39,40

Separation between compartments
Driver’s compartment

Symmetrical base frame Engine compartment

Figure 37: Complete 3D view of the third design of chassis frame of prototype car.

Figure 38: Top view of third design of chassis frame of prototype car.
 Figure 39: Front view of third design of the chassis frame of prototype car.

Engine
Driver’s compartment
compartment

Figure 40: Side view of third design of the chassis frame of prototype car.

At this point the design was finalized and it was decided that no further design
changes will be made in the model. However dimensional changes may occur because
dimensions were not exact measurements, they were taken as approximations. The
height width and length of the chassis were as follow.

Figure 41: Total width of final design of chassis frame (62 cm).

Figure 42: Total length of final design of chassis frame (193 cm).

Figure 43: Total height of final design of chassis frame (70 cm).

3.3.4 Centre of gravity:

To calculate the center of gravity of chassis frame we considered its 2D model. As
our chassis frame is symmetric that means center of gravity will lie on the center axis
but to find out where it will lie on the center axis and how much above the center axis
we developed a 2D model of chassis frame to calculate it.

Figure 44: Centre of gravity of chassis frame from a 2D sketch of chassis.

Chassis frame is made into 7 parts as shown in figure 44, then center of gravity for
each member was calculated, each member was considered a rectangle, and we know
that center of gravity for a rectangle lies in its center. Centre of gravity for each
rectangle along with its area was noted down.

Areas of rectangle:

A1 =394 cm2 , A2 =26 cm2 , A3 =119.348 cm2 , A4 =162 cm2 , A5 =224.06 cm2 ,
A6 =48 cm2 , A7 =75.06 cm2

Centre of gravity of each rectangle:

Centre of gravity of each rectangle was calculated from reference (0, 0). They are as
follow

CG1 =(98.5,1) , CG2 =(196,6.5) , CG3 =(165,29.867) , CG4 =(139,31) , CG5 =(87,30) ,
CG6 =(28,12) , CG7 =(14,10)

We now have all the areas and all the points of center of gravity so we can calculate
the center of gravity of the whole structure using equations E (3) and E (4).
 ∑𝐴𝑖 𝑥 𝑖
𝑋𝑐 = ………………..………………………. E (3)
∑𝐴𝑖

∑ 𝐴𝑖 𝑦𝑖
𝑌𝑐 = …………………..…………………..... E (4)
∑ 𝐴𝑖

Where i is 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

After putting the values in the equations we get Xc=103.021 and Yc=16.40 as shown in
the figure 44 as Centre of gravity.

CHAPTER 4
4.1 Steering Mechanism design

4.1.1 Steering and its requirements:

The steering system must provide control over the direction of travel of the vehicle;
good maneuverability for parking the vehicle; smooth recovery from turns, as the
driver releases the steering wheel; and minimum transmission of road shocks from the
road surface. The effort by the driver is transferred from the steering wheel, down the
steering column, to a steering box.
The steering box converts the rotary motion of the steering wheel, to the linear motion
needed to steer the vehicle. It also gives the driver a mechanical advantage. The linear
motion from the steering box is then transferred by tie-rods, to the steering arms at the
front wheels. The tie rods have ball joints that allow steering movement, and
movement of the suspension. The steering-arm ball-joints are arranged so that
movement in the suspension does not affect steering operation.

The direction of motion of a motor vehicle is controlled by a steering system. A basic

steering system has 3 main parts: A steering box connected to the steering wheel.
The linkage connecting the steering box to the wheel assemblies at the front wheels.
And front suspension parts to let the wheel assemblies’ pivot. When the driver turns
the steering wheel, a shaft from the steering column turns a steering gear. The
steering gear moves tie rods that connect to the front wheels. The tie rods move the
front wheels to turn the vehicle right or left. There are 2 basic types of steering boxes
- those with rack-and-pinion gearing, and those with worm gearing. In both cases, the
gearing in the steering box makes it easier for the driver to turn the steering wheel,
and hence, the wheels. A rack-and-pinion steering system has a steering wheel, a
main-shaft, universal joints, and an intermediate shaft. When the steering is turned,
movement is transferred by the shafts to the pinion. The pinion is meshed with the
teeth of the rack, so pinion rotation moves the rack from side to side. This type of
steering is used on passenger vehicles because it is light, and direct. This steering
system has worm gearing. It provides a gear reduction, and a 90 degree change in
direction. It has more parts and joints than the rack type, but it is more robust, and
may be used on heavier vehicles.

To allow heavy transport vehicles to carry extra weight, two steering axles may be
used. They’re connected by a link to a common steering box. These vehicles are
called tandem, or twin-steered vehicles. Some passenger vehicles also steer the rear
wheels slightly. This gives improved maneuverability. The system is known as 4-
wheel steering. It can be controlled mechanically, through a direct connection,
between the front and rear steering boxes or it can be computer-controlled.

With heavier vehicles, increased use of front-wheel-drive, and wider, low-profile

tires, more steering effort is needed, so power steering is used. An engine-driven
hydraulic pump provides pressure that helps the driver steer the vehicle. The power
steering system is designed so that the vehicle can still be controlled, even if the
engine or the power steering system, fails.

4.1.2 Different types of steering mechanisms:

Figure 45: Classification of steering mechanisms in use.

Figure 45 shows different steering mechanisms that are being used nowadays. Two of
the mostly used steering systems are rack and pinion and four wheel steering systems.

4.1.2.1 Rack and pinion steering mechanism:

The steering rack is supported at the pinion end, by being sandwiched between the
pinion and a spring-loaded, rack guide yoke. This spring-loaded yoke ensures free
play is eliminated between the gears, while still allowing for relative movement. The
rack is supported at the other end in the rack housing, or tube, by a bush, normally of
nylon. Nylon is used because it has a low coefficient of friction, and low wear rates.
The pinion is supported by 2 bearings in the rack housing. These bearings are pre-
loaded to keep the pinion in the correct position, relative to the rack, and to eliminate
free play.

A rack-and-pinion steering box is normally lubricated by grease. Each end of the

rack is protected from dirt and water by a flexible, synthetic, rubber bellows,
attached to the rack housing and to the tie rod. The bellows extends and collapses, as
the tie-rods move away from, and towards the housing, as the rack moves. On some
vehicles, both bellows are interconnected by a tube so that as the steering wheel is
moved from side to side, air is transferred from the collapsing bellows side to the
expanding bellows side. Rack-and-pinion type steering gears are used because their
construction makes them compact and light-weight. Their steering response is very
sharp, because the rack operates directly on the steering knuckle. And there is very
little sliding and rotation resistance, which gives lighter operation.

4.1.2.2 Four wheel steering mechanism:

This can be computer controlled or it can be mechanical, through a direct connection

between the front and rear steering boxes, or it can be computer-controlled, or the
rear wheels can be mounted on special, compliant mounts. As cornering forces are
applied to them, they alter the steering angles. With heavier vehicles, increased use
of front-wheel drive, and wider, low-profile tires, more steering effort is needed, so
power assistance is used.

A hydraulic pump is driven from the engine, to provide pressure to help the driver.
The power steering system is designed so that even if the engine or the power
steering system fails, the vehicle can still be controlled. However, much more driver
effort is required. The relationships between the steering system, the wheel positions,
and the suspension system, form what is called the steering geometry. These
relationships must always stay within manufacturer specifications.
4.2 Rack and pinion mechanism:
After the finalization of the chassis design next step was to decide what kind of
steering mechanism we will be using in our prototype car.

As previously decided that we would be using front wheels for steering; now we had
to look for a mechanism that is simple in design and will weigh less and is not
complex. We considered rack and pinion as this is simplest and is used widely in
steering applications. In this mechanism one gear is a round gear connection from the
steering wheel, and other is flat gear that turns into desired direction when the round
gear is moved. Another reason for using front steering was that as is it widely used so
getting the required parts for a front steering mechanism won’t be a problem. This
mechanism is compact it has less components as compared to other steering
mechanisms. Rack and pinion can be housed inside housing. Tie rod is extended out
of the rack housing this will include less moving parts and fewer connections that will
make our work easier. Other things to be considered were the tires and hubs and other
systems and subsystems of the car, which at this point was not of our concern. As the
requirement of our final year project was only the design and fabrication of the
chassis of a prototype car for Shell Eco-Marathon. The figure 46 shows the steering
mechanism modeled in Creo parametric. As you can see it is a very simple basic rack
and pinion mechanism.

Figure 46: Steering mechanism rack and pinion design and its components attached to wheel and hub.

After making the steering design we mounted it on our finalized chassis model to see
how well it fits in the chassis of the car so that we can make chances accordingly. But
it fitted perfectly so no changes in the design were required.

Figures 47, 48 shows this steering mechanism mounted on the chassis.

 Steering assembly including rack, tie and
extension rod

Wheel connected to chassis

Chassis

Figure 47: Steering mechanism mounted at the front section of chassis frame.

Figure 48: Steering mechanism attached to wheel and hub and mounted to front section of chassis frame.

CHAPTER 5
5.1 Fabrication
5.1.1 PVC pipe fabrication:
Before stepping into final metal fabrication of the chassis we decide to model a
chassis of PVC pipes, as it gave us a very good idea of the dimensions we proposed
while modeling our chassis frame. The dimensions of the chassis frame were taken in
accordance with a 6 ft. driver. The figure 49 shows the base diagram of the chassis
frame. In which the inner line was the actual dimensional base and the outer base line
was the one made after considering that the actual dimensions were a little short and
we needed to increase dimensions a few inches from each side.

Inner base line on actually dimensions

Outer base line made with correspondence to
inner base line

Figure 49: Base sketch of chassis on floor of the working room showing old and new base lines.

By only making the baseline of the chassis we came to know that our proposed limits
were less than the requirement. After making the baseline we started constructing the
chassis using PVC pipes. We made the base first, then the upper structure of the
chassis because the base will be supporting the whole structure. Below figures shows
the fabrications of our chassis model we made using PVC pipes.
Tee-connection
Elbow joint PVC pipes
Figure 50: Base of chassis made by PVC pipes from base sketch on floor of working room.

Support for driver seat

Figure 51: Complete chassis frame structure of prototype car made by PVC pipes.
 Figure 52: The complete chassis frame structure of prototype car with driver inside chassis.

The above figure 52 shows that the driver fits in perfectly. All these dimensions were
then measured and noted down so that the actual fabrication is to be done on these
dimensions rather than the dimensions in our CAD model.

5.1.2 Metal fabrication

Once every other thing was final, we then started the metal fabrication of the chassis
frame. We considered some materials for this. Aluminum was the material proposed
at the start as it is light weight, have considerably high strength. After brainstorming
with our advisor and based on our previous project experience this material was
neglected. Previous in the course of Mechanics of machines we had a semester project
in which we use aluminum as our material, welding was required to make the
structure. As we went into the market we came to know that aluminum welding was
very rare, it took us a long time to find and it was quite expensive. It was a very small
structure and was not much either but it did cost us much. So that’s why aluminum
was rejected and mild steel was considered. Mild steel was beneficial for us in many
ways it was cheap, easily available, had high strength and welding for mild steel was
easily available, the welding unit for mild steel was also available in the workshop of
Mechanical department of the university, and its wielding is also cheap. So mild steel
was picked for fabrication.

As we were not funded we had to see every possibility of saving the cost of the
project that is why while designing and fabrication cost was considered heavily. We
wanted to make the cheapest fuel efficient car. The figures 53 shows the final
fabrication of the chassis, basic Arc welding process was used to weld the joints.

Base line sketch on

white board

White board

Joints

Figure 53: Chassis base frame from chassis base sketch on white sheet below.

We started the fabrication just the way we fabricated the PVC model of the chassis.
We made a base diagram and then lengths for joining were cut accordingly. Figure 54
show the base of the model.
Base structure of chassis
 Figure 54: Complete base of chassis frame fabricated by mild steel in workshop.

Following the same steps we firstly made the base which will support the whole
structure. The other lengths were welded accordingly. It took some days to get this
process done because of sometime issues. Figures 55, 56, 57 below shows the
completion of the chassis frame.
Figure 56: Cutting of metal pipes of chassis frame. Figure 55: Base and seat support of chassis frame.

Figure 57: Complete metal fabrication of chassis frame structure of the prototype car.

Figure 57 shows complete fabricated model of prototype car chassis. After completing
the fabrication of the chassis frame we handed it over to the other team who were
working on the body shell of the car. Because the body shell had to be made in
accordance to the chassis frame so the presence of the chassis at the body place was
necessary so it was handed to the other team so that they could complete their task.

Conclusion:
Firstly the project was proposed by the students as a single project with at least 6
group members, but the project was divided into two projects with two groups each
working on their desired task because of university rules of having no more than 3
group members in a single group for final year project.

We were advised to work separately on our tasks and then combine the work at the
end. This led to many difficulties and confusions throughout, as one group was
working on the body shell and other group was working on the chassis frame for the
car. Once both groups were ready with their designs conflicts in dimensions occurred
because each group designed on the dimensions suitable for them. The chassis was
unable to fit into the body shell when we tried to assemble them in the software. The
design of chassis and body shell was also a mismatch. Then all the work was redone
and teams started to work as one unit this time but still it wasn’t one project, there
were two teams working together on two projects.

These problems were solved by counseling and meeting of two teams together with
advisors of both teams. Both the teams then worked together came to a designs that fit
each other with dimensions that match. Since chassis was to be fabricated before the
body shell so the other group was depending upon us. It took time for chassis to
fabricate due to sometime issues and market problems, in the meantime other team
worked on their CAD design to reduce more drag. Once chassis was fabricated it was
handed over to the other team so that they can start the fabrication of their body shell.
Even though dimensions were same but we decided to make the body once chassis is
complete because after fabrication dimensions may vary a little because errors are
always there.
Future Work:
By now team has completed the chassis frame and body shell is completed by the
other team. There are no components installed in the car at this moment. This is one
of the future works of the team to fit in all the components of the car to run it. As the
requirement of the final year project was only the design and fabrication of the chassis
frame for prototype car.

The competition of Shell Eco-marathon is to be held in mid-2016. In few months

registrations will be open and there are different phases of registrations which require
all the theory work, some fabrication, then testing etc. we have completed the work of
many phases and yet registration is still not open. So we are hoping to complete this
project way before the time of the Shell Eco competition. Then we will have more
than enough time for improvements for our vehicle.

A team from our juniors also contacted us to take over our work once we are done
with the requirements of final year project. We may take the project further ourselves
or we may hand it over to our juniors so that they can make it further and make it
mobile, with our names in the acknowledgement for the project.

References:
Jordans, Frank. "USA TODAY- Renewable energy investment." USATODAY.COM. USA, 6
Nov. 2012. Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

"US Renewable Energy." Center for Sustainable Systems. University of Michigan, Sept.
2011. Web. Oct. 2012.

Borgnakke, Sonntag, “Fundamentals of Thermodynamics”. 7th Edition. Wiley, 2009

Russell R. Dickerson, University of Maryland, 2012

McAllister, Chen, Fernandez-Pello, “Fundamentals of Combustion Processes”. 1st Edition.

Springer, 2011.Web.

Shell Eco-marathon." The Shell Global Homepage. Shell, n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. .

MBE Motorsports Inc.: 50cc GY6 Engine Short Case with Carburetor [139QMBS] -
$359.89CAD." MBE Motorsports Inc.: 50cc GY6 Engine Short Case with Carburetor
[139QMBS] - $359.89CAD. N.p., Oct. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2012. .

Dickerson, Russel. "Internal Combustion." Atmos.edu. N.p., 2012. Web. Oct. 2012.

Kim, Luke. "How to Calculate Torque to Move a Car." EHow. Demand Media, 04 Mar. 2011.
Web. 28 Nov. 2012. .

Acosta, B., Betancourt, M., Pinheiro, F., “Shell Eco-Marathon 25% of Final Report,” B.S.
thesis, Mechanical Engineering Department, Florida International University, Miami, 2012

Geoca A, Romero A, Geoca R, W.D Happy, ‘’Senior Design Project I’’ Report II, University
of Huston, College of Technology

Alshodokhi, Al-Jawad, Alves J, Gamble J, Nikolaus G, Benjamin K, Travis, ‘’Progress report

document’’ Shell Eco-Marathon, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Northern Arizona
University

Design team 15, ‘’Shell Eco-Marathon Engine and powertrain final report’’ Mechanical
Engineering Department, Dalhousie University, 2010

A Text Book on Automobile Chassis and Body Engineering, N.R Hema, P.L.N Parakasa

Don Knowles, ‘’Automotive suspension and steering system’’

Bernd Heißing, Metin Erso, ‘’Chassis Handbook: Fundamentals, Driving, Dynamics,

components, Mechatronics, Perspectives’’

Hassam Ahmed, NUST-PNEC, counseling, September 2014 – June 2015,

Shell, ‘’Shell Eco-Marathon’’, http://www.shell.com/global/environment-
society/ecomarathon.html
http://www.royalauto.in