DESIGN ARCHITECTURES
Vehicle design classification according to its structure:
– Tubular chassis (space frame)
– Subchassis (frame) and body
– Unitized body, unibody, BIW
TUBULAR CHASSIS
The chassis provides almost all the structural resistance.
Body panels contribute very little to the vehicle structure. They
can be made of almost any material with good durability (e.g.:
plastic).
Examples:
– Chevrolet Corvette C4
– Saturn vehicles (GM)
– Pontiac Fiero (GM)
– Ref.: SAE Paper 885134 - The Birth of the Spaceframe at GM
– Competition vehicles (touring cars, formula cars)
SUBCHASSIS AND BODY
The body is mounted over the frame along the vehicle. Usually
elastomers are used for the body mounting, isolating it from
the road inputs.
Depending on the design:
– The frame is the main structural member. E.g.: heavy trucks.
– Both the frame and the body compose the vehicle structure. E.g.: SUV
Characteristics:
– The weight is higher than the ideal minimum.
– The floor of the vehicle is generally higher.
– Better load capacity.
UNIBODY
Unibody layouts use semimonocoque structures.
– Monocoque structures: structures formed by shells, which cannot take
high compression loads.
– Semimonocoque structures: use structural members which distribute the
loads to the outer shell, taking compression loads and bending moments.
UNIBODY
A semimonocoque structure uses an inner frame and exterior
panels which provide structural resistance.
The frame does not usually occupy the vehicle total length.
Subframes are generally used in order to support the
suspension components.
Characteristics:
– Efficient structure.
– The floor of the vehicle can be located in a lower position.
– Load capacity is lower compared to a vehicle that uses a frame.
DESIGN FACTORS
Packaging NVH
Structural requirements Materials
Service loads Manufacturing
Durability Weight
Crash tests Cost
Frequency response
STRUCTURAL REQUIREMENTS
Global requirements:
– Global torsional and bending stiffness
– Global torsional and bending natural frequencies
– Intrusion resistance in a front / lateral / rear crash
– Roof crushing resistance
Local requirements:
– Joints stiffness and resistance
– Local natural frequencies (e.g.: floor panel)
– Local compliances (e.g.: body mountings to the structure)
GLOBAL TORSIONAL AND BENDING
STIFFNESS
They measure how globally stiff is the structure.
– They are closely related to the vehicle roll stiffness and how this roll
stiffness is distributed in between the front and rear ends.
– They are related to the structure vibration modes.
Typical ranges (see spreadsheet):
– Torsional stiffness: 2000 to 60000 N-m/degree
– Bending stiffness: 3500 to 20000 N/mm
Ford Focus 5p - 17.9 kN-m/° Ford Focus 3p - 19.6 kN-m/°
Volvo S60 - 20 kN-m/° Volvo S80 - 18.6 kN-m/°
Alfa 159 – 31.4 kN-m/° Bugatti Veyron – 60 kN-m/°
Opel Astra – 12 kN-m/° BMW E46 Coupe (asientos plegables) 12.5 kN-m/°
BMW E46 Sedan (asientos fijos) 18 kN-m/°
VW Fox - 17.9 kN-
m/° (asientos plegables) 13 kN-m/°
Land Rover Freelander 2 – 28 kN-m/° BMW E46 Wagon (asientos plegables) 14 kN-m/°
GLOBAL TORSIONAL AND BENDING
STIFFNESS
SERVICE LOADS
The loads applied to the models are simplifications of the complex
events that occur in reality.
Load estimation generally begins with instrumented vehicles
operating in public roads.
Geographic regions.
Tests are adjusted to proving grounds in order to correlate them to
public roads testing data.
OEM homologated testing, individual load factors (based on previous
successful designs).
SERVICE LOADS
LOAD CASES
Symmetric vertical – bending over the Y axis
Asymmetric vertical – torsion over the X axis and bending over the Y axis
Pure torsion over the X axis
Longitudinal loads:
– Acceleration, acceleration with towing
– Braking
– Obstacles
Lateral loads:
– Maximum lateral force (lateral sliding over the tires)
– Kerbs
– Front/rear distribution of lateral load
Loads combination – superposition principle
Local loads cases (e.g.: door slam)
Crash cases
DURABILITY
Required service life
Metal fatigue
Fracture
Dent resistance
– Define requirements for the exterior panels thickness
Corrosion
– Affects fatigue life
– Requires accelerated testing
CRASH TESTS
Requirementes for crash tests:
– Front impact – FMVSS 208
– Offset impact
– Side impact standard – FMVSS 214
– Roof crush resistance – FMVSS 216
– Fuel system integrity – FMVSS 301
FMVSS – Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
– http://www.nhtsa.gov/cars/rules/import/fmvss/
FREQUENCY RESPONSE / NVH
The global and local vibration modes affect the vehicle ride
and its NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) behavior.
We must ensure that these modes do not align with excitations
coming from the powertrain assembly.
MATERIALS - REFERENCES
Functional Design of Lightweight Body-in-White Structures -
BMW
UltraLight Steel Auto Body – Final Report
The All Aluminum Auto Body – A Study Based on The Porsche
928
MATERIALS
According to BMW, there is no more monoculture in terms of
materials for automotive structures.
The most suitable material will be used in each part of the
vehicle based on an integrated approach: from first idea
through to recycling.
Due to its performance to costs relationship steel will remain a
major material in the body structure.
Pilar C: E E
Rigidez Pandeo
Piso cabina:
y
Abollado
Túnel: 3
Fijación de
asientos: y Rigidez a flexión
E
Resistencia
BMW Hybrid Design
UltraLight Steel Auto Body (ULSAB)
Future Reference Structure
Benchmark Performance
Performance
11531 13000
Static Torsional Rigidity Static Torsional Rigidity
Nm/deg Nm/deg
Static Bending Rigidity 11902 N/mm Static Bending Rigidity 12200 N/mm
First Body Structure First Body Structure
38 Hz 40 Hz
Mode Mode
Mass 271 kg Mass 250 kg
Performance ULSAB Difference
Static Torsional Rigidity
20800 +80%
[Nm/deg]
Static Bending Rigidity [N/mm] 18100 +52%
First Body Structure Mode [Hz] 60 +58%
Mass [kg] 203 -25%
Seel structure - Stiffness
Aluminum structure
Panel
Extrusion
Casting
Laser seam
Aluminum structure
Data:
Weight: 210 kgf
Welding: 99 m
Rivets: 782
Studs: 308
MANUFACTURE
Forming
– Steel stamping
– Continuous rails
– Hydroforming - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydroforming
Welding
Adhesive bonding
STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS
METHODS
Analytical:
– Rigid body simulations (ADAMS, DADS, AUTOSIM)
– Lineal FEA (NASTRAN, ANSYS, …)
– Non-lineal FEA (ABAQUS, ADINA, …)
– Statistical Energy Analysis (SEA)
Empirical:
– Static testing: torsional stiffness, bending stiffness
– Crash testing
– Modal analysis
– Laser holography
