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AVE:
Aerodynamics
Lightweight Structures
MWL (Noise and
vibration)
Rail Vehicles
Vehicle Dynamics
Neuronic engineering
Optimazation and
System Theory

Overall Objectives
Within vehicle design,
adressing
ECOnomical and ECOlogical ECO2 aspects to save
material and energy resources, and reduce emissions,
through
vehicle research in the areas of structural mechanics,
noise and vibration, vehicle dynamics, aerodynamics,
and biomechanics,
with respect to
Lifecycle cost, passenger and driver comfort, energy
consumption, material selection, handling qualities,
functionality, safety, reliability and other customer
added values.

Vision

By year 2016 a world-class research centre has been

established, focusing on technical solutions leading to
improved performance, reliability and safety; with a
reduced impact on the environment, enabling a
balanced system cost and maintaining comfort in road
and rail vehicles.
Within the Centre, vehicle design is a holistic process
encompassing the involved individuals, technical
solutions as well as generated methods.

Technology leaps

Projects within ECO2

Take into account the Ecological and Economical aspects

ECO2 criteria

At least two vehicle types Multi-vehicle

At least two disciplines Multi-disciplinary

Projects within ECO2

Take into account the Ecological and Economical aspects

ECO2 criteria

At least two vehicle types Multi-vehicle

At least two disciplines Multi-disciplinary

Enable: Technology leaps and a sustainable

developement

Virtual Vehicles

Based on:

The vehicle class dependent design criteria

At least 10 years horizon

Anticipating ECO2 compatible novel engines/motors

being state-of-the-art in that horizon

Virtuel Vehicles
- Research method -

Aim:

Strengthen synergies between the different vehicle types

Strengthen the multidisciplinary aspect

Strengthen the correlation between vehicle design and the

ECO2- criteria

Strengthen the information flow between different vehicle types

and disciplines

Tool for the industry to convey their point of view on vehicle

design research

The virtual vehicles is a tool to reach the vision of

the Centre

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Virtual Vehicles

Project proposals

Ongoing projects

Finilized projects

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Director
Assistant
Manager Group

Jenny
Mats

Annika
Susann

Pelle

Gunilla
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Organization
Board

Director
International
Advisory Board

AMG - Assistant
Management Group

Steering
Committee

Project

Steering
Committee

CCG
Centre Coordination
Group (Director,
AMG, TM, EM)

Steering
Committee

Project
Project
Project
Project
Figure 5. Proposed organization of the Centre.

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Crosswind stability and unsteady

aerodynamics in vehicle design

Improve the design of road and rail vehicles with respect to

dynamic crosswind

This will enhance the potential of lighter vehicles, which in turn

will reduce energy consumption and air pollutions

KTH, Bombardier, Saab, Scania, Banverket, Vgverket

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Crosswind stability and unsteady

aerodynamics in vehicle design
- Objectives

Define critical and realistic wind gust scenarios

Explore unsteady aerodynamic simulation methods

Investigate the influence of vehicle external shapes

Simulate vehicle/driver response to dynamic crosswind

Propose less wind sensitive vehicle designs, including condition

monitoring and driver handling

Propose less wind sensitive infrastructure designs

(to some extent)

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Multifunctional Body Panels

Design of multifunctional body panels integrating two or

more functions/components: Outer structure panel,
NVH treatment (both structural damping and sound
transmission) , interior trim.

Reduce cost, shorten the assembly times, reducing the

overall weight while maintaining targets

Initially project focuses on automotive applications but

extensions to bus/truck/train under discussion.

KTH, Saab, A2 Acoustics, Polytec, Bombardier

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Multifunctional Body Panels

- Objectives

Study conceptual designs of integrated body panels

Focus on integration of several functions (e.g. structure

and NVH treatment) through multi-layered components

Performance (NVH and structural) at the same/lower

cost = weight, manufacturing efficiency, ...

Development of computational tools and their

integration driven by multi-attribute optimisation.

Development of material models required in the

optimisation/design process

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ECO2 Suspension design

Goal:
To increase the knowledge on how to develop vehicle
suspension systems, under maintained handling and
riding comfort, with reduced unsprung mass, rolling
resistance, tire wear, structure-borne noise, vibrations,
suspension travel and/or tire size.

KTH, Volvo CE, Volvo 3P, Bombardier

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ECO2 Suspension design

Present subprojects:

Suspension system design for optimal performance

regarding transmission of structure-borne sound
without any penalties in handling and riding comfort

Design issues for reduced suspension travel and smaller

wheels

Product verification within suspension design

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Status
Ongoing projects:
P1. Crosswind stability and unsteady
aerodynamics in vehicle design
P3

P2

P2. Multifunctional body panels

P1

P3. ECO2 Suspension design

Virtual Vehicle II

P1

Master thesis; Reduction of traffic noise

and vehicle drag by under body sheilding,
P2

P3

----------------------------------More than 30 project praticipants

PhD-students)

P3

P2

(6

One new PhD-student shall be employed

during before the end of this year.

P2
P1

----------------------------------P2

Ongoing project proposals:

P4. Minimal annoyance of rail and road
traffic noise

P1

P3

P1. (Subproject) ECO2 suspension design

/ Vehicle - Tyre Dynamics

P3

The project actively involves

the vehicle type
The project does not actively
involve the vehicle type but
the knowledge is useful for the
vehicle type
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Multidisciplinary interaction
P2

ht
ig
we s
ht ure
Lig ruct
st

P1

mic
a
n
y
le D
c
i
Veh

P3

P3

tech
nolo
gy

Sound and Vibrations

P1. Crosswind stability and

unsteady aerodynamics in
vehicle design
P2. Multifunctional body panels
P3. ECO2 Suspension design

ECO2
aspects

P1

Ae
ro

dy
na
mi
cs

P3

P1

Rail
way

P2

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Project generation process

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