In the European Union the legislation governing fleet CO2 emissions is already in place with a fleet average limit of 130g/km currently being imposed on all vehicle manufacturers. With the target for this legislation falling to 95g/km by 2020 and hefty fines for noncompliance automotive engineers are working a pace to develop new technologies that lower the CO2 emissions and hence fuel consumption of new to market vehicles. As average new vehicle CO2 emissions continue to decline the task of measuring these emissions with high precision becomes increasingly challenging. With the introduction of real world emissions legislation planned for 2017 there is a development driven need to precisely assess the vehicle CO2 emissions on chassis dynamometers over a wide operating range. Furthermore since all type approval and certification testing is completed on chassis dynamometers, any new technology must be proven against these test techniques. Typical technology improvements nowadays require repeatability limits which were unprecedented 5-10 years ago and the challenge now is how to deliver this level of precision. Detailed studies are conducted into the four key areas that cause significant noise to the CO2 emissions results from chassis dynamometer tests. These are the vehicle electrical system, driver behaviour, procedural factors and the chassis dynamometer itself. In each of these areas, the existing contribution of imprecision is quantified, methods are proposed then demonstrated for improving the precision and the improved case is quantified. It was found that the electrical system can be controlled by charging the vehicle battery, not using auxiliary devices and installing current measurement devices on the vehicle. Simply charging the vehicle battery prior to each test was found to cause a change to the CO2 emissions of 2.2% at 95% confidence. Whilst auxiliary devices were found to cause changes to the CO2 emissions of up to 43% for even a relatively basic vehicle. The driver behaviour can be controlled by firstly removing the tolerances from the driver’s aid which it was found improved the precision of the CO2 emissions by 43.5% and secondly by recording the throttle pedal movements to enable the validation of test results. Procedural factors, such as tyre pressures can be easily controlled by resisting the temptation to over check and by installing pressure sensing equipment. Using a modern chassis dynamometer with low parasitic losses will make the job of controlling the dynamometer easier, but all dynamometers can be controlled by following the industry standard quality assurance procedures and implementing statistical process control tools to check the key results. The implementation of statistical process control alone improved the precision of unloaded dynamometer coastdown checks by reducing the coefficient of variation from 6.6 to 4.0%. Using the dynamometer to accelerate the vehicle before coastdown checks was found to approximately halve the variability in coastdown times. It was also demonstrated that verification of the dynamometer inertia simulation and response time are both critically important, as the industry standard coastdown test is insufficient, in isolation, to validate the loading on a vehicle. Six sigma and statistical process control techniques have shown that for complex multiple input single output systems, such as chassis dynamometer fuel economy tests, it is insufficient to improve only one input to the system to achieve a change to the output. As a result, suggested improvements in each noise factor often have to be validated against an input metric rather than the output CO2 emissions. Despite this, the overall level of precision of the CO2 emissions and fuel consumption seen at the start of the research, measured by the coefficient of variation of approximately 2.6%, has been improved by over six times through the simultaneous implementation of the findings from this research with the demonstration of coefficient of variation as low as 0.4%. Through this research three major contributions have been made to the state of the art. Firstly, from the work on driver behaviour an extension is proposed to the Society of Automotive Engineers J2951 drive quality metric standard to include the a newly developed Cumulative Absolute Speed Error metric and to suggest that metrics are reviewed across the duration of a test to identify differences in driving behaviours during a test that do not cause a change to the end of test result. Secondly, the need to instrument the vehicle and test cell to record variability in the key noise factors has been demonstrated. Thirdly, a universal method has been developed and published from this research, to use response modelling techniques for the validation of test repeatability and the correction of CO2 emissions. The impact of these contributions is that the precision of chassis dynamometer emissions tests can be improved by a factor of 6.5 and this is of critical importance as the new real world driving and world light-duty harmonised emissions legislation comes into force over the next two to five years. This legislation will require an unprecedented level of precision for the effective testing of full vehicle system interactions over a larger operating range but within a controlled laboratory environment. If this level of precision is not met then opportunities to reduce vehicle fuel consumption through technology that only has a small improvement on fuel consumption, which is likely given the large advances that have be achieved over the last few decades, will be missed.

The Formula SAE is a student based competition organised by SAE International where engineering students from a university design, develop and test a formula-style race car prototype to compete against other universities. The competition car needs to satisfy the competition rules set out by the organisers. The competition strives to stimulate original, creative problem solving together with innovative engineering design practices. In any race environment, the primary goal is always to be as competitive as possible. Due to the competitive nature of motor sport, vehicle components need to withstand various and severe stresses. The components of a race car vehicle are responsible for the vehicle’s handling characteristics and reliability. The chassis is a crucial and integral component of a Formula SAE competition car, primarily responsible for the vehicle’s performance characteristics. The chassis is the structural component that accommodates all the other components. A Formula SAE chassis is a structure that requires high torsional stiffness, low weight as well as the necessary strength properties. In this study, multiple Formula SAE chassis were designed and developed using computer aided design software. Each concept’s torsional stiffness, weight and strength properties were tested using finite element analysis software. The different concepts consisted of different design techniques and applications. All the concepts were analysed and assessed, leading to the identification of an acceptable prototype. The prototype was manufactured for experimental tests. The designed chassis complied with the Formula SAE rules and regulations. The weight, torsional stiffness and strength characteristics of the designed chassis frame were also favourable compared to accepted standards for Formula SAE chassis frames. The manufactured chassis was prepared for experimental tests in order to validate the simulation results produced by the finite element analysis. The torsional stiffness, weight and strength were experimentally determined and the results were compared with the corresponding simulations results. The comparison of the experimental and simulated results enabled the validation of the finite element analysis software. The study draws conclusions about the use of computer aided design and finite element analysis software as a design tool for the development of a Formula SAE chassis. Closure about the study is provided with general conclusions, recommendations and research possibilities for future studies. / MIng (Mechanical Engineering), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

This thesis deals with analysis of constructional solution of large-loading wagons used nowadays. In the first part of this thesis is my own construction design of large-loading wagon, furthermore there is a design of screw conveyor. In the following part stress strain analysis of the chassis of large-loading wagon was made using the finite element method. On the basis of these results were suggested modifications of the chassis. Finally the stress strain analysis of the adapted chassis was made. Attachments of the thesis include deformation results of the chassis and design documentation of the large-loading wagon. This thesis was created in cooperation with ZDT spol. s.r.o. Nové Veselí.

Esta pesquisa trata da percepção da inovação por parte dos usuários e clientes no mercado rodoviário brasileiro de transporte de pessoas, mais especificamente das tecnologias e inovações presentes nos chassis de ônibus rodoviário. Recentemente, este setor sofreu forte transformação voltando-se à simplificação de ceículos e componentes e a uma consequentemente redução das inovações e tecnologias utilizadas nos veículos. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi identificar os aspectos ligados à percepção da inovação em chassis de ônibus rodoviários sob as óticas de clientes e usuários finais do sistema de transporte. Esta pesquisa tembém identificou quais fatores presentes nos ônibus rodoviários foram apontados como significativos sob a ótica dos usuários e quais inovações e tecnologias são conhecidas da maioria dos passageiros. Este trabalho também identificou quais fatores levam as empresas de transporte rodoviário adquirir determinados modelos de chassis em detrimento a outros mais especificados, com maior número de tecnologias e inovações embarcadas. Para a realização desta pesquisa foi adotado o procedimento de documentação direta de uma situação de mercado, com a coleta de dados realizada junto a 159 usuários - passageiros - de transporte rodoviário de passageiros, mais especificamente aqueles que utilizam a cidade de Curitiba como rota para seus itinerários de viagem. Também foram entrevistados 28 clientes pertencentes a 20 empresas do sistema de transporte, definidos nesta pesquisa como empresas de transporte rodoviário de pessoas e as empresas que fabricam a carroçaria dos ônibus rodoviários. Como resultado, a pesquisa disgnosticou a falta de percepção de inovação e a consequente indiferença por parte dos usuários no momento de escolher uma empresa ou veículo de transporte para viajar. Com relação às empresas de transporte de passageiros foi identificada uma forte tendência à aquisição de veículos que ofereçam tão somente um custo atrativo. Por mais que os clientes de chassis de ônibus identifiquem e reconheçam os benefícios de algumas inovações e tecnologias disponíveis no setor, o fator custo é determinante para a quisição da frota na maioria das empresas. Essa estratégia adotada pode, inclusive, ter sido responsável pelo recente aumento no número de acidentes envolvendo ônibus rodoviários nas estradas brasileiras. / This research becomes to the innovation perception of users - passengers - and clients - people transportation companies and bodybuilder companies - within Brazilian transportation market, specifically technologies an innovations applied in the coaches. Recently this field has suffered a hard change becoming to low end vehicles and components. As consequence this market presents a reduction of innovations and technologies applied in the coaches. The main research achievement was to identify by lens of clients and passengers of Brazilian transportation sytem the aspects relative to innovation perception at coach chassis. This research has identified which faactors or features embodied in the vehicles were appointed as strongly significant according to passenger vision and also which sort of innovations are recognized by them. The research also identified the factors that lead the transport companies to acquire some simplified chassis instead of other ones with technologies and innovations embarked. The research accomplishment required adopts a methodology based ondirect market documentation. Its data acquisition was done with 159 passengers of Brazilian road transporte system; specifically those are using the Curitiba city bus station as part of trip journey. Also were interviewed 28 clients from 20 companies of transportation system, which are defined as companies of passengers transport, as well as, body builder factories. As expected results the research showed the complete lack of awareness and insensibility regarding to users when they are choosing a bus or company to travel. However, result identified by passenger transportation companies shows a strong trend to acquire products based on low end attractiveness or appeal. No matter how much the coach clients have been identified and even recognized some innovations and technologies benefits available in this market, the cost issue is determining factor to fleet acquisition in the majority of the companies. Thiss strategy adopted by passenger transport companies could contribute for the recent raise of accidents involving coaches at Brazilizn roads. / 5000-11-25

Esta pesquisa trata da percepção da inovação por parte dos usuários e clientes no mercado rodoviário brasileiro de transporte de pessoas, mais especificamente das tecnologias e inovações presentes nos chassis de ônibus rodoviário. Recentemente, este setor sofreu forte transformação voltando-se à simplificação de ceículos e componentes e a uma consequentemente redução das inovações e tecnologias utilizadas nos veículos. O objetivo geral desta pesquisa foi identificar os aspectos ligados à percepção da inovação em chassis de ônibus rodoviários sob as óticas de clientes e usuários finais do sistema de transporte. Esta pesquisa tembém identificou quais fatores presentes nos ônibus rodoviários foram apontados como significativos sob a ótica dos usuários e quais inovações e tecnologias são conhecidas da maioria dos passageiros. Este trabalho também identificou quais fatores levam as empresas de transporte rodoviário adquirir determinados modelos de chassis em detrimento a outros mais especificados, com maior número de tecnologias e inovações embarcadas. Para a realização desta pesquisa foi adotado o procedimento de documentação direta de uma situação de mercado, com a coleta de dados realizada junto a 159 usuários - passageiros - de transporte rodoviário de passageiros, mais especificamente aqueles que utilizam a cidade de Curitiba como rota para seus itinerários de viagem. Também foram entrevistados 28 clientes pertencentes a 20 empresas do sistema de transporte, definidos nesta pesquisa como empresas de transporte rodoviário de pessoas e as empresas que fabricam a carroçaria dos ônibus rodoviários. Como resultado, a pesquisa disgnosticou a falta de percepção de inovação e a consequente indiferença por parte dos usuários no momento de escolher uma empresa ou veículo de transporte para viajar. Com relação às empresas de transporte de passageiros foi identificada uma forte tendência à aquisição de veículos que ofereçam tão somente um custo atrativo. Por mais que os clientes de chassis de ônibus identifiquem e reconheçam os benefícios de algumas inovações e tecnologias disponíveis no setor, o fator custo é determinante para a quisição da frota na maioria das empresas. Essa estratégia adotada pode, inclusive, ter sido responsável pelo recente aumento no número de acidentes envolvendo ônibus rodoviários nas estradas brasileiras. / This research becomes to the innovation perception of users - passengers - and clients - people transportation companies and bodybuilder companies - within Brazilian transportation market, specifically technologies an innovations applied in the coaches. Recently this field has suffered a hard change becoming to low end vehicles and components. As consequence this market presents a reduction of innovations and technologies applied in the coaches. The main research achievement was to identify by lens of clients and passengers of Brazilian transportation sytem the aspects relative to innovation perception at coach chassis. This research has identified which faactors or features embodied in the vehicles were appointed as strongly significant according to passenger vision and also which sort of innovations are recognized by them. The research also identified the factors that lead the transport companies to acquire some simplified chassis instead of other ones with technologies and innovations embarked. The research accomplishment required adopts a methodology based ondirect market documentation. Its data acquisition was done with 159 passengers of Brazilian road transporte system; specifically those are using the Curitiba city bus station as part of trip journey. Also were interviewed 28 clients from 20 companies of transportation system, which are defined as companies of passengers transport, as well as, body builder factories. As expected results the research showed the complete lack of awareness and insensibility regarding to users when they are choosing a bus or company to travel. However, result identified by passenger transportation companies shows a strong trend to acquire products based on low end attractiveness or appeal. No matter how much the coach clients have been identified and even recognized some innovations and technologies benefits available in this market, the cost issue is determining factor to fleet acquisition in the majority of the companies. Thiss strategy adopted by passenger transport companies could contribute for the recent raise of accidents involving coaches at Brazilizn roads. / 5000-11-25

Un des objectifs de la biologie de synthèse est de concevoir et produire des organismes « à façon », pour des applications thérapeutiques et industrielles. Une des voies envisagées pour atteindre cet objectif repose sur des techniques de synthèse et de transplantation de génomes entiers, afin de créer des organismes mutants.Le but de cette thèse est de développer des outils de biologie de synthèse qui permettront de construire une cellule minimale et non pathogène, à partir de Mycoplasma pneumoniae. Cette bactérie est l'un des plus petits organismes vivants, avec une taille inférieure au micron et un génome de 816 kpb. Ce mycoplasme est l’un des plus étudiés, avec une collection de données génétiques et multi-« omiques » disponibles. Ces caractéristiques font de cette cellule naturellement « quasi minimale » un point de départ idéal pour la construction d’un châssis bactérien. Néanmoins, la manipulation génétique de ce mycoplasme est difficile, en raison du nombre restreint d'outils disponibles.Une approche récemment développée propose de contourner ces limitations en utilisant la levure Saccharomyces cerevisiae comme plateforme d’ingénierie du génome de M. pneumoniae. L’étape préliminaire à cette approche consiste à cloner le génome bactérien dans la levure. Pour ce faire, une cassette « éléments levure » est insérée dans le génome de M. pneumoniae, pour permettre son maintien comme chromosome artificiel. Les travaux menés au cours de cette thèse ont permis d’insérer cette cassette par le biais d’un transposon, et de cloner ce génome marqué dans la levure. La stabilité du génome cloné a ensuite été étudiée, mettant en évidence que le chromosome bactérien est maintenu durant une dizaine de passages. Nous avons ensuite développé une nouvelle stratégie d’insertion des « éléments levure » en utilisant le système CRISPR/Cas9 pour cloner et éditer simultanément un génome de mycoplasme chez la levure : le CReasPy-Cloning. Cette méthode a été utilisée pour supprimer trois loci différents contenant des gènes impliqués dans la virulence : MPN372 (toxine CARDS), MPN142 (protéine de cytoadhérence) et MPN400 (protéine bloquant les IgG). Elle a ensuite été utilisée pour en cibler deux puis trois en une seule étape.Une fois le clonage et l’ingénierie du génome bactérien réalisés dans la levure, il est nécessaire de pouvoir transférer le chromosome modifié dans une cellule receveuse, afin de produire une cellule mutante. Ce processus nommé transplantation de génome n’étant pas décrit pour M. pneumoniae, une part importante de cette thèse a été dédiée au développement de cet outil. Nous avons utilisé la transformation de plasmides comme mécanisme modèle pour étudier le processus d’entrée de l’ADN dans M. pneumoniae et tester l’utilisation du polyéthylène glycol, le réactif clé de la transplantation. Bien qu’ayant réussi à mettre au point un protocole de transformation de plasmides, nous n’avons pas réussi pour l’instant à réaliser la transplantation de génomes.En parallèle, nous avons développé une stratégie alternative d’édition de génome qui ne dépend pas de la transplantation. Cette approche, nommée « Genomic Transfer - Recombinase-Mediated Cassette Exchange » (GT-RMCE), consiste à capturer dans un vecteur une section du génome bactérien édité présent dans la levure. Ce vecteur est transformé dans M. pneumoniae, et grâce au système Cre-lox la section éditée est introduite dans le génome. Ce mécanisme permet de réaliser des modifications de grande ampleur, et est actuellement utilisé pour introduire chez M. pneumoniae les délétions ΔMPN372, ΔMPN400 et ΔMPN372-ΔMPN400 produites par CReasPy-cloning. Nous avons également utilisé le GT-RMCE pour générer une souche de M. pneumoniae portant deux copies de l’opéron ribosomal S10.Au final, les outils d’ingénierie du génome de M. pneumoniae développés au cours de cette thèse permettent de réaliser un pas significatif vers la construction de nouveaux châssis bactériens. / A goal of synthetic biology is to create and produce “custom” organisms, for therapeutic and industrial applications. One of the contemplated approaches to achieve this goal is based on synthesis techniques and transplantation of whole genomes, in order to create mutant organisms.The aim of this thesis is to develop synthetic biology tools that will enable the construction of a minimal and non-pathogenic cell based on Mycoplasma pneumoniae. This bacterium is one of the smallest living organisms, with a size smaller than one micron and a genome of 816 kbp. This mycoplasma is one of the most studied, with a large set of genetic and multi- “omics” data available. These characteristics make this naturally “almost minimal” cell an ideal starting point for the construction of a bacterial chassis. Nevertheless, the genetic manipulation of this mycoplasma is difficult, due to the limited number of available tools.A recently developed approach offers the possibility to circumvent these limitations by using the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a genome engineering platform for M. pneumoniae. The preliminary step to this strategy is to clone the bacterial genome in yeast. To do so, a "yeast elements" cassette is inserted into the genome of M. pneumoniae, to allow its maintenance as an artificial chromosome. The work carried out during this thesis allowed us to insert this cassette through a transposon, and to clone this marked genome in yeast. Then, the stability of the cloned genome was studied, demonstrating that the bacterial chromosome is maintained during ten passages. We then developed a new strategy for the insertion of the "yeast elements", using the CRISPR/Cas9 system to simultaneously clone and edit a mycoplasma genome in yeast: the CReasPy-Cloning. This method was used to remove three different loci containing genes involved in virulence: MPN372 (CARDS toxin), MPN142 (cytoadherence protein) and MPN400 (IgG blocking protein). This method was also used to target two and then three different loci in one step.Once in-yeast cloning and bacterial genome engineering is achieved, it is necessary to transfer the modified chromosome into a recipient cell, to produce a mutant organism. This process, called genome transplantation, is not described for M. pneumoniae, so a significant part of this thesis was dedicated to the development of this tool. We used plasmid transformation as a model mechanism to study the process of DNA entry into M. pneumoniae and to test the use of polyethylene glycol, the key reagent for transplantation. Although we succeeded in developing a plasmid transformation protocol, we have not yet been able to perform genome transplantation.Concurrently, we have developed an alternative strategy for genome editing that does not depend on transplantation. This approach, named "Genomic Transfer - Recombinase-Mediated Cassette Exchange" (GT-RMCE), is used to capture in a vector a section of the edited bacterial genome borne by the yeast. This vector is then transformed into M. pneumoniae, and through to the Cre-lox system the edited section is introduced into the genome. This mechanism allows to carry out large-scale modifications, and is currently used to introduce into M. pneumoniae the ΔMPN372, ΔMPN400 and ΔMPN372-ΔMPN400 deletions produced by CReasPy-cloning. We also used the GT-RMCE to generate a strain of M. pneumoniae carrying two copies of the S10 ribosomal operon.Overall, the M. pneumoniae genome engineering tools developed during this thesis constitute a significant step towards the construction of new bacterial chassis.

This diploma thesis deals with the design of device for measuring wheel alignment and set- up of race car chassis. The real prototype of measuring device based on previous theoretical design has been made. The measuring procedure is mentioned as well. Another part is focused on factors affecting accuracy of measurement. The last part contains evaluation and discussion of gained results based on several measurements that have been done with prototype of measuring device.

This thesis deals with construction proposal of front axle consoles for tractor Zetor Forterra. The aim of this work is to design and construct the 3D console model, which will be put through a solidity analysis. Based on this analysis the console will be optimized according to the solidity needs. The model proposal is realized in the software Pro/Engineer. Following strength calculations are realized in the software Pro/Mechanica.

This thesis deal with a suspension kinematics of racing vehicles a specialy group B. It processes an overview of axle suspensions of racing vehicles used at 80´ last century. Than it compare kinematics variables with actual axle suspensions systems.

Aim of this diploma thesis is to make sensitivity research concerning influence of vehicle body position on its aerodynamical loading. CAD model was created in Pro/E software. Formula Ford 1600 chassis and vehicle body dimensions were used as a pattern for CAD model. Then this model was imported into CFD environment where ambient medium characteristic were set up. FLUENT software performed calculations and measurement of aerodynamical characteristics of vehicle dependent on height and angle of chassis.