Each year, the Virginia Tech (VT) Formula SAE (FSAE) team creates a high performance car to compete against 120 teams from around the world in a series of dynamic events evaluating acceleration, maneuverability, and handling. In an effort to improve upon the VT 2013 car, the torsional stiffness of the chassis was increased. Increasing the torsional stiffness of the chassis allows the suspension to be more precisely tuned, resulting in a better overall performance. An investigation was conducted into methods for improving the chassis stiffness, and it was determined that many state-of-the-art vehicles from go-karts to super cars incorporate strength-bearing, tailored advanced composite materials in their structure. Examples of components that use composites in vehicles include sandwich structures in load-bearing panels, layups in the skin of vehicles for aesthetic purposes and carbon-fiber frame tubes. The VT FSAE car already includes untailored carbon-fiber panels on the bottom and sides of the structure for packaging and aerodynamic purposes. By integrating and optimizing these carbon-fiber panels, the torsional stiffness and therefore overall performance of the structure may be increased. This thesis explores composite testing, optimization methods, experimental and computational analysis of the chassis, and results. The fiber orientation of the panels may be optimized because carbon-fiber composite materials are generally anisotropic. Therefore the composite materials can be tailored to maximize the stiffness, resulting in the optimum stiffness per added weight. A good measure for testing stiffness per added weight is through measuring natural frequencies because natural frequency is proportional to stiffness per unit mass. A computer program was developed in MATLAB to optimize the composite configuration, and uses an objective function involving the first three natural frequencies of the original steel space frame chassis and the first three natural frequencies of the steel chassis augmented with three composite panels. The composite material properties were determined using specimen tensile testing and checked with finite elements. The natural frequencies of the half-scale chassis were determined experimentally, compared to the simulated version, and varied by less than seven percent. The optimization of the full-scale model determined that eight layers of optimized, integrated carbon-fiber composite panels will increase the first, second, and third natural frequencies by sixteen, twenty-six, and six percent, respectively. Natural frequency increases of these amounts show that by using tailored, load-bearing composite panels in the structure, the torsional stiffness of the structure increases, resulting in easier suspension tuning and better performance at the VT FSAE competitions. / Master of Science

This diploma thesis deals with the use of powerful tractors with tracked chassis in agricultural primary production. For my work I chose Farma Pokorný Kmetiněves s. R. O., Which uses Challenger MT865E crawler tractor and BOTEP PLUS spol. s .r. o., which uses CASE IH STX 450 Quadtrac tracked tractors and CASE IH STX 480 Quadtrac. Literary review deals with the construction of wheeled and tracked bogies of tractors. The thesis describes the utilization of tracked tractors in given companies during the marketing year and analysis of the performance of individual tractors. The thesis is supplemented with characteristics of enterprises, description of technical parameters of individual machines and analysis of investment and operating costs.

Les systèmes de sécurité active du véhicule de distribution sont utilisés pour réduire la survenue de situations accidentogènes ou aider le conducteur dans de telles situations pour éviter l'accident. Dans cette étude, nous nous intéressons à la prévention des accidents liés à la perte de contrôle du véhicule par le conducteur. Une partie de ces accidents peut être prévenue par l'utilisation de systèmes de sécurité active de type ESP, qui résout les problèmes d'instabilité du véhicule de type "porteur" en lacet et en roulis. Nous étudions la possibilité d'améliorer les performances de tels systèmes en combinant les actions de freins aux actions d'autres actionneurs disponibles sur le véhicule de distribution, tels que les directions actives avant et arrière. Le véhicule de distribution considéré dans notre cas est sur-actionné car le nombre d'actionneur dépasse le nombre de degrés de liberté contrôlés par ces actionneurs. Nous appliquons deux types de commande adaptés au contrôle des systèmes sur-actionnés: le premier est basé sur la structure hiérarchisée (connu sous le nom de structure avec "allocation de contrôle") et le deuxième est basé sur la structure non-hiérarchisée par "commande prédictive à base de modèle". Dans ce travail, nous adaptons ces deux approches à la problématique du contrôle du véhicule poids lourd de type "porteur". Le développement de la commande passe par la modélisation de la dynamique du véhicule, la validation des modèles et l'analyse de sa stabilité. Les résultats de simulation de prestations ISO, reproduisant des situations réelles et déstabilisantes pour le véhicule, sur le modèle représentatif du comportement réel du véhicule poids lourd démontrent l'efficacité de la commande développée et permettent d'évaluer le gain d'utilisation des actions combinées des actionneurs du véhicule par rapport au schéma classique. Ils permettent en outre de porter un jugement sur les deux types de commandes mises en œuvre. / The active safety systems for the delivery heavy vehicle are used to reduce the hazardous situations and assist the driver in such situations to avoid accidents. This study is focused on the prevention of accidents associated with the loss of control by the driver. Some of these accidents can be prevented by the use of active safety systems such as ESP, which solves the problems of the roll and yaw instability of the single unit heavy vehicles. We study the possibility of improving the performances of such systems by combining the braking actions to actions of other actuators available on the vehicle, such as active front and rear steering systems. The heavy vehicle considered in this study is over-actuated, since the number of actuators exceeds the number of degrees of freedom controlled by these actuators. We apply two control strategies to the over-actuated vehicle control: the first one is the hierarchical control also known as control structure with control allocation, the second one is the model predictive control. In this work, we adapt these two approaches to the single unit heavy vehicle control. The control development passes through vehicle dynamics modeling, models validation and stability analysis. Simulation results of the ISO features, representing real hazardous situations, performed on the high-fidelity model, demonstrate the effectiveness of the developed control and allow evaluating the gain of using the combined actions of actuators in comparison with the classical scheme. The obtained results also allow to judge on two implemented control strategies.

This diploma thesis deals with conceptual design chassis of tractor trailer with maximum weight 21 000 kg. First part of thesis introduces reader with division of constructal chassis elements. Next part deals with conceptual chassis design. The final part deals with strenght control of chassis frame, which has been designed in previous chapter. In last part of the thesis deals with stress control designed construction of the frame. Drawing documentation of chassis frame is a part of the thesis

M. Tech. (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology. / The purpose of this study was to develop a design synthesis approach that can be used to reach an optimal design solution (in terms of the strength, stiffness and weight) of automotive body structures during the conceptual stages of the design process. Two conceptual model variants; standard sedan and open-top unitary body structures that were made from the same platform were analysed for their maximum bending moment, stresses, deflections and their maximum load carrying capacity. Topology optimization was also undertaken in order to find a lightweight design of the body structures. The body structures were modelled using three different modelling techniques, namely; the simple beam model, the simple structural surface (SSS) method and the finite element (FE) method. The simple beam model was used to determine the axle reaction forces and the maximum bending moment of a body structure that was subjected to static and dynamic loading conditions. Dynamic load factors and an extra safety factor were used to simulate the dynamic bending loads. The factors were varied from 1.0 to 4.5 with a step of 0.5. It was found that the maximum bending moment under dynamic loading is simply a multiple of the static maximum bending moment and they both occur at a position that is close to the rear part of the front seats. The effects of different geometries on the strength, stiffness and the weight of body structures were studied using the finite element method. The two conceptual models were made into four different plane FE models with each concept having two different FE models. The panels of these models were constructed as simple structural surfaces and were based on the SSS analysis of the standard sedan. The models were subjected to bending and torsion load cases. Each load case was varied similarly for 19 different iterations until the yield point was reached for each FE model. It was also found that the load-displacement graphs were linear for loading within the elastic range, even if there are subassemblies that are missing. However, it was found that this relationship ceases to apply once the body structures are subjected to the torsion loads that are above the yield load. It was also found that the qualitative response to torsion loads was similar for all four body structures. However, the quantitative response was quite observable. It was found that the stiffness can be reduced by at least 37% by omitting subassemblies for the same platform and almost the same mass of the body structure. In addition, the effects of different materials on the strength, stiffness and the weight of body structures were also studied. It was found that lightweight designs can be achieved by using lightweight materials. However, both the bending and torsion stiffness were observed to be reduced or increased in proportion to the Young’s modulus or modulus of elasticity of the material that was used to construct the models. It was also noted that, the stiffness to weight ratio remained almost the same for the same models made from different materials. Topology optimization was undertaken in order to determine alternative load paths of the body structures. The two conceptual models were made into four different solid FE models. It was observed that the load paths remain similar for different volume fraction constraints for similar models under similar loading conditions. It was also noted that at least 20% in weight savings and at least 5% in torsion stiffness improvement can be achieved when topology optimization is used to determine the alternative load paths for a standard sedan model. Besides, the load carrying capacity was found to remain similar. However, the bending stiffness was noted to have reduced due to the reduction in the mass of the structure. In contrast, it was found that for an open-top model, both the bending and torsion stiffnesses were reduced in proportion to the reduction in the mass of the body structure. In addition, it was observed that a further reduction in the mass of the open-top body structure can also significantly reduce its load carrying capacity. Although the stiffness of the optimized open-top model was noted to have reduced due to the reduction in the mass of the structure. The stiffness to weight ratio of the optimized body structure was higher than that of the non-optimal structure.

The thesis deals with the analysis of the structure of the chassis and the drawbar of the trailed sprayer. The introductory part is theoretical and describes the methods of plant protection and mechanization associated with it. In addition, this part is dedicated to sprinklers, their function and the design of individual machines. Sprayers mainly describe the design of sprung and unscrewed axles and sprung and unsprung drawbar of other manufacturers. The practical part is focused on the combination of these axles and axles and on the analysis of their design solutions and a whole range of aspects. Conclusions of the thesis are recommended combinations of the mentioned structural elements.

Main purpose of the thesis is to carry out a design and a check up of an auxiliary chassis for swap bodies with king pin. The thesis contains pictures of auxiliary chassis made by different producers, followed by my own design. The design contains my own concept of the chassis with purchased parts included. The design of a frame of the auxiliary chassis has been taken in for stress analysis during a number of test loads. Last part of the thesis contains results of stress analysis. Drawings of selected parts are also included. The thesis has been made in cooperation with ZDT Nové Veseli s.r.o.

This diploma thesis focuses on proposing construction and manufacture plans of a hybrid frame chassis consisting of a tubular space frame and a monocoque made of composite materials. Next, it discusses the simulation of the chassis via FEM analysis and also measuring of its torsional stiffness. In the final part of the thesis, the frame is compared to its older predecessor, which is made solely of a tubular space frame, and its advantages and disadvantages are evaluated.

Goal of this semestral thesis is development of chassis electronic stability control ESP. Thesis analyze kinematic model of chassis, design of dynamic model, which is used for simulation of designed systems. Final system will be used in Formule Student monopost.

[pt] O desempenho de veículos automotivos é um importante atributo a ser avaliado quando motores de combustão interna e novos combustíveis estão sendo desenvolvidos. A previsão desse parâmetro também é de suma importância, uma vez que os testes de desempenho de automóveis em pista requerem prazos de realização e altos custos com equipamentos, aluguel da pista, contratação de pessoas e deslocamento de veículos e combustíveis. Além disso, seus resultados são diretamente afetados por irregularidades na superfície da pista e variações nas condições climáticas, como pressão ambiente, temperatura, umidade do ar e velocidade do vento. Assim, este trabalho tem como objetivo utilizar os dados coletados em testes de bancada com um motor de combustão interna com a finalidade de modelar os testes de retomada de velocidade de um automóvel convencional leve. A metodologia proposta simula a força de tração nas rodas a partir do torque medido no dinamômetro do motor ou a partir das curvas de pressão no interior da câmara de combustão com o auxílio de modelos de atrito para motores de ignição por centelha. Para validar o modelo proposto, foi necessário realizar testes de retomada de velocidade com o carro em um dinamômetro de chassi. Além disso, foram utilizadas sete misturas diferentes de etanol e gasolina, e concluiu-se que o etanol anidro puro promoveu maior capacidade de aceleração na maioria dos experimentos, mas apresentou maior consumo de combustível. Os combustíveis hidratados reduziram o desempenho, mas melhoraram a eficiência global. As simulações demonstraram alta precisão em relação ao experimento, com média da diferença do tempo de recuperação da velocidade de 0,51 segundos e desvio padrão de 0,078. Além disso, as simulações de desempenho de aceleração tiveram erros menores que 5,25 por cento. Além disso, a realização desses testes em laboratório tem a vantagem de um maior controle das condições ambientais da sala e dos parâmetros de operação do motor. / [en] Vehicle performance is an important feature to be evaluated when internal combustion engines and new fuels are being developed. Predicting this parameter is also of great significance, once track testing requires long periods of time to be done and high costs with equipment, rental of the track, hiring people and displacement of vehicles and fuels. In addition, their results are directly affected by track surface irregularities and variations in weather conditions such as ambient pressure, temperature, air humidity and wind speed. Thus, this work aims to use collected data in bench tests with an internal combustion engine in order to modeling an automobile speed recovery time. The proposed methodology simulates the traction force on the wheels based on the measured torque in engine dynamometer or from the pressure curves inside the combustion chamber with the aid of friction models for spark ignition engines. In order to validate the proposed model, it became necessary to perform speed recovery tests with the car on a chassis dynamometer. Also, seven different mixtures of ethanol and gasoline were used, and it was concluded that pure anhydrous ethanol promoted a higher acceleration capacity in most of the experiments but it had higher fuel consumption. Hydrated fuels reduced performance but improved global efficiency. The simulations demonstrated a high precision in relation to the experiment, with a speed recovery time diference average of 0.51 seconds and standard deviation of 0.078. Also, the acceleration performance simulations had errors smaller than 5.25 percent. In addition, doing these tests in laboratory has the advantage of a greater control of the room ambient conditions and the engine operating parameters.