Indicative contents

• Introduction to Vehicle structural design consideration and design of structures.
  
• Shear panel and edge member analysis of simplified vehicle structures including the Bredt-Batho torsion theory.
  
• The application of finite element methods to shell and beam structures (ANSYS).
• Identifying structural members that play important role in the crashworthiness design understand their expected behaviour and design considerations for the same.
  
• Physics of impact, its application in automotive collisions, structural characteristics that affect the response of the structure in collision
  
• Types of collisions and resulting response of the structure/occupant (identifying design requirements)
• The legislative requirements and test procedures for occupant protection
  
  • Agencies
    
  • Category of legislations
    
  • Content of a typical legislation -requirements/ specifications/testing
    
  • Links to resources for getting more information
    
• Safety systems – types (active/passive) and their working
  
• The use of non-linear analysis packages (MADYMO / LS Dyna) to simulate vehicle collision, advanced restraint systems, airbags for occupant protection and pedestrian impact and related tests.
• The development of legislation and test procedures aimed at providing improved levels of pedestrian impact protection.
• Injury mechanisms for occupants and pedestrians
• The development of advanced vehicle systems, such as adaptable car structures (ACS) for future pedestrian impact protection.

Module Resources

• Essential reading
  1. Course notes
• Recommended Reading
  1. J. Fenton, Handbook of automotive body construction and design analysis, Professional Engineering Publishing, London, 1998 (629.26 FEN)
     
  2. J. Fenton, Handbook of automotive body layout and analysis, Mechanical Engineering Publishing, London, 1980 (629.231 FEN)
  3. Jason C. Brown, A. John Robertson and Stan S. Serpento (2002), “Motor Vehicle Structures : Concepts and Fundamentals”, SAE International, Warrendale, PA
  4. Mathew Huang, “Vehicle Crash Mechanics”, CRC Press, June 19,2002.
  5. Paul Du Bois et. Al., “Vehicle Crashworthiness and Occupant Protection”, Automotive Application Committee, American Iron and Steel Institute.
  6. J. Pawlowski (1969), “Vehicle Body Engineering”, Business Books Ltd., London
      
• Journals
  1. International Journal of Impact Engineering, Pergamon Press, Oxford.
     
  2. Body design and Crashworthiness, IMechE Seminar; C399/38, Institution of Mechanical Engineers
• Laboratory

1. Hardware: Personal Computers
2. Software: MADYMO, LS-Dyna, ANSYS
3. Software Manual: Manuals for the above software tools