Strengthening Automobile Chassis Using Finite Element Analysis

By: Bhaumik Dave HiTech FEA

A chassis provides the much needed support to the vehicle body, and bears number of loads in order
make sure that they do not get transmitted inside the cabin. In general, the chassis has to accommodate
five loading conditions that include bending, torsion, combined bending and torsion, lateral and fore &
aft loading. These loads generate due to vehicle motion, its maneuvering and uneven road conditions.
As such the chassis frame has to be designed to possess enough strength to withstand these loads
without failure. It is obvious that the structural strength is dependent on material and design of the
frames, but the increasing complexity in vehicle designs and the need to develop lightweight vehicles
put a lot of strain on devising the right chassis frame that performs its task for a sufficiently long period
of time without getting deformed.
The design of chassis also forms the basis for developing the suspension system of vehicles, required to
compensate road shocks that affect the ride quality.

Automobile Chassis Using Finite Element Analysis

Structural Analysis Using FEA:

In order to evaluate the structural strength of the chassis design, the use of finite element analysis
proves to be a cost-effective approach. Since modern FEA solvers are capable to solve complex
structural designs involving non-linearities, it becomes easier for design engineers to predict the failure
of the frame, without actually developing a physical prototype for experimental investigations.
However, this does not imply that experimental tests should be discarded completely; rather, they
should be used precisely right after the computer simulations, in order to reduce number of test trials.
The procedure to perform a non-linear structural analysis for an automotive chassis requires developing
a CAD model and converting it into number of finite elements that have the capability to solve the
physics such as deformations due to bending and torsion.
For result accuracy, the mesh should be dense enough to ensure that the physics is captured accurately
at critical regions. Also, it is required to apply load conditions to the chassis in order to replicate real
loading conditions. This requires a well understanding about different forces that act on the frame and
resolving them to determine their directions.
FEA Benefits:
FEA tools also have the provision to select appropriate material and define its properties such as
Modulus of Elasticity, yield strength and factor of safety. The results obtained through a structural
analysis will provide insights about the stress generation and subsequent deformation values across the
chassis frame.
These values assist in identifying critical regions requiring design changes in order to accommodate
loading conditions without failure. Since the change in design requires simply modifying the CAD
geometry and re-iterating the solution, the design development phase shortens to a great extent.
Moreover, the finalized design based on FE results can then be used to develop actual prototype to
perform physical test and validate the data obtained through simulation.
Main Source: http://www.engineeringexchange.com/profiles/blogs/strengthening-automobile-chassis-usingfinite-element-analysis

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