valueknow.

com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students
valueknow.com

Automotive Engineering: Automobile

Fundamentals and Advanced

Course Summary
A course developed by Lluís Foreman, Aerospace Engineer

You can find the Automotive Engineering: Automobile Fundamentals and Advanced course on
Udemy. For a more complete version of the course, including quizzes, tests, exercises and
additional resources, the course will also be available at valueknow.com.

At ValueKnow we are experienced in teaching concepts to professionals and engineering

students, making sure to have a good balance between concept understanding and practicing
time to get to know the ideas in depth.

The summary presented may be used to remember and connect the concepts learnt during
the course, as well as to revisit the topics which were of particular interest to the course-taker.
We encourage the student to revisit the topics of the course as many times as needed, to be
exposed to the content in depth, getting the most value from this program.
valueknow.com

valueknow.com ValueKnow is an initiative by Lluís Foreman

The contents of this document are confidential and proprietary to ValueKnow. Unauthorized use, distribution, or copying is strictly forbidden.
 valueknow.com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students
valueknow.com

1. Introduction

- Automotive Engineering encompasses a variety of technological fields, including

automotive design, vehicle physics, engine design, vehicle dynamics physics and
control, systems, sensors, actuators, electronics, car performance, computational
engineering, components manufacturing and research, materials analysis, structural
design, and many more.

- The course in Automotive Engineering: Automobile Fundamentals and Advanced aims

to provide key information about vehicle dynamics and physics, chassis configuration
and technology, engine performance and power transmission.

- Vehicle dynamics describe the connection between the automobile and the ground.
Newton’s laws are

2. Vehicle dynamics

- 2D Forces: Four main forces describe the motion of an

automobile. On the vertical axis, the weight (W) of the
car points towards the center of the Earth and the
support force (N) is provided by the ground to the car,
perpendicular to the ground. On the longitudinal axis of
the car, the traction (T) is the force provided by the
engine through the motion of the wheels, whereas the
drag (D) is the aerodynamic force caused by the air
flowing around the car, which is proportional to the square of the speed of the vehicle.

- If the forces are balanced, the car will not accelerate nor decelerate (following
Newton’s 1st Law), yet if they are not balanced, the car will accelerate or decelerate
according to Newton’s 2nd Law in the direction of the resulting force.

- Lateral Forces: when cornering, the car will experience two main forces in the lateral
axis: the centripetal force, which is an inertial force due to the car’s opposing change
valueknow.com

of direction, and the cornering force, produced by the vehicle’s tires to generate the
change of direction.

- Three types of camber angles can be distinguished, negative for increased handling,
zero camber for uniform tire wear and positive to reduce steering effort and stability.
2

valueknow.com ValueKnow is an initiative by Lluís Foreman

The contents of this document are confidential and proprietary to ValueKnow. Unauthorized use, distribution, or copying is strictly forbidden.
 valueknow.com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students

- Wheel motion: The motion of a wheel is defined as rolling without slipping, with a
relative speed of zero between the wheel and the ground as they remain in contact.
valueknow.com

- Rolling resistance and friction resistance emerge at the tyres and are proportional to
the weight of the car as well as the coefficients of rolling resistance and friction.

- Vehicle Dynamics take the time derivatives of the static forces and equations to
describe the dynamic behavior of the car over time. This can be useful to understand
the dynamics of the automobile when accelerating or braking, for instance.

- D’Alembert’s Principle states that for any body, the sum of externally applied forces
and inertial forces (of the car) resisting the motion in any given direction is zero.

- The position of the center of mass of the car in the longitudinal axis can have relevant
effects in the effectiveness of braking, accelerating, and steering.

3. Chassis of the vehicle

- The chassis of the car includes the vehicle frame as well as the wheels and structural
components which will support the weight of all materials and systems of the vehicle.

- The chassis must support the load of the vehicle, passengers loads, ground loads and
stresses tolerance. It must also be sized in a compact format to reduce structural
weight and, therefore, maximize fuel efficiency.

- Materials characteristics for the vehicle chassis need to fulfil loads and sizing
requirements. Materials are commonly characterized by their Young’s modulus.

- Axles are the structural component of the vehicle which connect the body to the
wheels. All loads will be transferred to the car by means of the axles. All weights will be
transferred to the wheels through the axles. Diverse types of axles can be used
depending on the loads and drive requirements.

- Brakes are required to reduce the speed of the vehicle rapidly. Disc brakes and drum
valueknow.com

brakes are two common solutions, involving a hydraulic system.

- The suspension system allows a damping of the loads perceived by the wheels so that
the vehicle body will have an attenuated dynamic response.

valueknow.com ValueKnow is an initiative by Lluís Foreman

The contents of this document are confidential and proprietary to ValueKnow. Unauthorized use, distribution, or copying is strictly forbidden.
 valueknow.com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students

4. The Engine
valueknow.com

- A car can generate, from within, a traction force that will push it forward. An engine is
the tool by which chemical energy is transformed into mechanical energy, by means of
combustion.

- Intuitively, engines input chemical energy at high pressure and temperature which then
is output as dense and explosive energy to the transmission system.

- The reactants of the combustion are fuel (hydrocarbons), stored in the fuel tank of the
vehicle, and oxygen, which is intaken from the air surrounding the car.

- Two stroke engines have a compression stroke and a power stroke, whereas four
stroke engines also have an intake stroke and an exhaust stroke

- Engines consist of an engine block with pistons, which move according to the
crankshaft. The strokes are managed by the valves, activated by the camshaft.

- Piston engine layouts may be inline, V configuration, W configuration and more.

5. Drive Train, Transmission

- The mechanical energy provided by the engine is then transmitted to the wheels
through a set of components, known as the drive train or transmission system.

- Torque is produced as the piston makes the crankshaft and flywheel rotate. This
rotation is then transferred to the transmission/gearbox if the clutch allows it,
efficiently translating the mechanical energy into traction force.

- Manual gearboxes may be operated by means of the clutch, whereas the output speed
will be a result of the size of driver and driven gears, or gear ratio.

- The differential is located at the axle and allows for the wheels at each side of the car
to move at different speeds when turning or changing direction. The mechanism is a
smart combination of gears which automatically corrects the relative wheel rotation
when turning.
valueknow.com

valueknow.com ValueKnow is an initiative by Lluís Foreman

The contents of this document are confidential and proprietary to ValueKnow. Unauthorized use, distribution, or copying is strictly forbidden.
 valueknow.com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students
valueknow.com

Visit us at valueknow.com
Valuable Knowledge for professionals and students

Learn valuable knowledge and advance your career

As a professional or student, gaining valuable skills and knowledge can help you stand out in the job
market. That’s where ValueKnow comes in. Our courses are designed to provide practical, real-world
knowledge that can be applied in a variety of career settings. They are also adequate for those looking
to broaden their horizons and learn something new. With experienced educators and flexible
scheduling, you’ll be able to fit learning into your busy calendar and gain the skills you need to succeed
in your chosen career path. So, take the first step towards advancing your career and try out a
ValueKnow course today!

Get your certificate of completion

In today’s competitive labor market, it’s important for professionals and students to differentiate
themselves and demonstrate their expertise in their chosen field. One way to do this is by obtaining a
professional certificate, a formal recognition of an individual’s knowledge and skills in a specific area.
It can be obtained by completing a course or a program of study focusing on a specific subject or topic.

Obtaining a professional certificate can be especially beneficial for professionals and students who
are just starting their careers, as it can help their CVs stand out and demonstrate their commitment
to a field. Many employers place a high value on professional certifications, as they are often seen as
a mark of an individual’s dedication to those topics. As a result, having a certificate can help students
land their dream job or advance their careers faster. So, if you’re looking to give your career a boost,
valueknow.com

it may be of your interest to consider obtaining a professional certificate from ValueKnow.

valueknow.com ValueKnow is an initiative by Lluís Foreman

The contents of this document are confidential and proprietary to ValueKnow. Unauthorized use, distribution, or copying is strictly forbidden.