2.1 Modelling
The modelling project undertaken involves the BIW structure for a vehicle using CAD software, CATIA V5. "Body in White" refers to the stage in automotive manufacturing where a car's sheet metal components are welded together before adding moving parts, paint, trim, and other elements. The Mahindra Bolero, a popular SUV [4] known for its robust build and practicality, served as the primary reference for this model.
The initial step in the project was to gather precise dimensions of the Bolero, including its length, width, and height. These dimensions are crucial as they form the foundational framework upon which the entire BIW structure is built. Incorporating the Bolero's overall dimensions into the CATIA V5 environment ensured that the model's proportions and scale were accurate.
By accurately modelling the BIW structure using the specifications of the Mahindra Bolero, this project aims to achieve a balance between weight reduction and maintaining the necessary strength and stiffness. This balance is essential for ensuring the vehicle's safety and performance while also enhancing fuel efficiency and reducing emissions.
Below are the specifications such as height, length, and width of the components, along with an isometric view in the CATIA V5 software interface, providing a comprehensive understanding of the model's design and scale.
In CATIA V5, I started modelling the pillars. A, B, and C which are integral for maintaining the structural integrity of the vehicle. These pillars were placed at precise intervals, correlating with the specified dimensions and ensuring they provided adequate support and rigidity to the structure.
Following the pillars, I designed the roof structure. Given that the Bolero is known for its rugged design, it was essential to replicate the roof's sturdy characteristics. The roof beams and cross-members were designed to not only provide support but also to distribute the load effectively in case of a rollover, thereby enhancing the safety of the vehicle. Throughout the modelling process, I paid special attention to the joints and weld points. These are crucial in real-life manufacturing as they ensure the components are securely attached, providing overall rigidity and durability to the vehicle. In CATIA V5, I simulated these joints to ensure they would perform as expected under various stress conditions.
The use of CATIA V5 allowed for precise control over the design process, enabling me to create a highly detailed and accurate representation of the BIW structure. This model serves as a crucial step in understanding and analysing the vehicle's design, providing insights that are essential for further development and optimization.
2.2 MATERIAL SELECTION
The selection of materials for Body in White (BIW) is crucial for a vehicle's performance, safety, and efficiency. Historically, steel, particularly mild steel, dominated BIW due to its strength, durability, and low cost, providing essential structural support. However, as the demand for lighter, more fuel-efficient vehicles increased, the limitations of mild steel became evident. This shift has driven the automotive industry to explore modern materials such as high-strength steel, aluminum, magnesium, and composites, which offer better strength-to-weight ratios but also present new manufacturing and cost challenges.
2.2.1 C P Steel
Complex phase steels, similar to TRIP steels but with less retained austenite, feature fine precipitates and a high volume of hard phases within a fine microstructure of ferrite. These steels are precipitation-hardened using niobium, titanium, and/or vanadium, achieving very high strengths of 800 MPa and above. While not as formable as TRIP steels, they offer better weldability and lower costs due to reduced alloy content. This development marks a significant evolution in automotive steel, with most steels used in new vehicles today being unavailable a decade ago. The automotive and steel industries are rapidly advancing in steel manufacturing, with no signs of slowing down.
Table 1
Material properties of CP Steel
Property | Value |
Density (kg^m3) | 7850 |
Young’s modulus (Pa) | 2.1E + 11 |
Poisons ratio | 0.33 |
Tensile strength (MPa) | 800 .1200 |
2.2.2 Duralumin
Duralumin is a notable aluminum alloy, first developed in the early 20th century by the German company Dürener Metallwerke AG, that combines aluminum with copper, and sometimes magnesium and manganese, to create a lightweight yet strong material. Its introduction revolutionized aircraft construction by significantly reducing weight without sacrificing strength or durability. Known for its high tensile strength, corrosion resistance, and machinability, Duralumin was crucial in early aviation and remains widely used today in modern aircraft, automotive parts, and some sporting goods. Its impact on materials science and engineering underscores its ongoing relevance and influence across various industries.
Table 2
Material properties of Duralumin
Property | Value |
Density (kg^m3) | 2800 |
Young’s modulus (Pa) | 7.6E + 10 |
Poisons ratio | 0.33 |
Tensile strength (MPa) | 730 |
Compressive strength (MPa) | 460 |
2.3 Regulatory Standards
2.3.1 Initial design
In body-in-white (BIW) design, vehicle dimensions are crucial for determining the overall structure and layout. The Mahindra Bolero, with its length of 3995 mm and width of 1745 mm, offers key reference points for designers. These dimensions provide ample interior space and allow for the integration of essential components like the powertrain and safety systems, while also ensuring stability and handling. By incorporating the Bolero’s specifications, BIW designers can address packaging challenges, integrate necessary parts, and maintain the vehicle's aesthetic and performance goals, making these dimensions a valuable guide in creating efficient and effective BIW designs.
2.3.2 Crashworthiness standards
The Bharat New Car Assessment Program (Bharat NCAP) is set to significantly enhance automotive safety standards in India by compelling manufacturers to prioritize safety in their designs. This initiative involves rigorous testing of vehicles, providing consumers with clear safety ratings to make informed choices and driving automakers to invest in advanced safety technologies. The result will be improved vehicle safety, reduced road accidents, and a more competitive and innovative automotive industry.
All cars undergo front. and side impact testing, which includes
2.4 FE Analysis
2.4.1 Parametric Study in Ansys
A parametric study in ANSYS is a method used to explore how changes in design variables affect performance. Instead of creating and testing multiple models, this approach allows you to define a range of values for parameters like material types or dimensions and let ANSYS automatically run simulations for each variation. For example, in this project I have made thickness as a varying parameter and analysis has been done accordingly. This process provides valuable insights into design trends and relationships, helping to optimize the design efficiently while saving time and resources.
2.4.2 Static structural Analysis
In static structural analysis, we focus on bending and torsional stiffness. Bending stiffness measures how well a structure resists deformation under load, crucial for ensuring components like beams and shafts don't bend excessively. Torsional stiffness evaluates a structure's resistance to twisting, important for elements such as drive shafts and frames where twisting loads are significant. By using tools like ANSYS to simulate these conditions, engineers can predict a structure's behaviour, identify potential weaknesses, and refine designs to enhance safety and reliability.
Boundary condition for static structural
Table 3
boundary condition for static structural condition
| Front End | Rear End | Loads |
Bending (Pitching) | • Rotation about x is free • Remaining DOF are constrained | • Rotation about x and translation about y is free. • Remaining DOF are constrained. | 10kN |
Rotation about z (Steering) | • Rotation about z is free • Remaining DOF are constrained | • Rotation about z and translation about x is free. • Remaining DOF are constrained. | 2000Nm is applied in y direction |
Rotation about y (Rolling) | • Rotation about y is free • Remaining DOF are constrained | • Rotation about y and translation about xis free. • Remaining DOF are constrained. | 2000Nm is applied in z direction. |
2.4.3 Explicit Dynamic Analysis
In this, the explicit dynamic analysis results are discussed mainly focussing on side crash and frontal crash analysis.
2.4.3.1 Side Crash analysis
I conducted an explicit dynamic crash analysis using ANSYS to simulate a collision, where a point mass traveling at 50 km/h impacts a stationary car over a brief 0.01-second interval. I set up the boundary conditions to reflect the impact velocity and monitored key indicators like equivalent stress, average stress, and total deformation throughout the simulation. This analysis helps assess the car's structural integrity and safety during a collision, providing valuable data for design improvements and enhancing vehicle safety.
Table 4
Side crash analysis setting
Definition |
Pre.Stress Environment | None Available |
Pressure Initialization | From Deformed State |
Input Type | Velocity |
Define By | Components |
Coordinate System | Global Coordinate System |
X Component | 13888.9 mm/s |
Y Component | 0 mm/s |
Z Component | 0 mm/s |
2.4.3.2 Frontal Crash analysis
I performed an explicit dynamic analysis to simulate a frontal crash, where a car traveling at 65 km/h impacts a stationary vehicle over 0.01 seconds. In ANSYS, I set the boundary conditions with the stationary car's base fixed and applied the specified velocity to the moving car. During the simulation, I tracked key metrics like equivalent stress, average stress, and total deformation to assess the vehicle's structural integrity and safety. The results will help in refining the design and improving overall vehicle safety.
Table 5
Frontal crash analysis setting
Definition |
Pre.Stress Environment | None Available |
Pressure Initialization | From Deformed State |
Input Type | Velocity |
Define By | Components |
Coordinate System | Global Coordinate System |
X Component | 0 mm/s |
Y Component | 18055.6 mm/s |
Z Component | 0 mm/s |