International Journal of Research in Advent Technology (IJRAT)
(E-ISSN: 2321-9637)
th
Special Issue National Conference “CONVERGENCE 2018”, 09 April 2018
A review on Structural Analysis of Automobile Vehicle
Chassis
Miss. Shraddha kuthe1, Prof. K. R. Sontake2,
Department of Mechanical Engineering1,2,PLITMS Buldana1,2
Email: shraddhakuthe@gmail.com1 ,krs_mech@[Link].in2
Abstract- The Chassis frames are most valuable part in all vehicle compared to all automobile parts. So it must
be strong enough to resist the shock, twist, vibration and other stresses. In this paper an effort is made to review
the investigations that have been made on the different analysis techniques of automobile frames. Different types
of chassis of various vehicles are introduced to study the effect of loading on automobile. A number of analytical
and experimental techniques are available for the analysis of the automobile frames. Determination of the
different analysis around different condition in an automobile frames has been reported in literature. Some of the
authors were works in finding maximum stress and maximum deflection. The main objectives of the authors are
to determine the maximum stress, maximum deflection and to recognize critical regions under static loading
condition.
Key Words –Structural Analysis, Automobile Chassis, FEM
material type, residual stresses, size and distribution of
1. INTRODUCTION internal defects, direction of loading & grain size [6].
The chassis frame plays a vital role in the automobiles.
All most all components weight is acting on the
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
chassis frame, thus chassis subjected to static,
dynamic and cyclic loading condition on the road, Ramesh kumar. S, Dhandapani. N. V and et al
therefore chassis must be rigid enough to resist this introduced the numerical method of analysis using
loads. Static stress analysis is an important to point out ANSYS package for chassis structural design and
critical (highest stress) regions in the frame. These optimization. The stress analysis and fatigue analysis
critical regions may cause fatigue failures [1]. In this are the main analysis carried out on the chassis using
study, ladder type chassis frame is analysed. The ANSYS software. This is particularly done for the
Chassis consists of side members attached with a identification of the weak points and the life of the
series of cross members to complete the ladder like chassis. Further even more research has to be
structure, thus its name [2]. They were designed for continued to carry out in the near future for the better
functionality and provided little torsional stiffness. enhancement of the chassis structure and design.
The FEM is a common tool for stress analysis. FEM
with required boundary conditions was used to Kiran Ghodvinde & S. [Link] were used the
determine critical regions in the chassis frame. Static numerical analysis as finite element technique to find
structural analysis is performed to identify critical the critical stress. In this work they have analyzed the
regions and based on the results obtained design monologue and ladder frame for static load condition
modification has been done. The modal analysis of the with the stress, deflection bending moment and even
chassis frame is carried out to determine the natural the analysis of two different chassis with same as
frequency and mode shapes of the system. The rigidity discuss above frame are being analyzed.
of the system was analysed and their resonance could In this the work deal with the static analysis of two
be avoided. different frame automotive chassis, the Chevy truck
The magnitude of the stress can be used to predict the chassis shows the critical stress at the joints and it is
life span of the chassis. The location of critical stress being reduce by increasing the side member thickness,
point is thus important so that the mounting of the connection plate thickness and connection plate length
components like engine, suspension, transmission and were varied. Numerical results showed that stresses on
more can be determined and optimized, Finite Element the side member can be reduced by increasing the side
Method (FEM) is one of the method to locate the member thickness locally. If the thickness change is
critical point [3,4]. Safety factor is used to provide a not possible, increasing the connection plate length
design margin over the theoretical design capacity. may be a good alternative to improve the strength. It
This allows consolidation of uncertainties in the was shown that an FEA model could be used to
design process [5].Jadav Chetan S. et al reviews simulate the automotive chassis accurately by
various factors affecting the fatigue life of an structure verification of stresses using the beam model. In this
like cyclic stress state, geometry, surface quality, paper the analysis of different frames automotive
chassis. In this analysed the car chassis under static
66
International Journal of Research in Advent Technology (IJRAT)
(E-ISSN: 2321-9637)
th
Special Issue National Conference “CONVERGENCE 2018”, 09 April 2018
loading condition the analysis is being validate with stress, equivalent stress and deflection of chassis under
the cantilever beam analysis. The analysis is purely maximum load. Structural systems like the chassis
static and the load is applied is same as compared to can be easily analyzed using the finite element
the work done in the analysis of beam. The result techniques. A sensitivity analysis is carried out for
show the maximum stress at the point of contact and weight reduction.
the bending moment can be understood.
Teo Han Fui and Roslan Abd. Rahman presented the Monika S. Agrawal presented the study which is to
study of the vibration characteristics of the truck produce results to rectify problems associated with
chassis that include the natural frequencies and mode structures of a commercial vehicle such as strength,
shapes. The responses of the truck chassis which stiffness and fatigue properties along with stress,
include the stress distribution and displacement under bending moment and vibrations. This can be achieved
various loading condition are also observed. The by static and dynamic analysis, combining existing
method used in the numerical analysis is finite element theoretical knowledge and advanced analytical
technique. The results show that the road excitation is methods. Design of a Chassis is carried by using
the main disturbance to the truck chassis as the chassis CATIA and finite element analysis will be carried out
natural frequencies lie within the road excitation by using ANSYS.
frequency range. The mode shape results determine As conclusion, this study has achieved its core
the suitable mounting locations of components like objectives. In Static Analysis, they were determined
engine and suspension system. Some modifications highly stressed area of truck chassis due to applied
are also suggested to reduce the vibration and to load, and analytical shear stress is 13.33% less than
improve the strength of the truck chassis. FEA values. In Modal Analysis we can determine the
The paper has looked into the determination total deformation of truck chassis frame at a different
of the dynamic characteristic (the natural frequencies frequency range. From the analysis results, the
and the mode shapes) of the truck chassis, frequency range of Modal Analysis for Free-Free
investigating the mounting locations of components on Condition is 16.89 Hz to 46.316Hz. Also frequency
the truck chassis and observing the response of the range of Modal analysis due to applied load on truck
truck chassis under static loading conditions. The first chassis is 13.886 Hz to [Link] (i.e. for Static
six natural frequencies of the truck chassis are below Bending with Chassis Load). The Frequency range of
100 Hz and vary from 12.68 to 61.64 Hz. For the first both modal analyses for Free-Free Condition and
four modes, the truck chassis experienced global Applied load on truck chassis are in the range 10 to 50
vibration except for the fifth mode. The global Hz. Almost all of the truck chassis designed were
vibrations of the truck chassis include torsion, lateral based on this frequency range to avoid resonance
bending and vertical bending with 2 and 3 nodal during operating conditions, so that the design of truck
points. The local bending vibration occurs at the top chassis is safe. By reducing the height of the cross-
hat cross member where the gearbox is mounted on it. member of chassis by 8.6%, the weight reduction of
The mounting location of the engine and transmission chassis is found to be reduced by 8.72%.
system is along the symmetrical axis of the chassis’s
first torsion mode where the effect of the first mode is A. Hari Kumar & V. Deepanjali presented the work to
less. For the linear static analysis, the stress find out best material and most suitable cross-section
distribution and deformation profile of the truck for an Eicher E2 TATA Truck ladder chassis with the
chassis subjected to two loading conditions: truck constraints of maximum shear stress, equivalent stress
components loading and asymmetrical loading had and deflection of the chassis under maximum load
been determined. Maximum stress occurred at the condition. In present the Ladder chassis which are
mounting brackets of the suspension system while the uses for making buses and trucks are C and I cross
maximum translation occurred at the location where section type, which are made of Steel alloy
the symmetry and asymmetry load is acting. The (Austenitic). In India number of passengers travel in
maximum stress of the truck chassis is 490 MPa while the bus is not uniform, excess passengers are
the maximum translation is 33.6 mm. These values are travelling in the buses daily due to which there are
acceptable as compared to the yield strength of the always possibilities of being failure/fracture in the
chassis material and the tolerance allowed for the chassis/frame. Therefore Chassis with high strength
chassis. cross section is needed to minimize the failures
including factor of safety in design. In the present
Patel Vijaykumar V and Prof. R. I. Patel were work, we have taken higher strength as the main issue,
developed the finite element model of the chassis. The so the dimensions of an existing vehicle chassis of a
chassis is modeled in PRO-E. FEA is done on the TATA Eicher E2 (Model no.11.10) Truck is taken for
modeled chassis using the ANSYS Workbench. The analysis with materials namely ASTM A710 Steel,
work performed towards the optimization of the ASTM A302 Alloy Steel and Aluminum Alloy 6063-
automotive chassis with constraints of maximum shear T6 subjected to the same load. The different vehicle
67
International Journal of Research in Advent Technology (IJRAT)
(E-ISSN: 2321-9637)
th
Special Issue National Conference “CONVERGENCE 2018”, 09 April 2018
chassis have been modeled by considering three [7] Ramesh kumar. S and et al.“Design And Analysis
different cross-sections namely C, I and Rectangular Of Automotive Chassis Frame Using Finite
Box (Hollow) type cross sections. The problem to be Element Method” International Journal of Pure
dealt for this dissertation work is to Design and and Applied Mathematics, Volume 118 No. 20
Analyze using suitable CAE software for ladder 2018, 961-972, ISSN: 1314-3395
chassis. The report is the work performed towards the [8] Kiran Ghodvinde & S. [Link] “ Structural
optimization of the automobile chassis with Stress Analysis of an Automotive Vehicle
constraints of stiffness and strength. The modeling is Chassis” International Journal on Mechanical
done using Catia, and analysis is done using Ansys. Engineering and Robotics (IJMER), ISSN (Print)
The overhangs of the chassis are calculated for the : 2321-5747, Volume-2, Issue-6,2014
stresses and deflections analytically are compared with [9] Teo Han Fui and Roslan Abd. Rahman Statics and
the results obtained with the analysis software. Dynamics Structural Analysis of A 4.5 Ton Truck
Chassis, Jurnal Mekanikal December 2007, No.
CONCLUSION: 24, 56 - 67
The main aim of the paper is to review the various [10] Patel Vijaykumar V and Prof. R. I. Patel
works done on the chassis. In this most of the authors “Structural Analysis of Automotive Chassis
works for static analysis with the actual loading Frame and Design Modification for Weight
conditions. The structural analysis was cried out with Reduction”, International Journal of Engineering
finite element methods. Optimization is done by Research & Technology (IJERT) Vol. 1 Issue 3,
reducing the weight of the chassis by finite element May – 2012
analysis through stress and static analysis. All the [11] Monika [Link] “Finite Element Analysis of
work in this literature can be use to better enhance the Truck Chassis Frame”, International Research
design of chassis for optimization and reducing the Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET)
size of chassis. e-ISSN: 2395-0056 Volume: 02 Issue: 03, June-
2015 (A.1)
[12] [Link] Kumar & [Link] “Design &
REFERENCES Analysis of Automobile Chassis”, International
Journal of Engineering Science and Innovative
[1] Hemant [Link], Sharad [Link], Eknath Technology (IJESIT) Volume 5, Issue 1, January
[Link] “Stress Analysis of Automotive Chassis 2016.
with Various Thicknesses”, IOSR Journal of
Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE)
Vol. 6 Issue 1, 2013,pp 44-49.
[2] Patel Vijaykumar V, Prof. R. I. Patel, “Structural
Analysis of Automotive Chassis Frame and
Design Modification for Weight Reduction”
International Journal of Engineering Research &
Technology (IJERT) 2012, Vol. 1 Issue 3
[3] Roslan Abd Rahman, Mohd Nasir Tamin, Ojo
Kurdi “Stress analysis of heavy duty truck chassis
as a preliminary data for its fatigue life prediction
using FEM” Jurnal Mekanikal December 2008,
No. 26, 76 – 85.
[4] Cicek Karaoglu, N. Sefa Kuralay “Stress analysis
of a truck chassis with riveted joints” Elsevier
Science B.V Finite Elements in Analysis and
Design 38 (2002) 1115–1130.
[5] Mohd Azizi Muhammad Nora,, Helmi Rashida,
Wan Mohd Faizul Wan Mahyuddin “Stress
Analysis of a Low Loader Chassis” Elsevier Ltd.
Sci Verse Science Direct Procedia Engineering 41
( 2012 ) 995 – 1001.
[6] Jadav Chetan S., Panchal Khushbu C., Patel
Fajalhusen “A Review of the Fatigue Analysis of
an Automobile Frames” International Journal of
Advanced Computer Research, Volume-2
Number-4 Issue-6 December-2012, (ISSN (print):
2249-7277 ISSN (online): 2277-7970).
68