Basic Chassis Research Articles

Conceptual design of an electric vehicle chassis using topology optimization method

Abstract Nowadays, the chassis represents the most important structural part of the vehicle, that has a great influence on the passenger’s safety. Lately, topology optimization represents a vital part of the automotive design process. The chassis design can improve the stability and rigidity of the vehicle for accurate handling. In this paper is presented the conceptual design of an EV (electric vehicle) chassis generated by using the topology optimization method. The introduction of the paper presents the latest method used in automotive optimization and the theoretical aspects. In the second part, the basic chassis structure is modelled using CAD software. The objective of this optimization study is to decrease the mass of the chassis to a minimum, without affecting the mechanical properties. Two optimization cases are studied using the steel and aluminium allow material at different boundary conditions. At the final of this research, all results are compared, and the conclusions are presented.

The development directions of light-duty electric vehicle designs in the aspect of resource saving

Problem. Every year, light-duty electric vehicles are used more and more for the delivery of various industrial goods, food products, and postal items to end consumers, in particular, on the orders of individuals. Such electric vehicles are called last-mile delivery vehicles. According to the main design and operational parameters, they belong to two categories – to three- or four-wheeled motor vehicles of category L and four-wheeled category N1. Today, light-duty electric vehicles with very different load capacities (from 50 kg to 800 kg) and autonomous mileage (from 30 km to more than 150 km) are manufactured and operated. It is clear that their operational characteristics are so different that their adequate comparison of different models is very often practically meaningless. And the selection of the values of the main technical and operational parameters at the stage of developing sketch proposals according to different structural schemes and on the basis of different aggregate base causes significant problems. Goal. The determination of the directions of development of the domestic field of design and production of promising competitive models of light-duty electric vehicles, taking into account modern problems of resource conservation, and development of recommendations regarding the selection of the values of their main technical and operational parameters and characteristic relative indicators. Methodology. On the basis of analytical studies, the classification of light-duty electric vehicles by load capacity was developed and the determination, taking into account the developed classification, of the recommended values of their defining technical and operational parameters. On the basis of expert assessment of existing systems of modular unification of structures of light-duty electric vehicles, the concept of their modular design system was developed. Results. On the basis of analytical studies, the classification of light-duty electric vehicles by load capacity was developed and the determination, taking into account the developed classification, of the recommended values of their defining technical and operational parameters. On the basis of expert assessment of existing systems of modular unification of structures of light-duty electric vehicles, the concept of their modular design system was developed. Originality. The relative indicators of the technical excellence of light-duty electric vehicles are proposed, the concept of a modular design system of standard-sized series of maximum-unified basic chassis of such vehicles is developed. Practical value. The proposed classification of small-capacity electric vehicles by cargo capacity greatly facilitates the selection of their relative evaluation indicators and operational parameters at the stage of developing draft proposals for the creation of promising and competitive models for the organization.

ОБҐРУНТУВАННЯ ТЕХНІЧНИХ ВИМОГ ДО ВЛАСТИВОСТЕЙ СУЧАСНИХ ЗРАЗКІВ РУХОМИХ ЗАСОБІВ ТЕХНІЧНОГО ОБСЛУГОВУВАННЯ І РЕМОНТУ РАКЕТНО-АРТИЛЕРІЙСЬКОГО ОЗБРОЄННЯ

Today's realities have led to the fact that in various sources they are actively considering the issue of finding options for improving the system of repair and restoration of weapons and military equipment in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and improving (modernization) of mobile means of maintenance and repair of anti-aircraft weapons. Of course, in most cases, the subject of these works is the consideration of means of maintenance and repair of automotive equipment, somewhat less often of armored weapons and equipment, and, unfortunately, there are almost no works related to mobile means of maintenance and repair of missile and artillery weapons. The previous article was devoted to the analysis of the composition of mobile means of maintenance and repair of missile and artillery weapons in the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the procedure for their use. The issue of improving the existing mobile means of maintenance and repair of weapons of the missile and artillery nomenclature was also considered. The material presented in it created the conditions for justifying in this article the technical requirements for the properties of mobile means of maintenance and repair of missile and artillery weapons. In the opinion of the authors, it is appropriate to substantiate such properties as maintainability, technological equipment and cost-effectiveness of repair samples of missile and artillery weapons. The substantiation of the above technical requirements will create all the prerequisites for the development of recommendations necessary for the development of mobile means of maintenance and repair of modern missile and artillery weapons, the main ones of which may be - recommendations regarding the basic chassis and body of a van (container), regarding the equipment and specialization of the workshop and regarding the functional filling and calculation of the workshop. Keywords: missile and artillery weapons, ground weapon systems, mobile vehicle, repair, restoration.

Формирование облика перспективного базового шасси для мобильных технических средств пожаротушения в арктических зонах Российской Федерации

The paper proposes the design of a promising platform as a base chassis (BC) for mobile firefighting equipment in the Arctic zones of the Russian Federation. The methodology is based on a system analysis. It included the analysis of climatic and soil conditions in the Arctic zones of the Russian Federation. The creation of such special platforms as basic chassis for the placement of fire extinguishing means is highly relevant. The study demonstrates the main ways and defines the methods of creating new and improving existing basic chassis of special equipment in order to prevent the occurrence and elimination of the consequences of emergency situations. It analyses the structure of existing and prospective BC and identifies the main structural units as the main parameter when creating new and improving existing BC. The paper considers the effectiveness of the BC as a component element of the effectiveness of mobile fire extinguishing means. It also determines the main indicators characterizing the efficiency of the BC and proposes the concept of an articulated multi-component BC. It highlights the main features characterizing the articulated BC as promising for use in extreme climatic conditions of the Arctic zones of the Russian Federation. The signs include multi-sectionality, a single energy module, adaptive distribution of power flows between sections, quick-release connections between sections. The formation of a transport train according to the number and composition of sections is based on the type, remoteness of the emergency center, weather conditions and terrain at the location of the center and on the way to it.

Аналіз конструкції кузова вантажного транспортного засобу

Transport is an important component of the unified transport system of our country, which helps to meet the needs of the population and social production in passenger transportation and cargo delivery. Special attention is paid to specialized rolling stock of road transport. The design parameters of modern truck bodies should take into account the defining properties of the transported cargo, operating conditions and special requirements for their transportation. The purpose of the body actually determines the scope of the vehicle (or vice versa). The purpose of this paper is to analyze the bodies of vehicles in terms of their purpose, design, and layout, which are widely used in all sectors of the national economy and must meet the stated requirements. A truck is a vehicle that is designed and equipped for the transportation of goods. It is divided into general purpose, specialized and special purpose. The basis for building a family of trucks is the basic chassis. Since the cargo (products) differ in their properties, certain requirements are imposed on the vehicle body for its transportation, in particular - for sand, gravel - an open body is required; - for cement, animal feed - a closed body with the possibility of constant mixing; - for liquids (food and chemical products) - sealed tanks, in which the liquid should not react with the tank material; - for perishable products - isothermal refrigerators that can be used for cooling or heating; - for building materials, long materials, floor panels, a special frame structure is required. Depending on the body design, it is possible to produce a frame, semi-frame or frameless body. The cross-section of the body is selected for different cargoes based on the need to ensure a lower center of gravity of the cargo, complete unloading of the cargo, and the required structural rigidity. An additional requirement for the design of bodies is compliance with specified thermal properties, which are achieved through the use of insulating materials and a cooling system. Based on the data obtained from the analysis of the body design, taking into account the requirements for the transported cargo and operating conditions, it is possible to develop basic criteria for improving the quality of transportation and selecting rolling stock, both for each individual cargo, transportation in general, and for industry purposes.

Heterologous expression of C30 carotenoid biosynthetic gene crtNM from Lactiplantibacillus plantarum.

Probiotic lactic acid bacterium Lactiplantibacillus plantarum is widely used in the dairy and other fermented food industries. L. plantarum AR113 harbors a C30 carotenoid operon crtNM based on genomic analysis, but the yield of C30 carotenoid is only 8.1μg g-1 DCW. To improve the productivity of C30 carotenoid, crtNM from L. plantarum AR113 was cloned and reconstructed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). The proteins crtN and crtM were successfully expressed based on a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, and the carotenoid was detected using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS). In comparison with the constitutive promoter P44 , the use of the inducible T7 promoter significantly increased the carotenoid content in E. coli. The fermentation conditions were also optimized with induction by 0.5 mmol/L IPTG at 20 °C for 7h. The yield of C30 carotenoid reached 154.5μg g-1 DCW, which was 18-fold higher than that of L. plantarum AR113. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl (DPPH) and 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6sulfonic acid (ABTS) radical scavenging capacity of C30 carotenoids synthesized by heterologous expression in E. coli was also higher than that of the antioxidant food additive butylated hydroxytoluene. Our findings suggest that E. coli has strong potential as a basic chassis for the production of C30 carotenoids from Lactiplantibacillus with high antioxidant activity. © 2022 Society of Chemical Industry.

Bi-Directional Drone Design and its Path Planning

There are two aspects to my project, one is optimized bi-directional drone designing and other is its path planning. The optimization in design lies in the fact that my drone can carry load both in +z and –z axis if its direction of motion is in x-y plane. This design optimization helps the drone to carry more payload than drones of same frame(basic chassis) weight category. In other words, my drone has greater payload to its own weight ratio(almost 0.8) than other drones with almost similar or same functionalities. Coming to path planning algorithm, I have taken a mathematical induction approach to solve the problem statement by clearly defining our conditions to follow to remain in the specified path along with constraints lying in the path. My goal as a path planner has to ensure that the drone follows the conditions specified without grappling into obstacles. Also, to achieve the desired goal in least possible time. The paths traversed by the drone would be stored into the memory processing system of the drone for future development of algorithm.

The dynamic loads of mobile continuous earthmoving machine during the working body lock

working body is locked significant dynamic loads appear that influence the drive shaft and might lead to the machine breakdown. Preliminary approximate calculation of these loads is made according to oneor two-mass dynamic loads. For more detailed and precise analysis of dynamic load in drive shaft elements of the earth moving machines it is necessary to review the multimass model machine element movement. Goal. The aim of research is definition of the dynamic load and working out methodology that appears in the continuous earth digging machine elements during working body lock. Methodology. The discreet dynamic system dynamic and mathematical model construction is performed by means of the programming language Modelica. The model relevance is assessed via a two-mass model analytical solution. Results. Drive shaft element loading is assessed via the dynamic coefficient, which depends on kinematic, flexible and inertial machine parameters. Originality For the first time the continuous earth digging machine dynamic model that enables the automobile chassis drive shaft to interact with the continuous digging chain is constructed. It was determined that the drive shaft dynamic loading parameter correlation change upon the earth digging machine working body meaningful parameters. With designed model usage, the input data for transmission element engineering calculation was defined and the automobile basic chassis construction, equipped with the continuous digging chain. Practical value. The obtained dynamic factor value and developed methodology can be applied during continuous earth moving machine designing and calculation. Dynamic load decrease is possible through shaft stiffness and rotating mass inertia adjustment, and also by introducing elastic protecting frictional coupling with a controlling device.

Компоновка технологического оборудования на базовом шасси мобильного транспортно-перегрузочного канатного комплекса

Компоновка технологического оборудования на базовом шасси мобильного транспортно-перегрузочного канатного комплекса

Методологічні основи оптимізації рішень в проектах створення автомобілів оперативних служб

The article discusses the problems of finding the optimal concept for creation’s projects of new generation operational cars taking into account the multipurpose nature of their functioning. The analysis of the purpose of operational vehicles, the generalization of the functions of operational vehicles is carried out, the elements are determined by which the requirements for them are formed, the general requirements for operational vehicles and a performance criterion for an operational vehicle are proposed, and the compliance of existing operational vehicles with the established requirements. A new approach to assessing the operational characteristics of an operational vehicle as an integrated system is proposed, and the requirements are determined, the compliance with which will ensure the highest efficiency of an operational vehicle. Such approach is associated with solving a complex of problems throughout the entire life cycle of operational vehicles as a polysyllabic optimization problem. The solution to this problem should mainly be based on the development of theoretical and methodological foundations and new information technologies for determining and ensuring the efficiency of operational vehicles during their operation in order to rationally substantiate design parameters according to the corresponding efficiency criterion associated with the temporal characteristics of their functioning in the environment of intended use. The creation (selection) of the base chassis is one of the most critical stages of the design and construction processes of operational vehicles. The chassis created (selected) for such vehicle must have such parameters (structural, operational, economic) that minimize the target function of the fire truck, at given costs for the production and operation of equipment. Concrete measures are proposed for the creation (selection) of basic chassis of operational vehicles.

Development of a Navigation System for an Educational Mobile Robot

The process of developing a navigation system for an educational mobile robot is considered. The analysis of the existing navigation systems of mobile robots is carried out, the hardware of the navigation systems is presented, their advantages and disadvantages are shown. A diagram of the interaction of on-board subsystems during the autonomous movement of a mobile robot is presented. The design of the basic chassis of the educational mobile robot and its technical characteristics are described. A block diagram of the interaction of ROS packages (robotic operating system) for creating a terrain map using a laser ranger is developed, as well as a block diagram of the interaction of ROS packages for the an educational mobile robot tracing. Considering the studies, conclusions are drawn on the applicability of the proposed implementation of a laser ranger based navigation system for an educational mobile robot.

Functional Annotation of Proteins Encoded by the Minimal Bacterial Genome Based on Secondary Structure Element Alignment.

In synthetic biology, one of the key focuses is building a minimal artificial cell which can provide basic chassis for functional study. Recently, the J. Craig Venter Institute published the latest version of the minimal bacterial genome JCVI-syn3.0, which only encoded 438 essential proteins. However, among them functions of 149 proteins remain unknown because of the lack of effective annotation method. Here, we report a secondary structure element alignment method called SSEalign based on an effective training data set extracting from various bacterial genomes. The experimentally validated homologous genes in different species were selected as training positives, while unrelated genes in different species were selected as training negatives. Moreover, SSEalign used a set of well-defined basic alignment elements with the backtracking line search algorithm to derive the best parameters for accurate prediction. Experimental results showed that SSEalign achieved 88.2% test accuracy, which is better than the existing prediction methods. SSEalign was subsequently applied to identify the functions of those unannotated proteins in the latest published minimal bacteria genome JCVI-syn3.0. Results indicated that at least 136 proteins out of 149 unannotated proteins in the JCVI-syn3.0 genome could be annotated by SSEalign. Our method is effective for the identification of protein homology in JCVI-syn3.0 and can be used to annotate those hypothetical proteins in other bacterial genomes.

Integrated Torque Vectoring Control for a Three-Axle Electric Bus Based on Holistic Cornering Control Method

An integrated chassis control framework that consists of a basic chassis controller and a torque vectoring controller is designed for a three-axle electric bus with distributed motor-driven and active rear steering subsystems. In the basic chassis controller, the active speed limiting control is integrated for antisideslip and antirollover purposes, and the interaxle torque distribution ratio is optimized for energy economy. Meanwhile, the active rear steering control is designed for the tire-wear coordinating purpose. In the torque vectoring controller, the model-based motion control algorithm based on the holistic cornering control method is designed, by which a torque increment is generated at each wheel to change the plane motion states of the vehicle. To solve the optimal torque increment vector, a real-time constrained quadratic programming problem is formulated. The constraints related to the wheel torque limits, the tire friction limits, and the anti-wheel-slip requirements are constructed and converted as the upper and lower bounds of the increments of the longitudinal tire forces. To verify the performance of the control framework, a Trucksim-Simulink cooperative test platform is established. The test results show satisfactory performances on energy economy, anti-wheel-slip, and the safety and stability of the motion control.

Design and Simulation Study of Small Four Wheel Vehicle Chassis for Single Driver

This paper highlights the development and vibration analysis of a four wheel vehicle chassis for single driver. A chassis is developed and proved to have a strong structure and minimized vibration. First, this project is concentrating on determining the static stress and strain concentrated on the chassis structure as well as determining the resultant displacement of the chassis frame with applied load exerted on the chassis. This is vital because the chassis acts as the main frame of the vehicle that subjected to stress, strain and vibration during the vehicle moves. Second, this project is also focussing on the developing a chassis structure for a four wheel vehicle for single driver system with a minimum vibration since vibration could cause the efficiency and the performance of a vehicle to drop. In this paper, the results obtained from the static test conducted on the basic chassis frame structure designed by using Solidworks software are presented as well as the fabricated basic chassis frame structure. The three dimensional modelling chassis frame structure is designed using Solidworks software and the static test is conducted in the simulation environment of the Solidworks software as well. The fabrication of the basic chassis frame structure is fabricated using the selected material which is the 25mm x 25mm square mild steel tube with the thickness of 1.6mm and the method of welding is used in developing the chassis. The developed chassis frame structure is able to withstand the applied load with a satisfactory factor of safety (FOS). The chassis structure will further modified and improved into a integrated chassis structure combining with engine, wheels, brakes, motor and steering system.

Chosen Problems of Selection the Basic Chassis for the Special Purpose Body

The chosen problems of selection the basic chassis for special purpose body are presented in the paper. The technical data of chassis have to go through various tests, most often within the proving ground tests. The paper contains the analysis of chosen tests and their usefulness in the design process of special purpose vehicle.

MagicWand: A Single, Designed Peptide That Assembles to Stable, Ordered α-Helical Fibers

We describe a straightforward single-peptide design that self-assembles into extended and thickened nano-to-mesoscale fibers of remarkable stability and order. The basic chassis of the design is the well-understood dimeric alpha-helical coiled-coil motif. As such, the peptide has a heptad sequence repeat, abcdefg , with isoleucine and leucine residues at the a and d sites to ensure dimerization. In addition, to direct staggered assembly of peptides and to foster fibrillogenesisthat is, as opposed to blunt-ended discrete speciesthe terminal quarters of the peptide are cationic and the central half anionic with lysine and glutamate, respectively, at core-flanking e and g positions. This +,-,-,+ arrangement gives the peptide its name, MagicWand (MW). As judged by circular dichroism (CD) spectra, MW assembles to alpha-helical structures in the sub-micromolar range and above. The thermal unfolding of MW is reversible with a melting temperature >70 degrees C at 100 muM peptide concentration. Negative-stain transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of MW assemblies reveals stiff, straight, fibrous rods that extended for tens of microns. Moreover, different stains highlight considerable order both perpendicular and parallel to the fiber long axis. The dimensions of these features are consistent with bundles of long, straight coiled alpha-helical coiled coils with their axes aligned parallel to the long axis of the fibers. The fiber thickening indicates inter-coiled-coil interactions. Mutagenesis of the outer surface of the peptide i.e., at the b and f positionscombined with stability and microscopy measurements, highlights the role of electrostatic and cation-pi interactions in driving fiber formation, stability and thickening. These findings are discussed in the context of the growing number of self-assembling peptide-based fibrous systems.

Adjustable Downhole Choke Technology Facilitates Intelligent-Completion Push

If Susquehanna Financial Group’s estimates are correct, the intelligent-wells sector is about to take off, with the market doubling this year vs. last, to U.S. $200 million, and potentially growing to $600 million by 2010. Susquehanna is basing its estimates on two trends: a shift to longer-term, multiwell contracts and greater demand for intelligent completions from independent oil and gas producers. Another factor that may also be influential in the projected growth of this market is the evolution of adjustable downhole choke technology. For example, since the first installation of Baker Oil Tools’ HCM-A variable downhole choke in December 2003, the remotely controlled, multiposition hydraulic choke has been the fastest-growing segment of the company’s intelligent-completions business. Adjustable chokes offer advantages in flow control and reliability to solve a wider range of completion and production problems than standard open/close flow-control technology. The technology has been shown to improve the economics of marginal fields and could help to explain the Susquehanna report’s conclusion that, although they have been late coming to the party, independents are now viewed as repeat customers with increased demand for intelligent completions. Choke Anatomy The HCM-A combines the basic chassis from Baker Oil Tools’ HCM surface-controlled sliding sleeves with incremental-choking technology. A balanced hydraulic piston opens and closes the choke. A tungsten carbide choke assembly and J-mechanism selectively adjust the choke without the need for complex electronics downhole. The choke is infinitely variable, with the understanding that six intermediate choke settings between fully open and fully closed must be selected by machining a profile before tool installation. Nodal analysis and reservoir studies are used to determine the optimum choke settings to achieve completion objectives. These may include any or all of the following: maximized oil production, reduced water cut, improved oil blend quality, sand control, avoidance of crossflow and consequent production losses, compliance with regulatory production restrictions, and production above the bubblepoint to avoid gas dropout in the reservoir. Input parameters for the nodal analysis include completion configuration, fluid properties, productivity indexes, wellhead pressures, formation pressures, and artificial-lift design. An advantage of the design is that the choke settings can be selected and changed in the field without the need to ship the tool back to the plant for rebuild. With demonstrated reliability and the additional functionality of a variable choke, intelligent-well systems can provide value by solving a wide range of completion and production problems, including addressing crossflow risks in commingled production, distributing water injection among multiple zones, and matching productivity or injectivity to optimize electrical-submersible-pump (ESP) performance. Dump-Flood Application In one case study, an operator in Nigeria elected to use an adjustable-choke-enabled intelligent well to initiate a waterflood without the need for a costly and long-lead-time surface infra-structure system. In this case, the pressure in the producing interval has been significantly depleted. However, significant additional oil volumes remain. To recover the remaining incremental reserves, the operator opted to initiate a waterflood to increase the reservoir pressure and sweep additional volumes of oil into the producing wells. The drawback to this option was the time and cost associated with implementing the surface infrastructure to inject upwards of 100,000 bbl of water.

Remote controlled helicopters: a tool for air sampling in difficult situations

Remote-controlled (RC) sampling helicopters were designed and constructed for use as air sampling platforms. These units employed hobby-kits as a basic chassis. Sampling instruments mounted included sampling pumps with sorption of indicator tubes, detection instrumentation and evacuated gas sampling canisters. Example of system usage is given, along with the description of the X-Cell, the third generation of RC helicopter developed by the Emergencies Science Division (ESD). Also reported here are data on Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) as collected in the smoke plume of the Newfoundland Offshore Burn Experiment (NOBE).

Crosswind Sensitivity of Passenger Cars and the Influence of Chassis and Aerodynamic Properties on Driver Preferences

SUMMARY Results of vehicle crosswind research involving both full-scale driver-vehicle tests and associated analyses are presented. The paper focuses on experimental crosswind testing of several different vehicle configurations and a group of seven drivers. A test procedure, which utilized wind-generating fans arranged in alternating directions to provide a crosswind “gauntlet”, is introduced and described. Driver preferences for certain basic chassis and aerodynamic properties are demonstrated and linked to elementary system responses measured during the crosswind gauntlet tests. Based on these experimental findings and confirming analytical results, a two-stage vehicle design process is then recommended for predicting and analyzing the crosswind sensitivity of a particular vehicle or new design.

Economical Solid State Stereo Radio-Phonograph Designs

The premium cost areas of conventional transistor circuit design are reviewed. Performance attained in simplified designs is given for the tuner, multiplex detector, audio and power source chosen. Specific attention is given to AM and FM sensitivity, limiting, spurious response, and strong signal handling. New approaches to multiplex processing and tuning indication are described. A flexible audio system design and integrated packaging results in a basic chassis for a series of high fidelity instruments.