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Lightweighting of a Vehicle Steering Uprights via Structural-Based Design and FEA Analysis

Year 2024, Volume: 3 Issue: 4, 157 - 170, 31.12.2024

Abstract

In FSAE formula student vehicles, the steering upright connects the wheel and the steering mechanism. Thus, an op-timized upright shape is essential for enhancing vehicle efficiency and wheel performance. This study compares aluminum 6061-T6 with titanium alloy 6Al-4V (aged and treated) for upright development, considering materials science, engineering, and innovative design to optimize component weight. The Topology solver optimizes the geometry, such as a vehicle's upright, by considering other design elements. The safety factor of the topology-optimized titanium alloy Ti 6Al-4V model was 2.6237, compared with 1.554 for aluminum 6061-T6. The safety factor for the topology-optimized model improved by 68.737%. The comparison between 6061-T6 and Ti 6Al-4V alloy, where Ti alloy provides the best optical properties and optimizes the design for weight reduction as well as structural integrity. The up-right validation aligns with prior efforts, exhibiting a difference of less than 1% from the previous findings. ANSYS Workbench was used to analyze the topology and structure, whereas SolidWorks selected and designed the materials. Simulations revealed only 0.0438% deformation and 0.1272% stress variance from the experimental results. 2D plots, contours, and streamlines show these findings. For the automobile industry and motorsport community, the optimized upright model will reduce the car's weight by 2.56 kg and improve its performance.

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There are 28 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Vehicle Technique and Dynamics
Journal Section Articles
Authors

Sk Al Nahian Samin

Sazzad Hossen

K M Mahfuzur Rahman

Ustab Gosh This is me

Publication Date December 31, 2024
Submission Date June 5, 2024
Acceptance Date October 18, 2024
Published in Issue Year 2024 Volume: 3 Issue: 4

Cite

APA Nahian Samin, S. A., Hossen, S., Rahman, K. M. M., Gosh, U. (2024). Lightweighting of a Vehicle Steering Uprights via Structural-Based Design and FEA Analysis. Engineering Perspective, 3(4), 157-170. https://doi.org/10.29228/eng.pers.78029