Module overview
This module will first be offered in 2021/22.
This module introduces students to the design of safe and eco-friendly vehicles for road transportation in the twenty-first century. Different aspects of design and operation of modern automobile systems will be discussed, including vehicle performance, handling, and ride.
Linked modules
Pre-Requisite: FEEG2002
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain and quantify the effect of this on design, ability to work with technical uncertainty.
- Apply quantitative and computational methods to assess performance and stability of road vehicles. to design improvements, using advanced problem solving skills to establish rigorous and creative solutions, that are fit for purpose for all aspects of the problem, including production, operation, maintenance and disposal.
- Understanding of, and an ability to apply an integrated systems approach in the functional design of gear trains and gearboxes.
- Analyse and assess quantitatively vehicle performance, handling, and ride.
- Identify, classify and describe the performance of different typologies of suspension systems through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques.
- Use fundamental knowledge to investigate new and emerging technologies in automotive chassis and powertrain design.
Partial CEng Programme Level Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- As part of the assignment students are expected to look for sources of information other than what is presented to them in lectures and evaluate technical literature in order to address a complex problem of designing a manual gearbox.
- Students quantitatively analyse and assess vehicle performance, handling, and ride using mathematics, statistics and engineering principles. For example, analysis of suspension kinematics predicts pitch motion using anti-dive and anti-lift coefficients and reveals the trade-off when optimising for braking verses acceleration. The knowledge is assessed via a final written examination.
- Students produce an efficient design of a manual gearbox that generates less pollution. Students compare various types of transmission systems and evaluate their societal and environmental impacts. Tyre design is discussed in terms of the competing demands of performance, noise, fuel economy, and end-of-use environmental impact.
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Gears and bearings
- Understanding the contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied: engineering principles of road vehicle dynamics
- Manual and automatic gearboxes.
- Clutches, torque converters, and differentials
- The common typologies of suspensions and steering systems.
- Different typologies of traditional and hybrid powertrains and their underlying engineering principles.
Full CEng Programme Level Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Students must use their fundamental knowledge of powertrain to investigate new and emerging technologies in automotive chassis and powertrain design. As part of the student assignment, a comprehensive knowledge of mathematics, statistics, and engineering principles would be harnessed to address, for example, the complexities of manual gearbox design by optimising gear ratios, considering torque distribution, and minimising energy losses, while integrating data from real-world testing and simulations. Their solutions would be informed by up-to-date research and an awareness of the broader engineering landscape.
- In the Chassis vibration assignment, students employ mathematics, statistics, and engineering principles to tackle chassis dynamics and vibration control intricacies. They use advanced mathematical models to predict and analyse vibrations, validating with statistical methods. Solutions align with cutting-edge chassis design, shaped by current research and emerging engineering trends.
- In the Chassis vibration assignment, students analyse the chassis as a complex interconnected system, considering how various components including suspension and tires influence vibration characteristics. Students employ engineering principles, mathematical modelling, and simulations to optimise the entire system for reduced vibrations and improved ride comfort, recognising interdependencies among elements.
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Listening, identifying learning needs, evaluating sources and data, interpretation of data, problem solving, problem analysis.
Syllabus
Automotive Chassis
An introduction to vehicle dynamics and automotive chassis, including
- Tyres characteristics and performance
- Vehicle performance: traction & braking
- Handling and stability: steady cornering, lateral dynamics & stability
- Road holding and comfort: suspensions, chassis vibration isolation
Powertrain
An introduction to automotive powertrain, including
- Engine vibrations
- Clutches
- Torque Converters
- Gears & Bearings
- Gear trains and planetary gear trains
- Manual and automated gearboxes, CVT
- Differential gearboxes
- An overview of Hybrid Electric Vehicles & powertrain
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include
- Lectures including examples and guest lectures
- Demonstrations and video material when appropriate
- Solutions to assigned problems
Learning activities include
- Individual reading of background material and course texts.
- Work on examples, solutions provided.
- Coursework assignments: to solve a design problem and produce a short report.
Type | Hours |
---|---|
Teaching | 39 |
Independent Study | 111 |
Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
Textbooks
T. Gillespie (1992). Fundamentals of Vehicle Dynamics. SAE International.
Naunheimer, H., Bertsche, B., Ryborz, J., Novak, W (2014). Automotive Transmissions: Fundamentals, Selection, Design and Application..
G. Rill (2011). Road Vehicle Dynamics: Fundamentals and Modelling. CRC Press.
J.E. Shigley, J.J. Uicker (1995). Theory of machines and mechanisms.
M. Guiggiani:. The Science of Vehicle Dynamics. Springer.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Examination | 100% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
Method | Percentage contribution |
---|---|
Examination | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External