You might be asking yourself why should you care about the inverse lever rule. If an alloy contains multiple phases, the lever rule can be used to determine the proportions of each phase. This rule is analogous to a simple balance, where the composition of the alloy acts as the fulcrum, and the compositions of…
Why are metals important? Metals are used virtually everywhere from paperclips to huge tractors or aircraft. A tractor uses various metals for various components, for example, copper is used to help cool off the engine because of its thermal properties. The engine block is made from cast iron because of its high strength. Finally, the…
This simulation is of a vehicle performing a cornering maneuver. During a cornering maneuver, the rolling motion or roll angle which is felt in the vehicle about the x-axis is a result of the inertial forces acting on the vehicle’s center of gravity and the vertical elasticity of the suspension. The roll axis is the…
Introduction: The purpose of this simulation is to model an automotive suspension and the effect it has on overall vehicle ride quality and comfort. Suspension systems must compromise between ride quality and vehicle handling, depending on the goals of the vehicle being designed. Sports cars have suspension systems that are designed for better handling by…
Introduction: The purpose of this simulation is to model an instance when an automotive suspension is bottomed out. When a suspension system bottom outs, the springs has fully compressed and reached its maximum travel–causing the shock to crash into the bump stop. This can happen when a driver impacts a pothole at a high speed…
Torsional and bending rigidity is a critical parameter for any automobile, especially vehicles with a unibody construction. However, bending rigidity isn’t as critical as torsional rigidity in the design of a vehicle. Unibody torsional rigidity is a measure of the force required to induce a one-degree “twist” in a car’s body structure. Naturally, a higher…
Have you ever asked yourself what are the natural frequencies a truck body-on-frame is subject to? Well, you would if you were trying to design one! One of the key areas of focus in automotive manufacturing research is the reduction of chassis mass and production costs. However, when you begin to reduce the mass of…
Why is FEA important for engineering? Finite Element Analysis (FEA) involves simulating various physical phenomena using the numerical technique known as the Finite Element Method (FEM). Engineers employ FEA software to streamline the design phase, minimizing the need for physical prototypes and experiments, and enhancing product development efficiency while reducing costs. A comprehensive understanding and…
A one-dimensional plane wall of thickness 2L=100mm experiences uniform thermal energy generation of q dot=1000 W/m3 and is convectively cooled at x=+/-50mm by an ambient fluid characterized by T infinity=20°C. If the steady-state temperature distribution within the wall is T(x)=a(L2-x2)+b where a=10 °C /m2 and b=30 °C, what is the thermal conductivity of the wall?…
The temperature distribution across a wall 0.3 m thick at a certain instant of time is T(x) = a + bx + cx2, where T is in degrees Celsius and x is in meters, a = 200 °C, b = -200 °C /m, and c = 30 °C /m2, The wall has a thermal conductivity…