On the Use of a Hybrid Metallic-Composite Design to Increase Mechanical Performance of an Automotive Chassis

Abstract

Thanks to the introduction of high-performance composite materials, 'metal replacement' approaches are successfully gaining ground even in the most challenging engineering applications. Among these, one of the most recent application challenges is improving the driving range of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs) by adopting innovative materials to lighten the mass of structural components, thus reducing energy requirements and enabling the use of smaller and less expensive batteries. Hence, in the present work, the employment of laminated composite panels in an electric minibus chassis is investigated as an effective way to reduce the global mass of the chassis’ structure and, at the same time, to increase its structural performances in terms of torsional stiffness and crashworthiness. By replacing specific steel tubulars with carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) laminated composite structures, different chassis configurations were numerically developed and detailed simulations to compare both masses and mechanical responses were carried out. The paper proves that with this approach it is possible to lighten the chassis up to 9%, while achieving a 7% increase in torsional stiffness and a 9% increase in Specific Energy Absorption (SEA).

Numerical and experimental investigation of quasi-static indentation response of PVC foam sandwich and GFRP laminated composites

“…Composite materials application in advanced engineering domains like the aviation, automotive, and sports industries has significantly increased during the past several years [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Analysis of the thermal expansion coefficient of glass- and carbon-fibre-reinforced composites

“…Such a material combination makes it possible to obtain elements that cannot be produced using conventional methods (Wang et al, 2007). Composites play a significant role in many areas of the aerospace (Bielawski et al, 2015), space (Samuel et al, 2021), shipbuilding (Barsotti et al, 2020), defence (Siengchin, 2023), sports and recreation (Ribeiro et al, 2019) and automotive (Garofano et al, 2023) industries. Carbon fibres used in carbon-fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRPs) allow for a significant reduction in vehicle weight while increasing safety (Ahmad et al, 2020).…”

Development of New Hybrid Composites for High-Temperature Applications

“…The demand for lightweight, strong and durable structures has increased in recent years [1,2]. That is why fiber metal laminates are gaining popularity in different applications: automotive, aircraft and space [3][4][5][6]. Fiber metal laminates (FMLs) are hybrid composite structures based on thin metal sheets and layers of fiber-reinforced resin.…”