The present project deals with the mechanical characterization of elastomere materials. An original method is proposed to identify the material parameters. It consists of performing only one mechanical of an automotive component containing an elastomere material, measuring the displacement/strain field using Digital Image Correlation software. The measured displacements are compared with a simulation results and […]

One of the main issues for automakers in today’s green economy is ensuring their vehicles have the highest fuel economy possible in order to deal with constantly increasing fuel costs. The improved fuel efficiency of vehicles provides money savings for customers, reduced carbon dioxide emissions, less dependency on oil, and lastly increased energy sustainability. The […]

This project will study how underbody components (tailpipe, muffler, rear fascia brackets and spare wheel compartment) withstand thermal loads over time through the use of a heat-transfer model (using RadTherm simulation package) of the vehicle under investigation as well as the first-order Taylor Series expansion. The Taylor Series will be used to calculate the sensitivity […]

The proposed research project seeks to define the environmental advantages and cost challenges associated with the design of two types of alternative fuel vehicles; battery electric and bi-fuel CNG + gasoline, with respect to a changing American market. These alternative fuel vehicles will be compared to traditional internal combustion vehicles and assessed based on the […]

To meet CAFE standards for fuel economy, many new projects are being undertaken. One such method being investigated to achieve these standards is vehicle lightweighting. Each lightweighting project has an associated cost and will have an impact on various functional groups of the vehicle. During this internship, the related functional benefits of lightweighting will be […]