Frame analysis of UNNES electric bus chassis

construction using finite element method

Cite as: AIP Conference Proceedings 1941, 020017 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5028075
Published Online: 28 March 2018

Untoro Nugroho, Samsudin Anis, Rini Kusumawardani, Ahmad Mustamil Khoiron, Syahdan Sigit
Maulana, Muhammad Irvandi, and Zia Putra Mashdiq

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AIP Conference Proceedings 1941, 020017 (2018); https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5028075 1941, 020017

© 2018 Author(s).
 Frame Analysis of UNNES Electric Bus Chassis
Construction Using Finite Element Method
Untoro Nugroho1, a), Samsudin Anis2,b), Rini Kusumawardani1,c), Ahmad Mustamil
Khoiron2,d), Syahdan Sigit Maulana2,e), Muhammad Irvandi2,f) and Zia Putra
Mashdiq2,g)
1
Department of Civil Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kampus Sekaran, Gunungpati, 50229 Semarang,
Indonesia, Tel. +62 24 8508102
2
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universitas Negeri Semarang, Kampus Sekaran, Gunungpati, 50229
Semarang, Indonesia, Tel. +62 24 8508101, Fax. +62 24 8508101
a)
corresponding author: untoro.nugroho@mail.unnes.ac.id
b) samsudin_anis@mail.unnes.ac.id
c) rini.kusumawardani@mail.unnes.ac.id
d) Corresponding author:
amkhoiron@mail.unnes.ac.id e )
ssigitm@gmail.com
f) muhammadirvandi6@gmail.com
g)
putramashdiqzia@gmail.com

Abstract. Designing the chassis needs to be done element simulation analysis to gain chassis strength on an electric bus.
The purpose of this research is to get the results of chassis simulation on an electric bus when having load use FEM
(Finite element method). This research was conduct in several stages of process, such as modeling chassis by Autodesk
Inventor and finite element simulation software. The frame is going to be simulated with static loading by determine
fixed support and then will be given the vertical force. The fixed on the frame is clamped at both the front and rear
suspensions. After the simulation based on FEM it can conclude that frame is still under elastic zone, until the frame
design is safe to use.

INTRODUCTION
Technology in the field of transportation has developed very rapidly, in developed and developing countries.
These developments are required because of the higher levels of human mobility. It is necessary to create a
transportation system that ensures smooth, safe, fast, cheap and convenient human movement whereby it is the main
objective of development of the transportation sector itself1.
Transportation has an important role in human life, so the need for transportation is increasing especially for
types of land transportation such as motorcycles, cars, buses and trucks. Increasing the number of vehicles that can
help human mobility, it has a significant impact on environmental conditions, such as air pollution. Most vehicles
still use internal combustion engines with fossil fuels will produce exhaust emissions that can cause air pollution.
Parameters of air pollution from motor vehicles such as carbon monoxide (CO), Nitrogen oxide (NOx), Methane
(CH4), non-methane (NonCH4), Sulfur dioxide (SOx) and Particles (SPM10) can have an effect on global
warming2.
One of public transportation is widely used and with a large, enough capacity is the bus. The total capacity of
more than seven people makes the bus as a vehicle that can be effective in human mobility, by reducing the number
of private vehicles used on the road. Buses generally use diesel engines that are in the internal combustion engine
group. The results of incomplete combustion in the engine can release gases of NOx, CO, and HO that can pollute

Engineering International Conference (EIC2017)

AIP Conf. Proc. 1941, 020017-1–020017-4; https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5028075
Published by AIP Publishing. 978-0-7354-1633-8/$30.00

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the environment. Diesel engines in addition to producing some of these gases also produce soot emissions of
identical black smoke out of diesel engines when acceleration or full load occurs. Fuel cell buses and battery electric
buses have some key advantages over Diesel engine as, not producing any pollutant emissions directly from their
operation, noiseless and highly efficient 3. In the design stage of a bus, chassis is the central frame of a vehicle,
which has to carry all the components and support all the loads. These loads include the weight of each component
and the forces, which manifest during acceleration, deceleration and cornering 4.
Chassis is a frame that serves as a reinforcement of vehicle body construction in order to support the weight of
the vehicle and impact loads during a crash so that it can protect the passengers 4. From several types of chassis, the
exact type of chassis for an electric bus is the ladder chassis types made from mild steel. Because this type of
chassis, provides strong support of heavy loads and has materials, produce mechanical strength to resist the force
from various directions. The stress analysis technique used in each scenario is selected based upon the frequency
intensity of load excitations and the dynamic responses of the structure 5. Numerical simulations based on FEM,
verified with experiments, can be used as efficient and reliable tool in redesign of the complex construction such as
bus construction6. In other side, the magnitude of the stress can used to predict the life span of the truck chassis 7.
The statement above means that numerical simulation based on FEM is the effective way to investigate design and
predict life span of bus chassis.

METHOD

This electric bus uses mild steel and designed using ladder frame. The first step of the method is establishment of
the geometry model by using Autodesk Inventor Professional software, the next material is given at the frame by
using Finite Element Simulation Software, then determine geometry fixed setting, input force on part, running mesh
process, then result static load simulation. The final step is calculating data. This frame is going to be simulated with
static loading by determine fixed support and then will be given the vertical force. The fixed on the frame is clamped
at both the front and rear suspensions.The Material Properties as shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1. Material properties For Mild Steel
Mechanical Properties Standard
Mass Density 7850 kg/m3
Yield Strength 207 MPa
Ultimate Tensile Strength 345 MPa
Young’s Modulus 220 GPa
Poisson’s Ratio 0.275

SIMULATION AND DISCUSSION

FIGURE 1. Geometry and Force direction of the model.

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 The result is taken from the simulation is a good distribution and the resulting stress, from maximum stress
distribution and the strength of the structure is analyzed in terms of material, whether it is still within safe limits
yield criteria or not. To determine geometry and force direction, this feature is facility given Autodesk Inventor
aimed to design a model will be analyze as shown Fig. 1.

FIGURE 2. Displacement Distribution

FIGURE 3. Normal Stress Distribution

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 The result for the simulation show total deformation, equivalent stress, normal stress, shear stress, and Torsional
stress shown as the analysis results based on FEM follow:
TABLE 2. Static Result Summary
Name Minimum Maximum
Displacement 0.000 mm 94609.247 mm
Fx -1397124.141 N 1346963.799 N
Forces Fy -24084079.201 N 19384226.712 N
Fz -1436508.483 N 1465364.074 N

Mx -1,700E+010 N mm 2.642427147649E+009 N mm
Moments My -357388844.956 N mm 210776598.766 N mm
Mz -328674383.067 N mm 346743282.539 N mm

Smax -13.709 MPa 1076648.766 MPa

Smin -1076705.011 MPa 126.850 MPa
Smax(Mx) 1.468 MPa 1071486.069 MPa
Normal Stresses Smin(Mx) -1071486.069 MPa -1.468 MPa
Smax(My) 0.000 MPa 106118.650 MPa
Smin(My) -106118.650 MPa -0.000 MPa
Saxial -4082.876 MPa 4002.477 MPa

Shear Stresses Tx -10625.047 MPa 10278.771 MPa

Ty -49449.234 MPa 61438.575 MPa
Torsional Stresses T -20639.481 MPa 19563. 951 MPa

According to the comparison, the extremely close maximum stress between them indicates that the finite element
model of a frame is reliable.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the simulation by giving loads as shown Table 2. has been done to chassis then the results of this
research are if the maximum stress are compared with material properties stress, so it can be taken some conclusions
such as static loading occurs at chassis structure safe condition to receive that loading, it seems that the biggest
stress occurs is still under allowable material stress.

REFERENCES

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