The Automotive Chassis: Volume 1: Components Design

by Giancarlo Genta, L. Morello

Overview

The aim of the book is to be a reference book in automotive technology, as far as automotive chassis (i.e. everything that is inside a vehicle except the engine and the body) is concerned. The book is a result of a decade of work heavily sponsored by the FIAT group (who supplied material, together with other automotive companies, and sponsored the work). The first volume deals with the design of automotive components and the second volume treats the various aspects of the design of a vehicle as a system.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781402086748
Publisher:	Springer Netherlands
Publication date:	02/13/2009
Series:	Mechanical Engineering Series , #1
Edition description:	2009
Pages:	627
Product dimensions:	6.30(w) x 9.30(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

Giancarlo Genta received his degree in aeronautical engineering (1970) and in aerospace engineering (1971) from the Politecnico di Torino. He started his professional career at the Politecnico di Torino as Assistant of Machine Design and Technologies. In 1983 he was appointed Associate Professor of Aeronautical Engines Design at the Aerospace Engineering School of the Politecnico di Torino; in 1990, he was appointed full professor of the same course. From 1989 to 1995, he served as Director of the Mechanical Engineering Department of the Politecnico di Torino. He hold the course of Applied Stress Analysis - II for the joined Master of Science University of Illinois/Politecnico di Torino, at the Politecnico di Torino. He served as a lecturer in the frame of cooperation projects with developing countries, such as in Kenya (2 years), Somalia (6 months), India (1 month) and at the Bureau International du Travail. Since 1996 and 1999, respectively, he has been corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of Turin and the International Academy of Astronautics; he was elected full member of the latter in 2006. Since 1997 he has been coordinating the Research Doctorate in Mechatronics at Politecnico di Torino. He has been active in research in the field of Machine Design, with a focus on static and dynamic structural analysis. He is author of more than 270 scientific publications, covering many aspects of mechanical design. He is the author of 25 scientific books and 3 science fiction novels.

Lorenzo Morello received his degree on Mechanical Automotive Engineering in 1968 from the Politecnico of Torino. He started his professional career at the Politecnico as an Assistant of Machine Design and Technologies. In 1971 he moved to FIAT, and contributed to the development of some cars and of experimental prototypes for the ESV US Program. He also developed some mathematical model for vehicle suspension androad holding simulation. In 1977, he was appointed manager of the Vehicle Research Unit at FIAT, where he lead the development of many prototypes, such as a urban bus with unitized thin steel sheet body and spot welded joints and a hybrid car. In 1980 he was appointed manager of the Engines Research Unit in the same company. In 1983, he was appointed Director of Products Development. His Division of about 400 people was carrying out power train, chassis and bodies studies, as well as prototype construction. He then joined Fiat Auto and lead to the development of some new car petrol engines and the direct injection diesel (the first in the world for automobile application). He was appointed Director for Power Train Engineering in 1987. In 1994, he was appointed Director of Vehicle Engineering at Fiat, and guided the design and testing of bodies, chassis components, electric and electronic systems, wind tunnels, safety center and other facilities. Upon his retirement in 1999, he became consultant of strategic planning at Elasis. Together with the Fiat Research Center, Lorenzo Morello contributed to the planning of some courses at the Faculty of Automotive Engineering of the Politecnico di Torino. He served as contract professor of Vehicle System Design and of Automotive Transmissions Design at both the Politecnico di Torino and the University of Naples. He coauthored The Automotive Body, published by Springer in 2011 (ISBN 978-94-007-0515-9).

Table of Contents

About the Authors ix

Foreword xiii

Preface xv

Acknowledgements xix

List of Symbols xxi

I Wheels, Structures and Mechanisms 1

Introduction to Part I 3

1 Historical Evolution 7

1.1 Introduction 7

1.2 Rigid axle mechanical linkages 9

1.3 The independent suspension mechanical linkages 19

1.4 Wheels and tires 33

1.5 Brakes 41

1.6 Chassis frame 45

2 Wheels and Tires 53

2.1 Description 53

2.2 Tire operation 59

2.3 Rolling radius 74

2.4 Rolling resistance 75

2.5 Static Forces 88

2.6 Longitudinal Force 90

2.7 Cornering forces 100

2.8 Interaction between longitudinal and side forces 117

2.9 Outline on dynamic behavior 125

2.10 Testing 129

3 Suspensions 133

3.1 Introduction 133

3.2 Independent suspensions 139

3.3 Semi-independent suspensions 190

3.4 Rigid axle suspensions 195

3.5 Industrial vehicles suspensions 199

3.6 Design and testing 207

4 Steering System 239

4.1 Introduction 239

4.2 Steering mechanism 241

4.3 Rack and pinion steering box 248

4.4 Screw and sector steering box 251

4.5 Steering column 253

4.6 Power steering 255

4.7 Design and testing 261

5 Braking System 269

5.1 Introduction 269

5.2 Car brakes 272

5.3 Industrial vehicle brakes 290

5.4 Design and testing 297

6 Control Systems 317

6.1 Steering control 318

6.2 Brake control 326

6.3 Suspension control 340

7 Chassis Structures 351

7.1 Underbody 351

7.2 Subframe 356

7.3 Industrial vehicle frames 360

7.4 Structural tasks 364

7.5 Structural design 371

7.6 Structural testing 378

II Transmission Driveline 383

Introduction to Part II 385

8 Historical Evolution 393

8.1 Manual gearbox 395

8.2 Friction clutches 407

8.3Automatic gearboxes 411

9 Manual Gearboxes 425

9.1 Manual gearbox classification 425

9.2 Mechanical efficiency 428

9.3 Manual automobile gearboxes 430

9.4 Manual gearboxes for industrial vehicles 437

10 Shifting Mechanisms 449

10.1 Internal shifting mechanisms 449

10.2 External shifting mechanisms 453

11 Start-Up Devices 461

11.1 Friction clutch 461

11.2 Start-up devices for automatic gearboxes 473

12 Synchronizers 489

12.1 Description 489

12.2 Design criteria 496

13 Differentials and Final Drives 505

13.1 Differentials and final drives 506

13.2 All wheel drive transfer boxes 510

13.3 Outline of differential theory 513

13.4 Types of self-locking differentials 520

13.5 Differential effect on vehicle dynamics 523

14 Shafts and Joints 533

14.1 Propeller shafts 534

14.2 Half shafts 536

14.3 Universal joints 538

14.4 Constant speed joints 540

15 Automatic Gearboxes 543

15.1 General issues 543

15.2 Car gearboxes with fixed rotation axis 547

15.3 Epicycloidal car gearboxes 554

15.4 Car CVTs 567

15.5 Gearboxes for industrial vehicles 575

15.6 Control strategies 579

16 Design and Testing 593

16.1 Transmission mission 593

16.2 Gears 597

16.3 Shafts 606

16.4 Bearings 607

16.5 Lubricants 608

16.6 Housings and seals 610

16.7 Outline of test technologies 612

References of Volume I 617

Index 621

Editorial Reviews

From the reviews:

"This comprehensive work on the automotive chassis covers a wide range of topics at a high level—both mathematically and in terms of the state-of-the-art in engineering. The first volume treats wheels, suspensions, steering, brakes, and transmissions. … Genta’s extensive teaching experience at the Politecnico di Torino in Italy combined with Morello’s experience as director of vehicle engineering at Fiat allow them to write authoritatively on this topic. … Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate through professional automotive and mechanical engineering collections." (A. M. Strauss, Choice, Vol. 46 (11), July, 2009)

From the Publisher