Stress and modal analysis assessment of race cars chassis structure

Abstract

A simulation investigation was conducted to compare and validate results for using bended and non-bended chassis structure for race cars. In this study, the basic engineering design criteria which are material selection, type of material used and production processes were presented. Modal analysis was used to validate the effect of chassis stiffness between the two different frames which is bended and non-bended frame using torsional and bending loads. The results reveals that the maximum displacement and Von Misses stress of the frame occur at the non-bended frame, instead of the bended frame with the value of 539.93 mm and 4.67 x 1010 Nm2 respectively. However, the critical area occurs on the main roll bar instead of on the frame structure itself. It was found that in the bended frame, the maximum Von Misses stress occurs at the rear section of the frame structure, which indicates possible chassis failure at given frequency of 62.16 Hz. The results indicate that there is only slight difference in the natural frequencies for both frames and the mode shape of both frames starts with torsional mode. For the second mode shape of the frames, the non-bended frame still remains having the torsional mode while the bended frame starts to have the bending mode. The results presented here may facilitate improvements in the race car frame where the non-bended frame is having better structural frame than the bended frame. This was proved by the bended frame had a changed of mode shape from torsional mode to bending mode. The significance of the results indicates that the bended frame has less stiffness than the non-bended frame and it is not permittable for a race car frame.