Modelling and Dynamic Analysis of Bus Body Built in Ethiopia
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Date
2012-02
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Bus is a popular and common means of transport in Ethiopia. The structural strength and
speed is a fundamental concern. Unnecessary weight of the bus structure leads to reduction of
speed, high fuel consumption and reducing the overall performance of bus.
The primary objective of this research is to improve the bus structure weight. The
improvement is carried out by analysing the structure for two main loading cases, bending
load and torsional stiffness. This study examines the stresses and deformation responses of a
typical bus structure during application of the load in service. A bus structure was modelled
using computer aided design (CAD) CATIA V5R16 software and exported to finite element
analysis ANSYS 12 software and simulated by applying boundary conditions. The structure
weight improvement of the bus is made by reducing the size and thickness of metal used in
the structure. In this analysis a new model of the bus was made and analysed. Two loading
cases were incorporated in the analysis. Bending load case was used to simulate the bus
travelling on smooth road and twisting moment is used to simulate a bus travelling on a
bumpy road. This re-modelled bus is again simulated by finite element analysis software and
found to be structurally safe. The simulation of the re-modelled bus was conducted using the
same inputs used in the original model simulation. The remodelled result shows that the
stress and displacement results are safe.
A simply supported overhanging beam model was made to validate the results obtained from
finite element analysis simulation. Finally, cost analysis is carried out to compare the original
structure cost with the improved. It is found that by reducing the size of the members used in
the bus structure the cost is reduced. The cost reduced in the considered company reaches
520, 938.00 Birr annually.
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Mechanical Engineering