an research vision towards future generation of cars using light weight materials

An research vision towards future generation of cars using light

weight materialsDr. Shankar Kalyanasundaram

June 6, 2007DERF seminar Program

Some facts about automotive use in U.S.A

• Employs millions of people • A vehicle is sold every two seconds – excellent for personal mobility• Paved area equal to the states of Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania,

requiring maintenance costing more than $200 million per day• Maimed or injured 250 million people and killed more Americans than

have died in all wars in America’s history• 8 million barrels of oil is used every day• Creates 7 billion pounds of unrecycled scrap and waste every year• Emits lots of greenhouse gases (estimate include one-fourth of U.S

generation of greenhouse gases)

Reference: Natural Capitalism- The next Industrial Revolution; P. Hawken, A.B. Lovins, L.H Lovins

How about efficiency?

• 80% of the fuel consumption is lost mainly in the engine’s heat and exhaust

• Of the resulting force 95% is spent on moving the car and only 5% is spent on moving the driver

• 1% of fuel consumed is actually used in moving the passengers (1 cent for every dollar that one spends on petrol)

What should we do?

• Get rid of cars and use alternate modes of transportation

• Holy Cow!!!!

Bullock Cart is the answer!!

What is the answer?

• Needs to be ultra light weight• Needs to have ultra-low-drag behavior• Need a more efficient propulsion system

– Hybrid-electric– Alternate fuels– Fuel Cell Technology

• Need to be fully recyclable• Need to blend in today’s best technology• Need to be commercially viable to produce and provide

the customers with a “real” value for money

Our research focus• Develop a research framework for manufacturing light weight

materials for mass production (stamp forming)– Composite materials– Sandwich structures

• Lightweight materials are currently used in low volume & long production time applications (aerospace)

STAMP Forming of Metals

• High volume production ~ 2 minutes for each part couple of hundreds of parts per shift• Quality indicators Splitting Wrinkling Spring back (Geometrical tolerance)• Generally involves room temperature manufacturing

Stamp forming

Research challenges on light weight material forming

• Develop an unified approach that combines numerical (FEA), analytical and experimental work

• The problem is governed by a large number of highly nonlinear coupled equations (FEA)

• Need realistic mechanics models to characterize the material behavior, interfaces and failure behaviors

• We have developed a novel experimental methodology to measure deformation behavior real time during forming – first of its kind in the world for light weight materials

Strain Measurement

Cameras

Punch

Sample

- Wrinkle and crack formation

• Glass-reinforced FML cup

Some results on failure behavior

Animations of simulations

Channel forming

• Major strain for top surface of aluminium cup• Aramis: above• LS DYNA (FEA) : right

• Measurement of surface strain in stamped forms used to validate modeling

Validation of Finite Element Simulations

Key findings so far• Need to heat the samples before forming • The material combinations can play a very

critical role in producing a defect free part in addition to process variables

• Light weight materials can have superior forming characteristics compared to their monolithic metals --- Yes there is a big future for them in commercial productions!!

• Research is currently underway to produce an unified approach (improved and better than anyone) to handle this important problem in large scale manufacturing

Future Challenges

• Technology Transfer Issues– Need a Seamless manufacturing technology

(from design to production)– Cost

• System Integration– Joining– Painting– Repair and maintenance – Organizational behavioral issues