STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION WITH ALTERNATE MATERIALS -- MINIMUM MASS DESIGN OF THE PRIMARY STRUCTURE

This study investigates the mass reduction potential of various materials which could be used in the primary structure of a front-wheel drive compact car. An in-house structural optimization computer program produced alternate designs with mild steel, HSLA steel and aluminum, as well as continuous fiber graphite-epoxy and glass-epoxy composites. For each alternate material, the design was optimized to find a minimum mass structure which would satisfy the comprehensive set of design criteria. An algorithm for selective replacement of strength constrained members with alternate high strength materials was developed and evaluated.

• Supplemental Notes:
  • Presented at SAE meeting 23-27 February 1981.
• Corporate Authors:

  Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

  400 Commonwealth Drive
  Warrendale, PA  United States  15096
• Authors:
  • Fenyes, P A
• Publication Date: 1981

Media Info

• Features: References;
• Pagination: 10 p.
• Serial:
  • Society of Automotive Engineers Preprint
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Alloys; Aluminum; Aluminum alloys; Applications; Building materials; Compact automobiles; Composite materials; Computer programs; Epoxides; Epoxy resins; Front wheel drive; Glass; Graphite; High strength materials; High strength steel; Optimization; Steel; Structural materials; Vehicle design; Vehicular materials
• Uncontrolled Terms: Replacing
• Old TRIS Terms: Automobile materials; Epoxy
• Subject Areas: Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Materials; Research; Vehicles and Equipment; I91: Vehicle Design and Safety;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00342027
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: Engineering Index
• Report/Paper Numbers: SAE 810228
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Nov 23 1981 12:00AM