Self-weight and Durability Analysis of Bus Body Structure using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

Self-weight and durability analysis of non-airconditioned sleeper bus has been carried in present work. Automotive industry standards (052 and 119) are used to freeze bus dimensions. Generative surface design is used in preparation to compute model. The bus superstructure behaviour is simulated for load on cant and waist rails for self-weight analysis. Bump analysis is carried out considering total failure of suspension system. Behaviour of bus during bump is simulated for two situations i.e. bump focre applied to front left wheel suspension location and all other suspension locations are fixed and force applied to front two wheel suspension locations and rear two wheel suspension locations are fixed. Behaviour of bus under torsional load for two cases viz first, force is applied to left of front suspension location in upward direction and other on to right suspension location in downward direction while the rear wheel suspension points are fixed and in second case, force is applied to left of front suspension in upward direction while the second one is applied to right in rear suspension location. Braking and double lane change load conditions are simulated with a braking efficiency of 80% and a lateral load of magnitude 0.4g is evaluated. Durability of the bus based on outcomes from braking, bump, torsional and double-lane change road-load situations is evaluated. The stress and deflection magnitudes are in good agreement with the results available in literature.