SYSTEMS IN MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

UNIT-04
VEHICLE SYSTEMS

Mr. S. S.Khasbage

ALL INDIA SHRI SHIVAJI MEMORIAL SOCIETY’S

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, PUNE (M.H)
 Unit-04
SYLLABUS
Introduction of chassis layouts, steering system, suspension
system, braking system, cooling system and fuel injection
system and fuel supply system. Study of Electric and Hybrid
Vehicle systems. Study of power transmission system, clutch,
gear box (Simple Numerical), propeller shaft, universal joint,
differential gearbox and axles. Vehicle active and passive
safety arrangements: seat, seat belts, airbags and antilock
brake system.
 Introduction

• Chassis is a basic structure of vehicle. Chassis carry

all parts of vehicles. Automotive chassis is a skeletal
frame on which various mechanical parts like engine,
tyres, axle assemblies, brakes, steering etc. are
bolted
• Types of Chassis-
• Backward control ( conventional chassis),
• Forward control,
• Semi – forward control
General Layout of vehicles
 Chassis and its construction
• At the time of manufacturing, the body of a vehicle is flexibly moulded according to the
structure of chassis.
• Automobile chassis is usually made of light sheet metal. It provides strength needed for
supporting vehicular components and payload placed upon it.
• Automobile chassis helps keep an automobile rigid, stiff and unbending. Auto chassis
ensures low levels of noise, vibrations and harshness throughout the automobile.
Chassis of an automobile generally consists of the following components suitably mounted
on it
– Engine and the Radiator
– Transmission system(clutch, gear box, propeller shaft etc.)
– Suspension system
– Road Wheels
– Steering System
– Brakes
– Fuel Tank

• Types of Chassis
– Backward control ( conventional chassis)
– Forward control
– Semi – forward control
–
 Backward control ( conventional chassis)
• Here engine is usually mounted in front of driver’s seat. This offers
advantage as safety of driver in case of head collision.
• Driver’s front view is reduced as well as space utilization for pay load is
also reduced.
 Forward control chassis
• The engine is mounted completely inside driver’s cabin.
• Full utilization of space.
• Driver’s safety is reduced to large extent in case of head on collision with
other vehicle.
 Semi- forward control chassis
• Half engine fitted inside driver’s cabin.
• This chassis layout gives advantage good drivers safety and more space
utilization.
 Vehicle Frame
• Function: to carry all main components or sub assemblies to make entire automobile systems
• It is the supporting component of automobile vehicle.
• It is the foundation for carrying the engine, transmission system & steering system by means of
spring , axle , rubber pads etc.
• The frame are made of box , tubular channels or U-shaped section , welded or riveted together.
Steering System
General arrangement of steering system
The purpose of steering system is to allow the
driver to control the direction of vehicle by
turning the front wheels. This is achieved by
means of steering wheel and a steering column.
A steering column transmits the rotation of
the steering wheel to the steering gears.
The steering gears increase the rotational
force of the steering wheel in order to
transmit greater torque to steering linkage.
The steering linkage transmits the steering
gear movement to the front wheels of the
vehicle
 Steering system
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 Suspension System
• The automobile chassis is mounted on the
axles through some form of springs. This is
done to isolate vehicle body from the road
shocks which may be in the form of bounce,
pitch, roll or sway. This will give rise to
uncomfortable ride and also cause additional
stress in the automobile frame and body.
All the parts which performs the function
of isolating the vehicle from the road shocks
are collectively called a suspension system.
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 Objective:
• To prevent the road shocks from being transmitted to
the vehicle components.
• To safeguard the occupants from road shocks.
• To preserve the stability of vehicle in pitching or
rolling while in motion.
• To provide minimum required ground clearance to the
vehicle
• Suspension system is provided in all vehicles so as to
provide smooth and comfortable ride to passengers as
well as to the driver.
Telescopic Suspension - Shock absorber

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Shock Absorbers
• All the springs are flexible
and stiff. So they will not
absorbs shocks efficiently
and continue to vibrate with
the road irregularities.

• So dampers are provided

with the springs which
damps the vibrations.

• The shock absorbers absorbs

the energy of shock
converted into vertical
movement of axle by
providing damping and
dissipating the same into
heat.
Leaf Springs

Construction:
The spring consist of no. of leaves called Blades.
The blades are vary in length.
The longest length has eye on its both ends, called as Master leaf.
All blades are bound together by means of steel straps.
The springs are supported on the axle by means of U-Bolt.
One end is bolted on the frame with simple pin with rubber of bronze bushes.
Other end is connected to frame with shackle. This will give flexible connection as the
length of the spring changes with road projections.
 Brake :
• The brake is used to slow-down or stops the motion of
the moving member whenever required. In other words
brakes are one of the very important control components
of vehicle.
• The main function of brake is to stop the vehicle within
the smallest possible distance. This is done by converting
the kinetic energy of the vehicle into heat energy & this
heat dissipated in environment. In braking action, the
kinetic energy is converted into heat by friction and the
generated heat is ultimately dissipated to the atmosphere.
Different types of a brakes as fallows
1.Band Brake
2.Single Block Brake
3.Band and Block Brake
4.Internal Expanding Brake
5.Disc Brake

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Disc Brake : The disc brake is a wheel brake which slows rotation of the wheel
by the friction. Most modern cars have disc brakes on the front wheels, and
some have disc brakes on all four wheels. This is the part of the brake system
that does the actual work of stopping the car.
The main components of a disc brake are:
 The brake pads
 The caliper, which contains a piston
 The rotor, which is mounted to the hub
Internally Expanding Shoe Brake
 Cooling System of a Vehicle
• There are two methods used cooling of automobile
engine.
1. Air Cooling.
2. Water Cooling.

• Water cooling system having two types

A) Thermosyphon system.
B) Pump circulation system.
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Water cooling system-
Thermosyphon system.
 Fuel Supply system
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 Fuel Injection system
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 Power transmission system-
• In Automobile, Power transmission is nothing but to transmit
the power from crank shaft to the rear wheels.
• It covers different mechanisms & different system from engine
to wheels.

• Function of transmission:-
• 1.Vehicle at a low speeds, the torque produced by an I.C
engine is very small, which increases with increase of speed.
• 2. The transmission provides a neutral position so that the
engine & road wheels are disconnected.
• 3. In reversing condition to transmit power from engine to
wheels in opposite direction.
(FERWD)
Front axle supports engine weight and rear axle supports pay load, balance weight
distribution across vehicle layout.

Transfer Rear
Engine Clutch Gear Box
Box Wheels
 All Wheel Drive (All Terrain Vehicles)
Better traction on all four wheels. Better road holding on any terrain.
Equal break force distribution on all four wheels.
Front
Wheels
Engine Clutch Gear Box Transfer
Box

Rear
Wheels
 Drive Train
• Clutches
– Clutch is defined as the mechanism to transmit rotary motion from driving
shaft to driven shaft as and when required, without stopping the drive shaft.
– Clutch is a device used to engage and disengage two co-axial shafts while
at rest or in relative motion gradually. The gradual engagement of driven
shaft limits torque demanded from the driving shaft.

Need:
– To transmit power smoothly.
– Once the clutch is engaged , must transmit power without slipping.
– To overcome self inertia of vehicle.
– For gradual engagement of rotary motion from engine to the gear box shaft.
– These are also used to disengage drive from engine to gear box for
changing of different gears.
– At the time of stopping of vehicle the clutch is utilized to disengage engine
from drive wheels and enable smooth stopping of the vehicle.
– Clutch also takes the care of speed and torque fluctuations for engine crank
shaft to gear box input shaft science clutch is made from friction materials
Classification of Clutches
 Clutch Plate

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Disc or Plate clutch
These clutches are used for
engaging and disengaging the
driven shaft from the driving shaft
very frequently. These are
extensively used in automobile
industry.

1. Single Plate Clutch :

It consists of two flanges with
friction lining on one flange
(mounted on driven shaft). In this
system, one flange is rigidly keyed
to the driving shaft and other is
free to move along the splines
provided on the driven shaft.
Working- When the pedal position is up, the axial force of thrust
springs ensures the pressure plate is pressed against the flywheel with
clutch plate being sandwiched between the two of them.
The drive is transmitted from the flywheel to the clutch plate through
friction plate and from friction plate to the shaft through splines.
When the pedal is pressed down, the release lever pulls the pressure
plate against the thrust springs. Due to this, there is loosening of the
contact between clutch plate and flywheel and hence the drive gets
disengaged to the gear box..
• Applications
• These type of clutches are used in trucks and buses.
 Gears
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GEAR
GEAR TRAIN
 Gear Box
• Need of gearbox for following reasons:
1. Provide the torque needed to move the vehicle under a
variety of road and load conditions. It does this by changing
the gear ratio between the engine crankshaft and vehicle
drive wheels.
2. Be shifted into reverse so the vehicle can move backward.
3. Be shifted into neutral for starting the engineWhen engine is
coupled to gear box speed is given to the vehicle.
4.The gear box is provided with series of gears and shaft to
obtain different speeds.
5.The gear box provides move torque on hill climbing and low
torque at low speeds of engine.
6.The gear box is also necessary to provide a neutral gear so
that the engine power does not transmit to the rest of
transmission line upto the wheels even when the clutch is
engaged.
 Classification :
• Selective Gear Transmission
– Sliding mesh Gear Box
– Constant Mesh Gear box
– Synchromesh Gear box
• Planetary Gear transmission
– Epicyclic gear type
– Automatic transmission
• Fluid type or torque converter
• Electric type
• Classification of Gear Box
Propeller Shaft
Propeller Shaft
It is the shaft which connects the transmission output shaft to the
differential mechanism at the rear wheels. In other words the shaft
which transmits the engine power from slip joint (sliding joint) to
wheels throw differential, this power used for to move the vehicle from
one place to another.

• Functions:
• It transmits rotary motion of the gearbox output shaft to the
differential.
• It transmits motion at some angle which varies frequently.
• Construction:
• It is made up of a steel hollow tube, which are connected with slip
join and two universal joints.
• Having diameter 50 to 70mm and thickness from 1.5 to7.5 mm.
• The slip joint are made on the propeller shaft with external splines
on shaft and internal splines on the sleeve.
 Universal Joint:-
• A joint is a particular type of connection between two
shafts, whose axes are inclined to each other. The Hooke’s
joint is simple type of universal joint which is widely
used in vehicles. The construction is of this joint is very
simple. This type of joint efficient for small angles of
propeller shaft movement up & down, upto the 18.

• The angular movements between the two shafts are

possible due universal joint (Hook’s Joint), The Hooke’s
joint uses needle roller bearing to support the cross in the
yokes. This results in increase of joint efficiency.
Universal Joint
Differential: - When the car is taking a turn, the outer wheels will have to
travel greater distance as compared to inner wheels in this case differential
works. The less rotation of a inner wheel and more rotation to outer wheel it is
possible by only using different gears in differential. Or inner wheel steady and
outer wheel in running condition. Due to every vehicle required
differential.
Function
• Reduce speed and increase torque
• Change the direction of torque as gearbox output shaft is longitudinal
• i.e. it turns the drive of propeller shaft to that of the wheels.
Construction:
• The driving gear wheel with less no. of teeth called bevel pinion
• The driving conical gear called as crown wheel.
Working:
• The propeller shaft has a small bevel pinion which is in mesh with the crown wheel
at right angle this crown wheel rotates the rear axles. The axles are two half shafts.
• The rotation of propeller shaft converted at right angles to the rear axles.
• The crown wheel size is larger than the size of the pinion bevel gear hence the
speed of crown wheel is lower than bevel pinion
Fig. Differential
Schematic dia. Of Differential
 Axles
• An axle is a straight shaft that is fixed in location and is used to mount rotating
wheels or gears. The wheel or gear can be attached to it with a built-in bearing.
• A bearing fits inside the center of the wheel and allows it to rotate without affecting
the axle itself.
• The purpose of an axle is to secure the wheels or gears to specific locations relative
to other wheels or gears. On wheeled vehicles, the axle may be fixed to the wheels,
rotating with them. e.g. bicycles, or fixed to its surroundings, with the wheels
rotating around the axle as a spindle.
• In a vehicle, the axle absorbs braking and acceleration forces, as well as the actual
weight of the vehicle. It forms a central part of the structural strength of the vehicle,
and it must be able to absorb the weight and transfer the forces away from the
wheels in order to reduce pressure on the joints of the vehicle.

There are three different kinds of axles in vehicles :

 Straight (single drive and non-drive) axle- train /truck
 Split axle -cars
 Tandem axle.-Heavy load vehicle
 Vehicle Active Safety
 It is related design of vehicle safety the active safety is
important . At a time of vehicle design to consider all conditions of
active safety is consider.
• Following factor under Active Safety,
•  There should be more glass area with minimum blind spots. This will
increase the efficiency of driver for parking and driving in heavy traffic.
•  Good mirrors will enable the driver to see potential hazards when
reversing parking or changing lines. Mirrors are to be adjusted from inside of
car. Heated mirrors should preferred to avoid fogging in bad weather.
•  Headlights should be designed in such a way that there is adequate
intensity of lights. They should give a good view of road ahead to the driver. In
some cars wipers or water jets employed to help cleaning the headlights.
• The suspension system and steering system should be properly designed to get
better holding of roads and improved characteristics while cornering.
• Now a day’s ABS (Antilock braking system) is applied for better steering
and controlling of vehicle.

• Easy aceess to Control panel, vehicle noice should be mnimum

• Drivers seat must be comfortable and adjustable
 Passive Safety
 It comes under design automobile vehicle for minimum injury at the
time of accidents.
 Passive safety features are the features by which there is minimum,
injury and crashing for occupants at the time of accidents.
•  Some of passive safety features help to absorb crash forces collision of
vehicle. The following points come under passive safety features.
•  To reduce the risk of spilled fuel and consequent fire in case of near end
collision fuel tank should be located at suitable positions.
•  In case of accident it is very important to consider the doors
closing after car comes to rest otherwise there are channels of person to thrown
out and being killed are increased so the doors should be fitted with safety lock.
•  Various switches controls etc. should be so shaped that they are not
protruding excessively so as to cause injury to the occupants at the front at the
time of front side collision.
•  To minimize the leg injuries to occupants of front seats, a knee
bolster must be provided knee bolster is an energy absorbing crushable barrier
under the dashboard that steps occupant knees from striking hard components
and surfaces below and behind the dash.
•  Seat belts should be worn both by passengers as well as drivers.
 Seat System
• Car seat is designed to support legs, lower and upper back, and head. The front seats have three
main parts: the seat back (squab), seat base (cushion), and the head rest.
• Components of seats are usually made from foam for comfort. Most suitable foam for balancing
comfort, support, safety, and recycling properties are considered.
• Cushioning agent is important while considering mobile cars may transmit vibrations near the
human spine's resonant frequency of 3Hz.
• The seats can usually be adjusted for position forward or back on metal railings and may move up
and down to adjust to different body types. This movement is accomplished either by manual
latches or by electric levers.
• There may be a release lever to allow the squab to lean forward for access to back seats in some
automobiles.
• Adjustments of seat deal with concerns such as providing leg room, supplying back support, and
giving head support. Available amenities include electric adjustments, choice in fabric covering, and
temperature control. Important advancements in this area are of top concern to manufacturers,
government officials and, of course, consumers.
• The head support is connected to the top of the squab by two metal circular tube shafts that are
permanently attached to the head.
ABS
 Antilock Brake System (ABS)
These types of a brakes are called as Anti-skid Brake system
because of these brake reduces the risk of tyres skidding under
heavy load condition and allows driver to maintain steering
control of the vehicle. Antilock brake system operates under
heavy load braking or on slipping surface conditions.

• ABS calculates the required slip rate of the wheels accurately based
on the vehicle speed and the speed of the wheels and then controls
the brake fluid pressure to achieve the target slip rate.
 Although Antilock brake system prevents complete locking of the
wheels in practice it allows some wheel slip in order to attain the
best possible braking. At the time of applying brake on brake pedal
by driver in conventional braking system is different than ABS.
 Modern ABS consists of an Electronic Control Unit (ECU). An
individual sensor is connected to each wheel of car.
 ECU controls and monitors the antilock function and when
required.
 In some ABS, a lateral accelerator sensor is also provided
to monitor the lateral (side) movement of the vehicle while taking
a turn. This also ensures proper braking out the time of turning.

 Electrically driven hydraulic pump is called as Hydraulic

Booster. It has four outlet brake lines connecting to each wheel.

Working of ABS
The sensor of each wheel provides the varying voltage signal to
the E.C.U. of brake system E.C.U. Computes the voltage
signal and compares it with programmable information and
determines whether a wheel is about to lock or skid.