Introduction
Classification of automobiles on different basis. Types of vehicle bodies.
Car body details
Types: Saloon, convertibles, Limousine, Estate Van, racing and sports car,etc. Car body construction types –
frame and unitary (monocoque). Various body panels and their constructional details. Methods of improving
space in cars.
Bus body details
Types: Mini bus, single and double decker, two level, split level and articulated bus, Bus body lay out, Floor
height, Engine location, Entrance and exit location, Seating dimensions, Constructional details: Frame
construction, Double skin construction, Types of metal section used, Regulations, Conventional and integral type
construction.
Commercial vehicle details
Types of commercial vehicles. Commercial vehicle body details, flat platform, drop side, fixed side, tipper body,
tanker body, tractor trailer.
Body loads
Idealized structure, structural surface, shear panel method, symmetric and asymmetric vertical loads in a car,
longitudinal load, and different loading situations.
Body materials, trim and mechanisms
Steel sheet, timber, plastic, GRP, properties of materials, Corrosion, Anticorrosion methods, Scalation of paint
and painting process, Body trim items, Body mechanisms.
Safety:
Safety aspects in vehicle bodies. Safety equipments for cars – Anti roll bars, Roll over bar, Collapsible steering,
multistage bumpers, side impact beams in doors, collision crumple zones. Seat belts, Air bags, Bucket seats with
headrest. Laminated/toughened glasses. Anti jamming door locks. Fibre fuel tanks.
Testing the vehicle bodies for the safety.
Special Purpose vehicle details
Various types, Needs and constructional details - Fire station vehicle: tankers, pumping vehicles, ladder vehicle;
Concrete mixer transport vehicles; Ambulance; Towing vehicle; Road trains. Off road vehicles.
Vehicle aerodynamics
Objectives - Vehicle drag and types -various types of forces and moments - Effects of forces and moments - Side
wind effects on forces and moments - Various body optimization techniques for minimum drag – Wind tunnel
testing: Flow visualization techniques, Scale model testing, Component balance to measure forces and
moments.
Ergonomics
Man machine system, anthropometry data, and anthropometric considerations in the design of seat, controls and
displays, gear lever, steering wheel, foot controls, etc. Dimensions of driver's seat in relation to controls. Visibility:
regulations, driver's visibility, tests for visibility, methods of improving visibility in vehicles. Effect of Noise,
vibration and heat, on human body and their control, Driver Cab design