Innovative Body-In-White Design for a Six-Passenger Sports Car: A Case Study

• Analytics & Modeling - Digital Twin / Simulation
• Robots - Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV)

• Automotive
• Packaging

• Product Research & Development

• Structural Health Monitoring
• Vehicle Performance Monitoring

• Training

The Deep Orange Program of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CUICAR) was tasked with designing a six-seat sports car using innovative sheet-folding technology. The goal was to develop a vehicle based on the architecture of a mainstream hybrid concept marketed toward Generation Y. The design had to accommodate four 95th percentile male occupants in the outboard seats and two 50th percentile male occupants on the middle seats using a 2-row, 3+3 seating configuration. The body-in-white (BIW) structural design concept was chosen to explore the Industrial Origami® patented technology that enables the folding of lighter gauge material into complex shapes for the body structural members. The forming is completed with simple, low-cost fixtures, at the assembly location. The challenge was to balance design requirements for BIW stiffness, packaging space, cost, and weight.

The Deep Orange Program of the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CUICAR) is a graduate automotive engineering program that immerses students into the working environment of the automotive OEM and supplier. Students, multi-disciplinary faculty, and participating partners focus on designing and fabricating a new vehicle prototype over a period of two years. Each project focuses on applying innovative design processes and tools to vehicle development and integrating the resulting design with breakthrough product components. This provides the automotive students with hands-on experience in vehicle design, engineering, and prototyping. The Deep Orange Program is part of the larger CUICAR strategic focus of conducting interdisciplinary research that addresses industry and societal challenges related to the adoption of advanced automotive design technologies and product innovation.

The Deep Orange Program partnered with Altair to apply advanced computational simulation methods to their vehicle designs. Altair-sponsored internships and fellowships enhanced student learning through providing webinar-based and on-sight instruction of Altair HyperWorks simulation technologies. A CAD model for the BIW design was built using SolidWorks and was imported into HyperMesh. All of the sheet-folding technology structural parts and tubular space frame components were modeled using 2D shell elements. Thicker-gauge BIW components, representing crucial design areas where the front subframe mounts to the body structure were meshed with 3D hexagonal elements. A series of in-depth finite element analyses covering torsional and bending stiffness, natural frequency, and dynamic pot-hole and bump loads were completed using the Altair OptiStruct finite-element solver. The finite element results, reviewed by applying the Altair HyperView post-processing module, showed that the BIW design met all the program requirements for body stiffness.

• The use of Altair HyperMesh, OptiStruct, and HyperView played a significant role in enabling the Deep Orange 3 Team to meet the structural requirements for the BIW design. The finite-element analysis of the front sub frame, applying dynamic loads from acceleration, braking and cornering maneuvers, showed that stress allowables in strength-critical areas were not exceeded. After results from all of the HyperWorks simulations showed that the BIW chassis met or exceeded strength and stiffness requirements, the team members, in consultation with the program primary suppliers, performed all the construction on the vehicle. The complete BIW design was completed using aluminum and structural adhesives. After vehicle construction was completed, the Deep Orange 3 vehicle was successfully showcased at the annual Specialty Equipment Marketing Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Structural body stiffness for torsion and bending exceeded design targets
• Chassis met or exceeded strength requirements