Write a short note on symmetric and asymmetric vertical load acting on a car
Answers
Explanation:
Let´s start from the beginning. The first thing we need to know is that cars have two axles (i.e.front and rear) and each of them has two wheels (i.e. right and left). On the other hand, speed bumpers are road obstacles which are designed to make drivers reduce the speed in certain areas and they are usually as wide as the lane. Why is that? Well, basically bumps are thought to be encountered by the two wheels of each axle simultaneously, creating a scenario known as “vertical symmetric load case”. This situation causes results in a bending moment which is applied to the structure of the car.
However, sometimes we can find some bumps which present a smaller width or even gaps. These are the situations where some drivers decide to vary the direction of the car so that the wheels of one of the sides avoid the contact with the obstacle. Therefore, only one wheel goes over the bump. Hence, the vehicle will suffer an “asymmetric vertical load case”. In other words, the automotive structure will be subjected to a torsional load, which is a worse scenario than the one introduced above since it can cause one of the wheels to lift off. I will show you how a relatively simple approach can be used to prove this statement.