Hafif ticari bir araç için ön burun taşıyıcı modül geliştirme

CO2 emission targets became a crucial obstacle for vehicle producers. In order to overcome this problem, weight reduction potentials are getting more and more critical. In this study, for a light commercial vehicle, a glass fiber reinforced thermoplastic front-end structure has been analyzed. At first, a fully plastic draft design is analyzed and compared with the current metal structure. After that, a topology volume is extracted from the existing vehicle structure, and topology optimizations have been carried out according to the modal and static loading performance targets. Different optimization parameters have been investigated to decide the best solution in terms of performance and weight. Load paths and optimum design are calculated by topology results. Due to the packaging problems with the radiator and headlamp, optimization volume is modified, and the new topology volume and optimizations are completed. Based on the topology results, a feasible design is prepared, and detailed non-linear analyses are started. After the non-linear analyses, free size optimization is applied to the ribs of the part. In this study, a feasible preliminary design at the same performance with less weight respect to the current metal version is completed.CO2 emisyon hedefleri araç üreticileri için aşılması gereken en önemli engellerin başında gelmektedir. Hedefe ulaşmak için gerekli potansiyeller biri olan araç hafifletmenin önemi gün geçtikçe artmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, hafif ticari bir araç için cam elyaf takviyeli termoplastik ön burun taşıyıcı modülü sonlu elemanlar analizleri kullanılarak geliştirilmiştir. İlk aşamada, geliştirilen termoplastik tasarımın analizleri gerçekleştirilmiş ve mevcut durumda kullanılan metal yapı ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Daha sonra, mevcut yapıdan paketleme ile montaj kısıtları dikkate alınarak bir topoloji dizayn hacmi çıkarılmıştır. İlgili hacim kullanılarak doğal frekans hedefleri ile yapısal performans kriterleri dahilinde topoloji optimizasyonları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Optimizasyonlar sırasında performans ve ağırlık açısından optimum çözüme ulaşabilmek için farklı parametrelerin etkisi araştırılmıştır. Topoloji optimizasyon sonuçları kullanılarak optimum tasarım ve yük yolları belirlenmiştir. Radyatör ile far arasında değişen paketleme kısıtları nedeniyle optimizasyon hacmi değiştirilerek yeni bir topoloji dizayn hacmi oluşturulmuş ve topoloji optimizasyonları tekrarlanmıştır. Optimizasyon sonuçlarına göre yeni bir tasarım oluşturulmuştur. Bu tasarım kullanılarak doğrusal olmayan yapısal analizler gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analizlerin ardından yeni tasarımdaki federlerde kalınlık optimizasyonu yapılmıştır. Bu çalışmada, mevcut metal versiyonuna göre daha hafif olan ve aynı performansta sahip termoplastik bir ön burun taşıyıcı modülü geliştirilmiştir

Graphene from waste tire by recycling technique for cost-effective and light-weight automotive plastic part production

Light weight vehicle design is a principal keystone to improving fuel efficiency and vehicle performance whilst reducing adverse environmental impacts. At this point, graphene is a solution with a high potential to further reduce vehicle weight and improve mechanical and thermal properties. With a unique combination of mechanical, thermal and electrical properties, graphene shows great potential for exploitation in the automotive industry. In the present work, we developed a technology for the production of graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) from recycled carbon black obtained from the pyrolysis of waste tire by using recycling and upcycling technology. This graphene is comparably cheaper than available ones in the market. This graphene as a reinforcing and nucleating agent was used to reduce glass fiber amount for the production of cost-effective and light-weight automotive plastic composite part by extrusion and injection techniques. With this newly developed compound, polyamide 66 (PA66) based automotive part was produced by the integration of 1 wt% GNP and providing 10% weight reduction. Consequently, this multidisciplinary work will favor the integration of new knowledge and will ensure significant innovation potential in the field of new thermoplastic based composites for the automotive industry

Experimental and numerical investigation of flow and alignment behavior of waste tire-derived graphene nanoplatelets in PA66 matrix during melt-mixing and injection

Homogeneous dispersion of graphene into thermoplastic polymer matrices during melt-mixing is still challenging due to its agglomeration and weak interfacial interactions with the selected polymer matrix. In this study, an ideal dispersion of graphene within the PA66 matrix was achieved under high shear rates by thermokinetic mixing. The flow direction of graphene was monitored by the developed numerical methodology with a combination of its rheological behaviors. Graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) produced from waste-tire by upcycling and recycling techniques having high oxygen surface functional groups were used to increase the compatibility with PA66 chains. This study revealed that GNP addition increased the crystallization temperature of nanocomposites since it acted as both a nucleating and reinforcing agent. Tensile strength and modulus of PA66 nanocomposites were improved at 30% and 42%, respectively, by the addition of 0.3 wt% GNP. Flexural strength and modulus were reached at 20% and 43%, respectively. In addition, the flow model, which simulates the injection molding process of PA66 resin with different GNP loadings considering the rheological behavior and alignment characteristics of GNP, served as a tool to describe the mechanical performance of these developed GNP based nanocomposites

Development of waste tire-derived graphene reinforced polypropylene nanocomposites with controlled polymer grade, crystallization and mechanical characteristics via melt-mixing

In the present work, single layer graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs) derived from waste tires by recycling and upcycling approaches were integrated in homopolymer (Homo‐) and copolymer (Copo‐) polypropylene (PP) matrices by fast and efficient mixing in the melt phase. The effect of GNP content on crystallization and mechanical behaviors was investigated in detail at different loading levels. Regarding isothermal and non‐isothermal crystallization experiments, GNPs significantly accelerated the nucleation and growth of crystallites, and the crystallization degree in Homo‐PP nanocomposites was slightly higher than that of Copo‐PP based nanocomposites. Also, there was significant improvement in mechanical and thermal properties of GNP reinforced polymers compared to neat polymers. As the GNP concentration increased from 1 to 5 wt%, there was a gradual increase in flexural modulus and strength values. In tensile tests, an increase in GNP content in both polymer grades led to a slight increase in yield strength coming from the proper distribution of nano‐reinforcement by creating stress concentration sites. After the yield point, Homo‐PP based nanocomposites showed higher strain hardening than GNP reinforced Copo‐PP owing to a high crystallization degree and linear chains of Homo‐PP. This work showed that functionalized graphene can act as both nucleating and reinforcing agent in the compounding process and its exfoliation through polymer chains is much better in homopolymers at a faster and high shear rate