Date of Award
2015
Document Type
Master's report
Degree Name
Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering (MS)
College, School or Department Name
Department of Mechanical Engineering-Engineering Mechanics
Advisor
Gregory M. Odegard
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to computationally model and analyze the vehicle frame which is mounted with a non-conventional, non-cylindrical compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel tank. Integration of this tank in the vehicle underbody will resolve the issue of reduced storage space which is observed in a conventional CNG powered vehicle. This research will ultimately result in making CNG a good alternative to gasoline and reducing the increasing dependency on a single fuel. This tank will be developed in two phases: phase I design of the tank will be a standard rectangular outer box shape with Schwarz P-surface inner structure and phase II will be a complex and conformable shaped tank. This study will only include phase I tanks and the only load case considered is a simple linear static case. Modifications are made to the vehicle frame using a computer aided design (CAD) software in order to accommodate the tank. The results obtained from the finite element analysis of the frame support the design modifications made to the frame and shows the ability of the frame to handle a heavier tank.
Recommended Citation
Deshpande, Prathamesh Prashant, "STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF INTEGRATION OF A NON-CYLINDRICAL CNG FUEL TANK", Master's report, Michigan Technological University, 2015.