The group from Machines and Vehicles seeks the knowledge and the training in areas of interest for the mechanical behavior and design of machines and vehicles, specifically automotive and railroad (in the latter case in partnership with the Technological Center CEIT).

In the Machinery section, research focuses on design and mechanical behaviour, on essay and calculation (especially using the finite element method) and on the study of the dynamics of the system, including aspects of vibration transmission and isolation.

As far as the study of vehicles is concerned, vehicle and infrastructure models (road and rail) and the study of different components (tyres, suspension elements, chassis, etc.) are also addressed, both experimentally and by simulating their behaviour. The electrification of vehicles and driving control are other aspects that are gaining in importance.

In more detail, the research carried out focuses on:

 Characterisation and modelling of suspension elements in vehicles and machines: rubber-metal parts, pneumatic balls, shock absorbers, springs (FEM models, mechanical models, analytical and fluid-structure interaction models).

 Study of ageing and fatigue phenomena in suspension parts. Failure modes.

 Use of "Smart materials" in suspension elements and their manufacture.

 Thermal modelling of tyres and wear characterisation.

 Multibody vehicle modelling and dynamic simulations, both in automotive (ISO manoeuvres and Closed Loop created by model of driver) and railway (study of forces on contact, influence of different elements on comfort, simplified models of suspension elements, etc.).

 Road modelling (IPG CarMaker & Unity for implementation on CRUDEN platform).

 Study of vehicle electrification. Electrical powertrain dimensioning (energy calculation, power, packaging, cooling).

 Electric power train test bench (battery, inverter, motor, control).

 Evaluation by Software in the Loop (SiL), Hardware in the Loop (HiL), Driver in the Loop (DiL) and real vehicle on track.

 Active chassis control systems.

The group of Machines and Vehicles collaborates actively with the group de Ferrocarril de Ceit-BRTA.

Members of the group