Sustainable car design using Bio-composite materials

Project introduction

The production and usage of today’s modern cars is a major contributor to global CO2 emissions. Although technology has moved a lot, the main processes to mass produce a car, have remained the same namely; injection moulding, stamping and casting. These processes contribute to over 80% of the components required for car production. So if “environmentally friendly” materials are identified which are compatible with any of these processes then the net car CO2 contribution will be reduced greatly. This research project will investigate the possibility of “modifying” one of the above named manufacturing process to receive the bio composite material in such a form that would make it suitable for mass production.

Project Aims

• To design and manufacture sustainable car components utilising bio composite materials

Project objectives

• Design and development of novel sustainable car component(s) made of bio composite material with existing biodegradable polymers.
• Establish Design for Manufacturing (DFM), Design for Assembly and Design for Disassembly (DFD) techniques suitable for the “designed” component(s).
• Analyse designed component(s) utilising Computer Aided Analysis (CAE) determine their strength and predict life.
• Design and manufacture component(s) and built prototype.
• Design and undertake experiments and compare CAE theoretical results with “real life”.
• Undertake carbon emission analysis of component(s) and predict total reduction of CO2
• To evaluate the recycling implications and propose a range of components that could benefit from such design approach.
• To evaluate the cost implication such approach would have on mass production.

Transferability of knowledge of designed concept(s)

• Automotive applications
• Aerospace Applications
• IT hardware applications
• White goods industry
• Toys industry
• Household artefacts
• Food industry
• Farming

Facilities

The majority of this work will be carried out at the extensive laboratory and Computer Aided Engineering (CAE) facilities that exist at Roehampton Vale campus including but not limited to fabrication, CNC, automotive laboratory, material testing labs including tension, compression and 3 point bending.