Lightweight design and structural analysis of a Bi-articulated bus: Experimental measurements and FEM validation

Özcan A., Yönel İ., YÜCE C.

Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal, cilt.70, 2025 (SCI-Expanded) identifier identifier

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 70
  • Basım Tarihi: 2025
  • Doi Numarası: 10.1016/j.jestch.2025.102169
  • Dergi Adı: Engineering Science and Technology, an International Journal
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED), Scopus, INSPEC, Directory of Open Access Journals
  • Anahtar Kelimeler: Bi-Articulated Bus, Field Test, Structural Analysis, Validation, Weight Reduction
  • Bursa Uludağ Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

The concept of sustainability prioritizes energy efficiency, especially in transportation, which directly impacts environmental sustainability. This study presents, for the first time, the lightweight design and structural performance of a 25-meter, three-section, double-articulated bus body frame through a hybrid methodology that integrates experimental road data with finite element (FE) validation. A finite element model was created and analyzed under various conditions. Lightweighting studies were performed using topology optimization, design modifications, and different materials. Data from real road conditions were collected and compared with simulation results, achieving up to 93% correlation at specific points. As a result, a 14.1% weight reduction was achieved in the bus body frame without compromising safety or passenger capacity. This lightweighting contributes significantly to sustainable transportation by reducing emissions over the vehicle's lifetime.