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The understanding of how mechanical stresses influence in the behavior of automotive components is of great interest to the automotive industry. The design of products must be made considering these efforts, always aiming to ensure smooth operation and no failures. To learn more about these efforts, a finite element simulation can be done. However, the results obtained from these simulations must be confirmed by carrying out physical experiments. Many methods are available to obtain the stress/strain fields of the object been tested, among which the best known and widespread is the use of strain-gauges. This technique requires a relatively long time of preparation as well as several measurements to obtain the full stress/strain field. The laser interferometry technique, on the other hand, reduces considerably the testing time to obtain the full stress/strain field, and no intervention on the object is required.

In the last two decades, torsional and axial vibrations of the engine crankshaft have become more severe than before, because of the increase of the engine speed and mean effective gas pressure, and reduction of engine size. Under these new conditions, more severe forces and torques are applied to the crankshaft. That forces and torques can increase the noise radiation, wear and damage of the components connected to crankshaft. This paper presents a multi-degree-of-freedom model of crankshaft under axial and torsional excitations. The motion equation of the system is solved numerically with Newmark beta Method in Matlab environment. The interaction with axial bearing is also considered, the Reynods Equation that govern the generation of hydrodynamic pressure in axial bearing is solved with Finite Difference Method and the boundary condition of Sommerfeld (pressure equal to zero at the boundary). A simulation of 4-cylinder crankshaft is presented.

This study aims to evaluate the heating of brake discs of Formula SAE vehicles, designed by State University of Campinas. The temperature is the most important variable in the dimensioning of the discs. The following steps were performed: definition of the initial boundary conditions and parameters; numerical simulation of the brake disc in a condition characteristic of test benches; validation of the results in a full-scale dynamometer. Supported by the parameters validated, the model was used to simulate the braking along a real race track. The results showed that the temperature is in a safe range.