A design methodology is developed to expedite the mechanical design of an automobile exhaust system. The relation between the system design and the component design is defined by a top-down approach, and the results from the system design are utilized in the component design process. This method offers a modular design approach. A system is represented by lumped parameters for components. The parameters are optimized from the overall system performance. Each component is designed according to the results of the system design. Design of a bellows in an automobile exhaust system is presented to demonstrate the effectiveness of the design methodology. The equations for calculating the natural frequency of bellows are derived for the lumping process. The finite element method and optimization technology are adopted for analysis and design process. (Author/publisher).
Abstract