Course syllabus

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Short description of the course

Engineering of Automotive Systems (TME121) is a course offered by the Department of Mechanics and Maritime Sciences in the first quarter of the first year of the Master Programme for Automotive Engineering (MPAUT). The course is valid 7.5 credits, the possible grades are 5, 4, 3, not passed and the course is taught in English.

Aim of the course

The aim of this course is to provide the students with an insight on the main aspects to consider during the engineering design, manufacturing and evaluation process of automotive systems from the perspective of the customer, the vehicle manufacturer and the society.

Learning objectives and syllabus

  • Illustrate current and future solutions for the propulsion and transmission system of automotive vehicles.
  • Describe the vehicle dynamics and the elements of the chassis systems of automotive vehicles.
  • Detail the main aspects to consider for the design of the body of automotive vehicles.
  • Explain the role of active and passive safety systems in automotive vehicles.
  • Describe the manufacturing process of automotive vehicles.
  • Recognize the relevance of economic and environmental aspects related to design and production of automotive vehicles.
  • Detail the importance of adhering to the code of ethics in the engineering profession.
  • Implement aspects of the design for powertrain, chassis and safety of vehicles.

Link to the syllabus on Studieportalen

Course design

The course includes lectures, assignments and visits to plants of automotive industries. Ten hours a week are allocated for this course, either as lectures or as assignments:

  • 13:15-17:00 on Tuesdays
  • 13:15-17:00 on Thursdays
  • 13:15-15:00 on Fridays

The regular schedule can change in some occasions, as for example:

  • Week 38: the lecture on Thursday 26th of September (13:15 – 17:00) is moved to Wednesday 25th of September (13:15 – 17:00), to facilitate the performance of the engine laboratory, in the course MTF240, Internal Combustion Engines.
  • Week 40: there will be no lecture on Friday 11th of October (13:15 – 15:00), due to re-sit examination period.
  • Week 42: there will be no lecture on Friday 25th of October (13:15 – 15:00), to provide extra time to the students for preparing to the exam.

Furthermore, study visits to industry plants are planned outside the course schedule, due to organizational constraints:

  • The study visit to Volvo Truck plant is scheduled for Tuesday 24th of September, 7:30-12:30.
  • The study visit to Volvo Cars plant and Brand Experience Center is planned for Monday 7th of October 7:30-12:30 for group 1, for Wednesday 9th of October, 7:30-12:30 for group 2 and Wednesday 16th of October, 7:30-12:30 for group 3. The groups will be defined by the examiner during the course.

Teaching team

  • Examiner: Giulio Bianchi Piccinini
  • Lecturers: Anders Grauers, Giulio Bianchi Piccinini, Jonas Sjöblom, Ingemar Johansson, Lucien Koopmans, Marco Dozza, Mathias Lidberg, Patrik Höstmad, Robert Thomson, Simone Sebben.
  • Teaching assistants: Alexandros Leledakis, Arun Kumar, Juliette Utbult, Pratheeba Chanda Nagarajan, Ron Schindler, Sreelekha Etikyala.

Schedule

The updated schedule for the course is shown in TimeEdit

Course literature

  • Reference material: Handouts from the lectures and journal papers will be available on-line on the course webpage on Pingpong. 
  • Optional material: Julian Happian-Smith (2002). An Introduction to Modern Vehicle Design, Butterworth-Heinemann Ed. (Available as E-book from Chalmers Library).

Changes made since the last occasion

No remarkable changes compared to last year.

Examination form

  • Assignments (60%), graded as Pass (G) or Fail (U).
  • Written exam (40%). graded as 5, 4, 3 or Fail (U). The written exam might be replaced by an oral exam if the number of registered students is small.

In order to get the final grade for the whole course, the students have to pass all the assignments and the final exam. The final grade is based on the score resulting from the sum of the exam score and the bonus points acquired through the assignments. The bonus points will be assigned only if the score reached in the exam is above 20 points. The bonus points are only valid during the academic year in which they were awarded.
During the exam, you may use pens (not red), pencils (not red), erasers, rulers, language dictionaries (no electronic ones, no notes inside) and Chalmers type approved calculator.
Time and place for the examination will be posted on the student portal. Examples of previous exams are available on the course webpage on CANVAS.

Course summary:

Date Details Due