2021 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Department of Mechanical Engineering Graduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Automotive Structural System Engineering A
- Academic unit or major
- Graduate major in Mechanical Engineering
- Instructor(s)
- Hiroshi Yamaura / Masaaki Okuma / Kazuaki Inaba
- Class Format
- Lecture
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - To be announced
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.U431
- Number of credits
- 300
- Course offered
- 2021
- Offered quarter
- 3-4Q
- Syllabus updated
- Jul 10, 2025
- Language
- English
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
This course is offered by TAIST-Tokyo Tech program, giving an overview of vehicle research and development, suspension and drive-train systems, and structural mechanics. This course introduces vehicle planning and design, components, characteristics, suspension, steering, tire, braking, bending, torsion, and crashworthiness.
Course description and aims
At the end of this course, students will be able to:
1) Understand and explain an overview of vehicle research and development.
2) Have an understanding of suspension and drive train systems, and based on this, solve basic problems.
3) Have an understanding of vehicle structural requirements, and based on this, solve deformation with various loading conditions.
This subject corresponds to learn the objectives
A) Study of specialized subjects with a core in mechanical engineering
E) Learning to foster international perspectives and ethics
in graduate study guide.
Keywords
Vehicle design, Suspension, Drive-train system, Vehicle structural mechanics
Competencies
- Specialist skills
- Intercultural skills
- Communication skills
- Critical thinking skills
- Practical and/or problem-solving skills
Class flow
As an intensive course, a 3-hour class will be held for 5 days in a week. A total of three themes will be covered for 3 weeks.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Vehicle planning and design |
Understand vehicle planning and design |
| Class 2 | From Advanced research to marketing |
Understand overview of advanced research and marketing of vehicle |
| Class 3 | The past and the future prospect |
Understand the past and the future prospect of vehicle |
| Class 4 | Vehicle components |
Explain vehicle components |
| Class 5 | Propulsion and engine |
Explain propulsion and engine |
| Class 6 | Body and suspension |
Explain body and suspension of vehicle |
| Class 7 | Vehicle characteristics |
Explain vehicle characteristics |
| Class 8 | Performance of man-machine-environment system |
Explain performance of man-machine-environment system |
| Class 9 | Active safety and passive safety |
Explain active safety and passive safety |
| Class 10 | Final exam for vehicle planning and design, components, characteristics |
Prove abilities to understand and explain vehicle planning and design, components, characteristics |
| Class 11 | Suspension system |
Understand suspension system |
| Class 12 | Steering system |
Understand steering system |
| Class 13 | Tire and its interaction with road surface |
Understand tire and its interaction with road surface |
| Class 14 | Braking system |
Understand braking system |
| Class 15 | midterm exam for suspension and drive-train systems |
Solve simple problems for suspension and drive-train systems |
| Class 16 | Friction and tribology |
Explain friction and tribology |
| Class 17 | Drive-train |
Explain drive-train |
| Class 18 | Stability and manoeuvrability analysis |
Explain stability and manoeubrability analysis |
| Class 19 | Advanced control system |
Understand advanced control system |
| Class 20 | Final exam for suspension and drive-train systems |
Solve basic problems for suspension and drive-train systems |
| Class 21 | Automobile body |
Understand automobile body |
| Class 22 | Structural requirements |
Understand structural requirements |
| Class 23 | Basics of strength of materials |
Understand basics of strength of materials |
| Class 24 | Structural elements |
Understand structural elements |
| Class 25 | Tension and compression of beam and thin plate |
Calculate tension and compression of beam and thin plate |
| Class 26 | Bending of beam and thin plate |
Calculate bending of beam and thin plate |
| Class 27 | Deflection of beam and thin plate |
Calculate deflection of beam and thin plate |
| Class 28 | Torsion of beam and thin plate |
Calculate torsion of beam and thin plate |
| Class 29 | Body bending and torsion |
Calculate simplified body bending and tosion |
| Class 30 | Crashworthiness |
Understand crashworthiness |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend a certain length of time outside of class on preparation and review (including for assignments), as specified by the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Undergraduate Learning (東京工業大学学修規程) and the Tokyo Institute of Technology Rules on Graduate Learning (東京工業大学大学院学修規程), for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.
Textbook(s)
None
Reference books, course materials, etc.
Handout
Evaluation methods and criteria
Exams (66.7%) and reports (33.3%)
Related courses
- ZSK.T411 ： Automotive Comfort Mechanics Engineering A
- ZSK.T511 ： Automotive Comfort Mechanics Engineering B
- ZSK.T414 ： Basics of Automotive Design A
- ZSK.T514 ： Basics of Automotive Design B
Prerequisites
None