Project for Sustainable Vehicle Structures

Composite Joint Shaft for 4WD Vehicles

The BOVENAC project is driving significant advancements in the design and functionality of composite joint shafts, particularly for 4WD vehicles. Our goals include:

• Enhanced Performance: The composite joint shaft is engineered to meet or exceed the performance of traditional longitudinal joint shafts used in 4WD vehicles.
• Weight Reduction: By incorporating composite materials, we aim to reduce the overall weight of the drive shaft, contributing to better fuel efficiency and vehicle dynamics.
• Vibration Mitigation: Special attention is given to minimizing longitudinal and torsional vibrations, which improves ride comfort and reduces wear on vehicle components.
• Integration and Innovation: Composite and steel parts will be either seamlessly integrated or connected using unconventional joints, potentially reducing the number or mass of other parts in the original design.

Eco-friendly Fibers

A significant aspect of the BOVENAC project is the exploration of eco-friendly fibers to replace traditional glass and carbon fibers in composite hollow shafts used in railway vehicle chassis. Key objectives include:

• Sustainability: Identifying and optimizing the use of ecological fibers to lower the environmental impact of composite materials.
• Production Technology: Developing advanced production technologies and processing techniques to effectively utilize sustainable fibers.
• Environmental Impact: The goal is to create composite materials with a reduced ecological footprint, contributing to more sustainable transportation solutions.

Project Details

Project name:   Božek Vehicle Engineering National Center of Competence (BOVENAC)
Project No:       TN02000054
Who is funding: Project is co-financed with the support of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic