ANSYS Fluent helped to predict engine performance early in the design process by simulating the air intake and exhaust system. Understanding performance using ANSYS software enabled us to improve the engine for the XUV500 and meet air intake and exhaust systems targets, while constrained by a small underhood space. Mahindra and Mahindra reduced design time by two months and reduced costs by 40 percent for air intake and 15 percent for exhaust. G. Nagarajan Manager — CFDMahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

+ Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

Case Study

SUV customers require vehicles with good en-gine performance under all terrain conditions. The air intake and exhaust systems are key in meeting required engine performance. Packag-ing constraints, manufacturing constraints and costs may aff ect the design of these systems so optimization through simulation can help achieve

the desired engine performance. The XUV500 has received 22 awards across various categories — including many for design and value — and has been called the most-awarded SUV in the India.

Business Challenges Major challenges in designing air intake and exhaust systems in the SUV were to generate better engine performance while meeting current

emission norms. This required stringent tar-gets for the two systems. In addition, engineers needed prepare the design for future emission requirements as well as for competitive fuel economy. And, creating a best-in-class passenger cabin size under constraints in overall vehicle length provided less underhood space to accom-modate the air intake and exhaust systems.

Technology UsedANSYS® Fluent®

Engineering Solution• Correct geometry in pre-processing stage

and perform meshing.• Model fi lter and sensor portions of the air

intake system and catalyst bricks of the exhaust system as porous zones.

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

ANSYS CFD software helps optimize air intake and exhaust system performance for the XUV500 vehicle.

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• Provide applicable material properties for the exhaust system to model compressible fl ows.

• Evaluate the fi rst-cut concept design for suction pressure for the air intake and back pressure for the exhaust system using ANSYS Fluent simulation. The initial design resulted in high suction and back pressure values so the bend angles and the number of bends were reduced to optimize the system to meet design target values early in the design process.

Benefi ts• Time saved for air intake and exhaust system

is estimated at two months.• Part development costs were reduced by 40

percent for the air intake system and by 15 percent for the exhaust system.

• Correlation to test results was 94 percent for both systems — well within an acceptable range.

Company DescriptionIn 1947, Mahindra and Mahindra introduced India to the utility vehicle. More than 65 years later, Mahindra and Mahindra is still India’s pre-mier utility vehicle (UV) company, and has also grown substantially over the years. Mahindra off ers cars, UVs, electric vehicles, pickups and commercial vehicles that are rugged, reliable, environmentally friendly and fuel-effi cient. Mahindra vehicles are on the roads — both paved and unpaved — of Australia, Europe, Latin America, Malaysia, South Korea and South Africa.

Air intake

Air intake