Course detail

Motor Vehicles

FSI-QMVAcad. year: 2025/2026

Subject motor vehicles focuses on problems of construction, testing, driving charecteristic and modern motor vehicles and trailers operation. Private cars, trucks, buses, semi-trailers and trailers. This subject is about structural solution of basic parts of modern motor vehicles e.g. axles and their suspension and damping, brake systems including electronic systems (ABS, ESP, HBA,... ), steering mechanisms, incorporation of engine aggregate into a car including its operating mechanism. Following will be a talk about active and pasive safety of vehicles including the most modern asistent systems in vehicles.

Language of instruction

Czech

Number of ECTS credits

6

Mode of study

Not applicable.

Entry knowledge

kinematics basics, dynamics basics, strength of materials basics, machine parts design and mechanisms, vehicle dynamics

Rules for evaluation and completion of the course

Requirements for Course-unit credit award: The orientation within problems discussed and the ability of solving them, examined by working-out assigned tasks without significant mistakes. Continuous study checking is carried out together with given tasks verification. Examination: The exam verifies and evaluates the knowledge of physical fundamentals of presented problems, theirs mathematical description on a presented level and application to solved tasks. The exam consists of a written part (test) and an oral part. Final evaluation consists of: 1. Evaluation of the work on seminars (elaborated tasks). 2. Result of the writing part of the exam (test). 3. Result of the oral part of the exam.
Attendance at seminars is obligatory, checked by a teacher. The way of compensation of absence is solved individually with a course provider.

Aims

The target of this subject is to acquaint the graduates with fundamental part of modern technology of vehicles construction in connection with the user and technology of production.
Graduates of this subject will obtain complete rewiew of basic connections for motor vehicles construction including illustrations of specific technical solutions of both private cars and trucks of the most modern style. Furthemore, graduates will get an idea about possibilities component and complex automobile testing.

Study aids

Not applicable.

Prerequisites and corequisites

Not applicable.

Basic literature

REIMPELL, Jornsen. The Automotive Chassis. 2nd edition. Oxford: Butterworth - Heinemann, 2001. 444 s. ISBN 0-7506-5054-0. (EN)
VLK, F. Podvozky motorových vozidel. Nakladatelství a zasilatelství vlk, Brno 2006, ISBN 802396464X (CS)

Recommended reading

DIXON, John. The Shock Absorber Handbook. Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 2007. 432 s. ISBN 978-0-470-51020-9 (EN)
HANEY, Paul. The Racing & High-Performance Tire. 1st edition. Warrendale: TV Motor-sports and SAE, 2003. 286 s. ISBN 0-9646414-2-9 (EN)
JAN, Zdeněk, ŽDÁNSKÝ, Bronislav a ČUPERA Jiří. Automobily (1): Podvozky. Brno: Avid, spol. s r.o., 2009. 245 s. ISBN 978-80-87143-11-7 (CS)
PUHN, Fred. Brake Handbook. Tucson: HPBooks, 1985. 176 s. ISBN 0-89586-232-8 (EN)

Classification of course in study plans

  • Programme N-AAE-P Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional
  • Programme N-ADI-P Master's 1 year of study, summer semester, compulsory-optional

Type of course unit

 

Lecture

39 hod., optionally

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1.-2. Types and conceptions of road vehicles,  vehicle body – types of vehicle body (shape, use), design of the body, materials
3. Passive safety (crashes of the vehicles, biomechanics, traffic participants protection, restraint systems)
4.-5. Tyres and wheels
6.-8. Wheel suspension systems
9.-10. Springing and damping– springs, anti-roll bars, shock absorbers
11.-12. Braking systems – friction brakes, braking components (components of braking systems), ABS
13. Steering

Laboratory exercise

26 hod., compulsory

Teacher / Lecturer

Syllabus

1. Vehicle design introduction
2. Driving resistance
2. Mass, centre of gravity position
3. Vehicle moment of inertia
4. Tyres
5. Wheel suspension – wheel alignment
7. Wheel suspension - kinematic characteristics
8. Wheel suspension - suspension design
9. Springing and damping characteristics - measurement
10. Springing and damping characteristics – design
11. Braking systems
12. Steering systems
13. Analysis of track test data