Case Study

+ Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

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 CFD
Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd.

ANSYS CFD software helps optimize air

intake and exhaust system performance
for the XUV500 vehicle.
Air intake

SUV customers require vehicles with good engine performance under all terrain conditions.
The air intake and exhaust systems are key in
meeting required engine performance. Packaging constraints, manufacturing constraints and
costs may aect 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.

Air intake

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 targets 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 accommodate the air intake and exhaust systems.
Technology Used
ANSYS Fluent
Engineering Solution
Correct geometry in pre-processing stage
and perform meshing.
Model lter and sensor portions of the air
intake system and catalyst bricks of the
exhaust system as porous zones.

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Provide applicable material properties for the

exhaust system to model compressible ows.
Evaluate the 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.
Benets
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 Description
In 1947, Mahindra and Mahindra introduced
India to the utility vehicle. More than 65 years
later, Mahindra and Mahindra is still Indias premier utility vehicle (UV) company, and has also
grown substantially over the years. Mahindra
oers cars, UVs, electric vehicles, pickups and
commercial vehicles that are rugged, reliable,
environmentally friendly and fuel-ecient.
Mahindra vehicles are on the roads both
paved and unpaved of Australia, Europe, Latin
America, Malaysia, South Korea and South Africa.

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