Static and Dynamic Analysis of Motor Cycle Wheel Designs

Abstract

The wheel of a vehicle plays a vital role to bear the load applies on it. Generally spokes acts as the supports between the wheel rim and hub. These spokes must have sufficient strength and stiffness to avoid the failure of the wheel. In present days these wheels are made up of aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy and steel. To reduce the weight of the wheel many wheel designs are implemented and applied for different vehicles. In this paper three different wheel designs are chosen, those are inclined spokes, curved spokes and Y shaped spokes made up of Al alloy, Mg alloy and Steel. Static structural analysis subjected to pressure on the wheel rim and free vibrational analyses are performed by using finite element analysis tool Ansys 12. The objective of the present work is to observe the best design which contains higher structural stiffness, specific structural stiffness with lower von mises stresses under static load conditions. It is observed that curve shaped spoke designs are better in for manufacturing of wheel in both static and dynamic point of view.