Conventional Wheel Research Articles

Study on subway resilient wheel's influence on noise inside the vehicle and in the bogie area through the in-situ measurements

Based on a new type of resilient wheel installed on a subway train, a measurement campaign is devised to evaluate the effectiveness of the resilient wheel in reducing noise. For reference, the same series of tests are carried out on another train of the same type but fitted with conventional wheels. The measurements involve the noise of various parts of the vehicle-track system which are used to investigate the sources of wheel-rail rolling noise, the noise inside the vehicle, and the noise close to the wheels. The series of tests are conducted on the normal-conditioned and corrugated track on which the two sets of trains pass through at difference speeds. It is found that the decrease of interior noise measured on the corrugated track is within the range of 0.2~10.5 dB(A), which is greater than on normal conditioned track after using the resilient wheels. This attributes to the frequency range available for vibration reduction by using the resilient wheel covers the dominant frequency range of the excitation from corrugation.

Study on the allowed maximum amplitudes of low-order polygonal wear on resilient wheels based on operational safety

Following the extensive use of resilient wheels on trams, several subways in China have started pre-launch testing of resilient wheels. While it remains at an early stage, the long-term behavior of the wheel has become a great concern for subway operators and wheel suppliers. To address the concern, this study focuses on derailment risk by evaluating the allowed maximum amplitudes of low-order polygonal wear on resilient wheels. Firstly, a metro vehicle-track dynamic system model equipped with resilient wheels is built. Then, based on the operation safety index and current re-profiling regulations for conventional wheels, the influence of wheel axial and radial stiffness on the radial amplitude limits of resilient wheel polygonal wear is analyzed. To perform the analysis, firstly the commonly-used stiffness for a resilient wheel (300 kN/mm in radial direction and 50 kN/mm in axial direction) is adopted to study the effect of resilient wheel polygonization on wheel load reduction ratio. Then, wheel load reduction ratio is predicted for different radial (up to 600 kN/mm) and axial (up to 100 kN/mm) stiffnesses of the resilient wheel and different orders (up to 10) of wheel polygonization of 1 mm amplitude. A contour plot is provided to illustrate how the wheel load reduction ratio varies with the harmonic order and amplitude of wheel polygonization under different combinations of resilient wheel’s equivalent axial and radial stiffnesses. It is found that, with the increase of the amplitude of the polygonal wear of a certain harmonic order on resilient wheel, the number of the available combinations of the equivalent stiffnesses adopted by the resilient wheel becomes less by considering the operation safety indexed with wheel load reduction ratio. Besides, depending on the stiffness of the resilient wheel, the allowed amplitude corresponding to the polygonization of each order has been suggested with the contour plots.

Structural computational analysis of conventional and self-designed rover wheel architectures for extraterrestrial roving application

The technical advancements in robotics have closely been followed by developments in aerospace excavation robots. This research elucidates self-designed shape memory alloy wheels for their use in Lunar Excavations, which attributes to the new era of space exploration robots. The wheel design proves to be of paramount importance as crucial operations such as mobility, steering, and traction control build upon wheel design. A comparison has been made between Aluminium alloy, Structural Steel, and Shape Memory alloy (Nitinol) wheels for both conventional and self-designed wheel architectures. Wheel architecture tests and their results are articulated with the aid of simulation. The significant performance parameters, primarily Total Deformation, Equivalent Stress, and Shear stress-induced, were analyzed, which articulates the performance of the wheel at the time of landing. It was observed that for both wheel designs: self-designed and conventional, the maximum total deformation was 0.011154 mm and 1.3573 mm, respectively, when Aluminium alloy was chosen as the base material. For Steel and Nitinol, the self-designed wheel structure proved to perform better than the conventional wheel design with lower values of total deformation (0.0041129 mm and 0.010968 mm, respectively).

Research on High-Traction Bionic Mesh Lunar Rover Wheel

Abstract In addressing the traction performance, mobility, and power consumption issues of lunar rover wheels, this study focuses on a bionic mesh wheel inspired by ostrich toe characteristics. By establishing a simulation environment and assembling a processed prototype wheel, both the bionic and comparative wheels underwent discrete element simulation experiments and traction and mobility tests. The experimental evaluation criteria included settlement depth and driving torque. The results revealed superior traction and mobility performance of the bionic wheel compared to the conventional wheel, with enhanced energy efficiency.

Predicting the rutting behaviour of asphalt concrete in the modified wheel tracking test using DEM and a cohesive viscoelastic–elastoplastic-damage contact model

AbstractThis study used an advanced modelling approach capable of capturing the complex behaviour of asphalt concrete to model the modified wheel tracking test using a recent advanced experimental test set-up in accordance with ASTM D8292-20. The modelling approach uses the discrete element method (DEM) to naturally produce the heterogeneous internal structure and governs the behaviour of asphalt concrete at the grain level by an interparticle contact model. The contact model used is capable of characterising the rate and time dependency, viscoelastic-damage, and plastic-damage behaviour of asphalt concrete utilising the coupling of an elastoplastic-damage law with a viscoelastic-damage law. Unlike the conventional wheel tracking tests run in a fixed boundary condition (fully confined), the modified wheel tracking test considers the effect of boundary conditions on the rutting behaviour of asphalt mixes. Through comparisons and verifications with laboratory data of the rutting test at different boundary conditions (fully confined and unconfined), the modelling approach shows its capability of capturing the rutting behaviour of asphalt concrete in the modified wheel tracking test. Micromechanics analysis shows that the third (tertiary) stage of rutting behaviour is due to the weakening of the internal structure of the asphalt samples with contact bond breaks over time, which is found in the unconfined test. Meanwhile, the tertiary stage hardly occurs in the fully confined test once densification leads to contact of the aggregate–aggregate skeleton, forming a rigid structure to resist the load with lateral support from the fixed boundary condition. Finally, a parametric study was also conducted to provide further insight into the current testing set-up, including the effect of the sample size and boundary condition on the rutting behaviour of asphalt concrete.

Development and Analysis of an On-Road Torque Measurement Device for Trucks

BackgroundRolling resistance and aerodynamic losses cause a significant part of a truck’s energy consumption. Therefore there is an interest from both vehicle manufacturers and regulators to measure these losses to understand, quantify and reduce the energy consumption of vehicles. On-road measurements are particularly interesting because it enables testing in various ambient conditions and road surfaces with vehicles in service.ObjectiveCommon driving loss measurement devices require unique instrumented measurement wheels, which hinders effective measurements of multiple tyre sets or measurements of vehicles in service. For this purpose, the objective is to develop a novel load-sensing device for measuring braking or driving torque.MethodsThe strength of the measurement device is calculated using finite element methods, and the output signal is simulated using virtual strain gauge simulations. In addition to the signal simulation, the device is calibrated using a torsional test rig.ResultsThe simulation results confirm that the device fulfils the strength requirements and is able to resolve low torque levels. The output signal is simulated for the novel cascaded multi-Wheatstone bridge using the strains extracted from the finite element analysis. The simulations and measurements show that the measurement signal is linear and not sensitive to other load directions. The device is tested on a truck, and the effort of mounting the device is comparable to a regular tyre change.ConclusionsA novel driving loss measurement device design is presented with an innovative positioning of strain gauges decoupling the parasitic loads from the driving loss measurements. The design allows on-road testing using conventional wheels without requiring special measurement wheels or instrumentation of drive shafts, enabling more affordable and accurate measurements.

In-situ assessment of the sound and vibration reduction performance of a new type of resilient wheel installed on a metro train

Based on a new type of resilient wheel installed on a linear motor subway train, a measurement campaign is devised to evaluate the effectiveness of the resilient wheel in reducing vibration and noise. For reference, the same series of tests are carried out on another train of the same type but fitted with conventional wheels. The measurements consist of the vibration and noise of various parts of the vehicle-track system which are used to investigate the sources of wheel-rail rolling noise, the acceleration of the axle boxes and the rail head, the noise inside the vehicle, and the noise close to the wheels. It is found that the interior noise levels in the driver’s cab and passenger car even when running on a curve with corrugated rails drop below the required limits when using the new type of resilient wheels. The axle box acceleration is used as an indication of the effectiveness of the resilient wheel in reducing the vibration to guarantee the reliability of the bogie frame. The vibration in the lateral direction is reduced considerably on both straight and curved tracks, while in the curve it has a greater decrease.

Omnidirectional Battery Electric Vehicle for Use in Oil Palm Plantation

Concerns on the low labour shortage and the need to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) generation prompted the industrial player to increase mechanisationduring operation and adopting low carbon footprint mobile platforms. In this paper, a design and analysis study was conducted and reported on a conceptual battery electric vehicle (BEV) for use in the oil palm plantations. With a maximum operating road speed of 30km/hr and harvesting load of 320kg, the BEV will require a minimum operational power of 44.5kW. In accommodating the soggy ground with the demand to navigate narrow and undulating terrains, the proposed BEV was designed to be equipped with an omnidirectional functionality with continuous track, without the use of conventional wheels. Major components arrangement and design for the omnidirectional mechanism are presented in this paper. This preliminary work will also serve as the foundation towards refining the BEV design, especially on the vehicle functionality and manoeuvrability in the plantation sites. Further recommendations are also outlined that will focus on validating the conceptual design and analysis on the total energy generation and consumption of the BEV.

Hubless Wheel Design and Calculations

In this study, Helical gear design, analysis and calculations, chain gear system design and calculations, lubrication system, brake disc, caliper, original stabilization part and system, transmission shaft design, calculations and analysis, wedge calculations analysis and design, bearing, ring selection and necessary information about dimensioning of the system, mechanical design, system components and methods are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the system compared to conventional wheels have been reviewed and a cost analysis has been made. Since the system has a disadvantageous efficiency compared to traditional wheels, it has been tried to increase the efficiency and life of the current design and to create a usage area in the market.

Grinding effect of thermoplastic mold steel using green manufacturing concepts combined with various conventional wheels

Grinding effect of thermoplastic mold steel using green manufacturing concepts combined with various conventional wheels

Analysis of Kinematic Constraints in the Linkage Model of a Mecanum-Wheeled Robot and a Trailer with Conventional Wheels

Mechanical systems that consist of a four-wheeled or two-wheeled robot with Mecanum wheels and a two-wheeled trailer with conventional wheels are considered. The kinematic characteristics of the mechanical systems under consideration of holonomic and non-holonomic constraints are presented and compared. From this, it is shown that the structure of the kinematic constraint equations for mobile systems with a trailer does not apply to Chaplygin’s dynamic equations. If the mechanical system is not Chaplygin’s system, then the dynamic equations cannot be integrated separately from the equations of kinematic constraints. This is the difference between the kinematic constraint equations for the robot-trailer system and the constraint equations for a single robot with Mecanum wheels. Examples of numerical calculations using the equations of kinematic constraints are given.

Extended 2-D Magnetic Field Modeling of Linear Motor to Investigate the Magnetic Force Parameters of High-Speed Superconducting Maglev

A 2D numerical finite element model of a linear synchronous motor (LSM) is extended based on the magnetic field and moving mesh properties to investigate the magnetic flux and magnetic force characteristics of the high-speed EML Maglev system, by using HTS coils rather than lower current carrying copper coils on the onboard unit and PMs on the ground. In this 2D LSM model, the transient, time dependent solver is used to obtain the magnetic flux densities. Both the propulsion and levitation forces increased with increasing supercurrent J <sub xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">c0</sub> values indicating the advantage of using the superconducting windings in PM-LSM of Maglev vehicles as compared to the copper wires. It was also determined that although the propulsion force is obtained on a comparable level with the studies in literature, the lower levitation force issue than the EDS, despite the better propulsion to levitation force ratio, can be overcame by using the high flux trapping capacity bulk HTSs in the onboard unit together with the superconducting coils. The determined higher propulsion force in this PM-LSM Maglev model indicates that the Maglev vehicle can reach higher velocities in a short-distance and thus this vehicle can be effectively used in short-distance travels in addition to the long-distance transportation. On the other hand, since the EDS system to be accelerated in a certain time interval via conventional wheels to achieve sufficient levitation, PM-LSM system can be integrated into the EDS Maglev system to ensure higher acceleration in a short time interval in addition to the higher levitation and propulsion force performances.

Design and Control of a Novel Multi-Degree-of-Freedom Spherical Induction Motor

To realize the omni-directional steering function of urban micro electric vehicle and avoid the defects of traditional multi-degree-of-freedom (multi-DOF) drive, a multi-DOF spherical induction motor (SIM) as hub motor is presented, which is used to replace the conventional wheel and steering system to drive vehicles directly. SIM is mainly composed of three arc-shaped stators and one spherical rotor. And torque is directly output from the surface of the spherical rotor. The structure parameters of SIM are determined based on the design methodology of linear induction motor (LIM), and a finite element model (FEM) is established. Meanwhile, the field-oriented control (FOC) system of SIM is designed, and a multiple physics field co-simulation platform is constituted. By electromagnetic transient simulation and co-simulation, the effectiveness of structure parameters and FOC system are verified systematically. To realize the multi-dimension drive of SIM, the torque model is analyzed, and a multi-DOF drive control strategy is proposed, which is realized by mathematical modeling. The results indicate that SIM can achieve two rotational DOF drive without the angle limitation, and the control system has appropriate dynamic and tracking performances. The design scheme and control strategy proposed are reasonable.

Monitoring the Current Provided by a Hall Sensor Integrated in a Drive Wheel Module of a Mobile Robot

This article describes a method for the real-time monitoring of the current consumed by a Dynamixel MX 64 AT servomotor used in the actuation system of modular mobile robotic platforms having differential locomotion and conventional wheels. The data acquisition method is based on an Arduino Mega 2560 development board interfaced with Matlab Simulink and the ASC712-5A hall sensor for current detection. A Simulink model is presented that performs the detection of a sensor reference voltage, which needs to be calibrated for a correct reading of the current. Due to the low resolution of the analog-to-digital converter with which the Arduino Mega is equipped, current monitoring is difficult to achieve, having large fluctuations and a lower resolution than the current absorbed by the servomotor. The solution to this problem is achieved by implementing, in the hardware construction, an ADS115 conversion module with 16-bit resolution, which leads to an increase in the measurement range of the ASC712-5A sensor. The current acquisition model with the Hall sensor is experimentally validated using measurements on the physical model of the drive wheel. This article further deals with the CAD and digital block modeling of mobile platforms with four and two wheels. The dynamic model of the robot is created in the Simulink–Simscape–Multibody environment and is used to determine the servomotor torques when the robot is moving along the predefined path. The torque variations are entered as variables in the Simulink digital block model of the robot. The Simulink model is simulated when moving along a square path, which determines the variation in the current absorbed by the motors. Experimental validation of the model is carried out using measurements on the functional models that operate in real conditions. A power consumption method is further proposed.

Performance enhancement of desiccant wheels by adsorption/desorption in stages with type-S isotherm desiccants

Desiccant wheels coated with desiccants possessing a single kind of adsorption isotherm face the drawback that the moisture transfer driving force decreases along the direction of air flow in the channel, which hinders the efficiency of regeneration and dehumidification processes. In this study, a new concept of adsorption/desorption in stages with type-S isotherm desiccants was proposed to improve the performance of a counter flow type desiccant wheel by increasing the moisture transfer driving force during both dehumidification and regeneration processes. The numerical results show that compared with conventional wheel made up of silica gel, the two desiccant wheels with various hypothetical type-S isotherm desiccants designed in this study output air with more stable humidity during dehumidification, and have superior performance when both cycling time (tcyc) is high and regeneration temperature (Tr,i) exceeds the critical value.

Performance evaluation of a novel multi-tray packed bed solid desiccant dehumidification system.

Configuration of the solid desiccant bed plays a critical role in the development of cost-effective thermally driven desiccant air-conditioning systems. In the present study, a novel multi-tray packed bed solid desiccant dehumidifier (MPBDD) was developed that can be used in conjunction with a traditional vapor-compression system. The proposed configuration aims to achieve high moisture removal from the air and minimize the system power consumption. A lab-scale test rig was designed, fabricated, and tested under different operation conditions. The effect of the inlet humidity, temperature, and flow velocity on the system performance has been experimentally investigated. Experimental results show that the proposed configuration exhibited an adsorption capacity of about 27% higher than that of the conventional systems. Moreover, the pressure drop through the newly designed desiccant bed was found to be 87% lower than that of the conventional wheel design. A dimensionless number called Total Performance Factor (TPF) was defined to be the ratio of heat dissipated for desiccant to pumping energy expended overcoming pressure drop in the device. It was found that in certain experiments it attained an average value of around 250. In this regard, the present study is critical for achieving high dehumidification capacity as well as energy savings in air conditioning applications.

Finding optimum cutting conditions for augmented grindability of Ti-6Al-4V

ABSTRACT This study is dedicated toward subtractive manufacturing of difficult to process material, Ti-6Al-4 V through an extensively employed precision abrasive machining operation, grinding. Ti-6Al-4 V is the most extensively used material, which needs grinding during its finishing in many cases. However, grinding of the material is challenging due to the characteristics like high chemical reactivity at higher temperature, high hot-hardness, low elastic modulus, and low thermal conductivity. Due to elevated reactivity at raised up temperature, titanium tends to adhere to the abrasive wheel during grinding thus leading to ineffective cutting performance. Its low thermal conductivity intensifies thermal damage to the bonded abrasives forming glazed grits. The present experimental study deals with finding optimum cutting conditions for enhancing grindability of the alloy that involves optimizing the grinding infeed values for different conventional wheels. The optimized dressing infeed is used in the subsequent grinding operation where enhancement of grinding condition is investigated under the application of cutting fluids. The major considerations of the study are identifying coolants and delivery techniques, which follow sustainable developments, and suitable conventional abrasive grinding wheels.

Investigation of the performance characteristics of grinding wheel using low melting vitrified bonds

The performance of a grinding wheel is greatly determined by its structure which in turn is influenced by the characteristics of the bonding material. Vitrified bonds were used in 50% of the wheels, which are mixtures of clay, feldspar and fusible materials. Vitrified wheels were fired at temperatures &gt;1270°C. The main aim of this work is to focus on the feasibility of a low melting bonding material that would render the wheels a better or comparatively closer performance level than that of the conventional wheels, thereby attempting to reduce fuel and time consumption. Suitable low melting bonds were chosen based on the results of fusibility tests and chemical analysis, and their properties such as density, sound index (SI) and Young's modulus (YM) were evaluated. Performance characteristics were investigated through a cylindrical grinding test and compared along with the standard wheel. Attempts have been made to reduce the size of bonds to improve their properties, and the results obtained were promising.

Improving the Efficiency of Grinding Process Using the Rubber-Pasted Grinding Wheel

Abstract This paper studies the efficiency improvement of AISI 4140 steel external cylindrical grinding process. Experiments were carried out with two types of grinding wheels, a conventional and the rubber-pasted grinding wheels. With each type of the wheel, nine experiments were performed. Cooling fluid, spindle speed, feed rate and depth of cut are variables in the experiments. Two outcomes used to evaluate grinding efficiency are surface roughness and material removal rate (MRR). Experimental results demonstrate that the surface roughness achieved in the grinding operation using the rubber-pasted grinding wheels is smaller than using the conventional wheel. The Data Envelopment Analysis-based Ranking (DEAR) method was applied to determine the optimal values of the input parameters for the “minimum” surface roughness and “maximum” MRR in the cases of using each grinding wheel. It is found that the optimization of the input parameters in this circumstance are equal. Several grinding experiments for examining the values of the variables were also performed for both the wheels. The results also confirm that the surface roughness in the grinding process with the rubber wheels is about 19.42% smaller than the conventional wheels.

2-Dimensional Dynamic Analysis of Inverted Pendulum Robot With Transformable Wheel for Overcoming Steps

This letter presents the dynamic modeling of inverted pendulum with adaptable overcoming wheel and analysis of dynamics in 2-dimension. Stairways are inevitable in an environment where humans and robots operate and interact. Normally, the conventional wheel was not able to overcome the obstacle which higher than the radius of the wheel about inverted pendulum robot. This paper presents research on the problematic situation where a balancing robot climbs the steps with a pair of transformable wheels. Dynamic modeling of the varying radius of the wheel was done with the Lagrangian approach, and simple gain controller was selected. Simulations were carried out with MATLAB Simulink for confirmation of the dynamic model. In future works, the wheel is to be tested on an actual robot model.