Finite Element Analysis of Alloy Wheel

Automobile wheels have in the time period spanning the last five decades progressively evolved from the early spoke design of wood and steel the carryovers from wagon and bicycle technology, flat steel discs, and more recently stamped metal configurations. The metal configurations are made from either cast or cast plus forged aluminum alloys in the present and newer generations of ground vehicles. This project work summarizes the application of Finite Element Techniques for analyzing stress and displacement distribution in vehicle wheels subjected to the conjoint influence of inflation pressure and radial load. Wheel strength with regard to the fractures on edges and other critical points when the wheel strikes an obstacle shall be checked. In order to show the sufficient resistance to fractures it is necessary to carry out an impact test. An impact load (as per SAE standards) is applied on the wheel at a determined angle. The modal analysis is carried out for observing the natural frequencies. Static analysis for the given radial load and the angular velocities of 40, 60, 80, and 120, with the appropriate constraint set of conditions in order to check the wheel strength. Yield strength of the alloy wheel material is checked with the Von-Mises stress obtained, (as per the ISO 7141-Road Vehicles-Wheels-Impact Test Procedure, and SAE J175-Impact Test Procedures standards). Therefore the study states that the innovative design of the wheel is safe for its operating conditions for the given loads specified.