Stress and Modal Analysis of a Composite Wheel Rim
Application ID: 78281
Nowadays, there is a trend toward manufacturing wheel rims from composite materials instead of aluminum. The main motivation is to reduce unsprung mass, which improves dynamic response and can enhance acceleration, braking, and cornering performance. Carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are commonly used for composite wheel rims.
To understand and improve the design of a composite wheel rim, an example model is developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The example demonstrates the modeling of a wheel rim made of a carbon–PEEK laminated composite. The composite laminate has different numbers of plies in different regions of the wheel rim.
First, a stress analysis of the wheel rim is performed with the rim subjected to inflation pressure and tire load. To compute the modal response of the wheel rim, a prestressed eigenfrequency analysis is then performed with the rim subjected to rotating-frame forces.
This model example illustrates applications of this type that would nominally be built using the following products:
however, additional products may be required to completely define and model it. Furthermore, this example may also be defined and modeled using components from the following product combinations:
The combination of COMSOL® products required to model your application depends on several factors and may include boundary conditions, material properties, physics interfaces, and part libraries. Particular functionality may be common to several products. To determine the right combination of products for your modeling needs, review the Tabella delle Funzionalità and make use of a free evaluation license. The COMSOL Sales and Support teams are available for answering any questions you may have regarding this.
