Application of the Finite Element Method to the Design of Disc Type Wheels

Abstract

In this thesis the analysis and the design of axisymmetric disc wheels are studied from a new approach using the finite element method. The triangular plane element and the triangular ring element are used in the finite element idealisations of disc wheels. General purpose computer programmes have been developed and the programmes reduce the analysis of complex two-dimensional and axisymmetric problems to routine data preparation, which involves the specification of the geometrical and elastic properties of the structure and certain boundary conditions. The two-dimensional programme can analyse any plane stress or plane strain elastic problems. The axisymmetric programmes can analyse any axisymmetric elastic problems with axisymmetric and/or non-axisymmetric loadings. The method of idealisation and the interpretation of the finite element results have been studied in detail with problems of known solutions. Disc wheels under various loading conditions have been analysed using both the plane stress and the axisymmetric idealisations. Some of the results are compared with those obtained by the photoelastic method, and good agreement is observed. The utilisation of material in disc wheels is examined by means of a parametric survey of various wheel geometries; a study of the results of this survey has allowed the development of a design optimisation procedure for this type of wheel.