International Journal of Innovative and Emerging Research in Engineering
Volume 2, Issue 4, 2015
36
Available online at www.ijiere.com
International Journal of Innovative and Emerging
Research in Engineering e-ISSN: 2394 - 3343 p-ISSN: 2394 - 5494
A study on structural health of bicycle frame
using Finite Element Analysis Bharati A. Tayadea, T.R.Deshmukhb
a PG student, Department of Mechanical Engineering
PRMIT&R Badnera, Amravati, India
[email protected] bProfessor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
PRMIT& R Badnera, Amravati, India.
ABSTRACT:
Frame is very important part of bicycle as all the important accessories are mounted on the frame. The frame
need to be very strong, stiff and light in weight, which is obtained by combining different materials and
optimizing its shapes. The strength of frame construction is correct design of a frame because it is the most
important part that ensures safe riding. This paper deals with the various design of bicycle frame. The
modeling of bicycle frame is done in Computer Aided Design software CATIA and analysis of frame is done
using the analysis software Ansys. This analysis is done by considering conditions like static start up, steady
state paddling, vertical impact, horizontal impact, rear wheel braking etc. This paper gives us the stress,
strain, factor of safety of particular bicycle frame.
Keywords: CATIA, FEA, Ansys, Bicycle frame, Impact.
I. INTRODUCTION
The innovation in the design of bicycle frame is still going on, the reason behind this is that the manufacturers and
construction designers have innovative ideas related to minimize aerodynamic drag, to improve comfort, minimizing the
mass of the frame, maximizing lateral stiffness in the load transfer from the hands and feet to the drive, maximizing the
strength capabilities of the frame to allow for a higher load capacity or better load distribution, and adjusting the vertical
compliance of the frame to tune the softness of the ride [1,2] that are needed to provide rider comfort and safety
ride. Most modern bicycle frames have the simple form. This shape emerged in about 1895 following several decades
of vigorous development and evolution and it remained as basically unchanged since that time [3]. The trial and error
method is used at that time but this method does not provide the relevant result and the intuition made is not necessarily
all time correct so there is need of software that provide a way to get direct and appropriate result. This ultimately saves
the cost and time of manufacturer. The solution is provided by Finite Element Analysis (FEA). FEA is a computational
technique used to obtain approximate solutions of boundary value problems in engineering. Simply, a boundary value
problem is a mathematical problem in which one or more dependent variables must satisfy a differential equation
everywhere within a known domain of independent variables and satisfy specific conditions on the boundary of the
domain. Boundary value problems are also sometimes called field problems. The field is the domain of interest and most
often represents a physical structure. The field variables are the dependent variables of interest governed by the
differential equation. The boundary conditions are the specified values of the field variables on the boundaries of the
field. Depending on the type of physical problem being analyzed, the field variables may include physical displacement,
temperature, heat flux, and fluid velocity to name only a few [4].
II. LITERATURE REVIEW
As far back as 1986, Peterson and Londry (1986) used FEA to fine-tube the design of the Trek 2000 aluminium
frame using two other designs (steel, aluminum) as performance benchmarks for mass, strength and stiffness
characteristics. The model used beam elements to represent the tubular frame structure (excluding forks) with a variety
of loading conditions to all frames to calculate their response characteristics [5]. In 1999,D. Arola et.al. explained the
method used for an experimental evaluation of unique Prototype Bicycle motocross (BMX) frame [6]. In 2009,
Thomas Jin-Chee Liu, Huang-Chieh Wu in their discussed the fiber direction and stacking sequence design for the
bicycle frame of the carbon/epoxy composite laminates [7]. Alexandre Callens, André Bignonnet the methodology
used for validation of bicycle frames and the fatigue strength prediction is excellent when compared to the standard
tests [8]. The work presented by Derek Covill, et.al. outlined a FE model using beam elements to represent a standard
road bicycle frame. The model simulates two standard loading conditions to quantify the vertical compliance and
International Journal of Innovative and Emerging Research in Engineering
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lateral stiffness characteristics of 82 existing bicycle frames [9]. Recently in 2014, M. V. Pazare deals with the stress
analysis of bicycle frame by using Finite Element Method. The analysis of frame is carried out in ANSYS software,
and the F.E.A. results are compared with theoretical results. And it is found that there is good agreement between
analytical and F.EA results [3].
III. METHODOLOGY
The methodology used in this paper consists of modeling the bicycle frame in CATIA software and analyze the frame
using the analysis software Ansys. In this paper the sample analysis of frame of Falcon Avon is presented here. CATIA
is software which is used for creation and modifications of the objects. In CATIA, the design and modeling feature is
available. Design means the process of creating a new object or modifying the existing one. Drafting means the
representation or idea of the object. Modeling means creation 2D to 3D model. By using CATIA software, create the
model of the bicycle frame. The modeling of various frames in CATIA is as follows.
3.1. Modeling of bicycle frame
Figure 3.1: Modeling of Falcon Avon bicycle frame Figure 3.2: Modeling of Sunami bicycle frame
Figure 3.3: Modeling of Foster bicycle frame Figure 3.4: Modeling of Miss India Hero bicycle frame
3.2. Analysis requirement
After modeling the analysis of frame is done in Ansys Software, for that purpose After preparing the model in CATIA
it is improved to ANSYS, the file is imported from CATIA by file>import>IGES. To carry out the analysis various
conditions are consider like, Static start up, Steady state pedaling, Vertical impact, Horizontal impact, Rear wheel
braking. The input data for the analysis of bicycle frame Material IS2039 is as follows:
Young’s modulus: 2.e+005 MPa
Poisson’s ratio = 0.31
Density = 7.75e-006 kg/m3
Tensile Yield Strength =320 MPa
Tensile Ultimate Strength= 400 MPa
Physics type = Structural
Analysis type= Static structural, Solver target= Ansys mechanical
International Journal of Innovative and Emerging Research in Engineering
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Force applied in various conditions:
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
(E)
Figure 3.5 (A)Static start up (B) Steady state pedaling (C)Vertical impact (D)Horizontal impact (E)Rear
wheel braking
IV. RESULT ANALYSIS
The analysis of bicycle frame named Falcon (Avon) size
50.5cm (20") is done using following condition as follows:
4.1. Static start up
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
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Fig. 4.1(A) Deformation (B) Vin Mises Stresses (C) Strain (D) Factor of safety
4.2. Steady state pedaling
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
Figure 4.2 (A) Deformation (B) Von Mises stress (C) Strain (D) Factor of safety
4.3 Vertical Impact
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
Figure 4.3 (A) Deformation (B) Von Mises stresses (C) Strain (D) Factor of safety
4.4. Horizontal impact
. (A) (B)
International Journal of Innovative and Emerging Research in Engineering
Volume 2, Issue 4, 2015
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(C) (D)
Figure 4.4 (A) Deformation (B) Von Mises stress (C) Strain (D) Factor of safety
4.5. Rear wheel braking
(A) (B)
(C) (D)
Figure 4.5 (A) Deformation (B) Von Mises stress (C) Strain (D) Factor of safety
Results in tabular form:
TABLE I
Conditions
Total
Deformati
on
Equivalent
Elastic Strain
Equivalent (von-Mises)
Stress
Static start
up
1.9931e-002
mm
8.1359e-005
mm/mm 16.272 MPa
Steady state
pedaling
1.554e-002
mm
1.0228e-004
mm/mm 20.456 MPa
Vertical
impact
4.1937e-002
mm
2.7646e-004
mm/mm 55.292 MPa
Horizontal
impact 0.10109 mm
3.1421e-004
mm/mm 62.842 MPa
Rear wheel
braking 1.6719 mm
2.7345e-004
mm/mm 54.689 MPa
V. CONCLUSION
From the results of FEA, it is apparent that the stresses induced in the bicycle frame of Falcon Avon is least
and the factor of safety is also well above the limit. Also the Von Mises stresses are less than ultimate strength for the
material. Thus the design of bicycle frame is sturdy. The use of Ansys software makes the process of calculation fast
and several iterations are permissible to arrive at the best possible results. The results are relevant provided the
assumptions and boundary conditions are perfect.
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References
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Composite Bicycle Frame”.www.labmilwaukee.com/wpcontent/uploads/2011/08/bikefea.pdf Pages 6.
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