Asymmetric Wheel Radius and Weight Distribution for EV Efficiency
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automotive wheel designs do not prioritize fuel efficiency, leading to significant energy loss due to axial friction in electric vehicles, which limits their travel distance on paved roads.
Innovation Solution
Designing electric passenger cars with wheels that have a radius 20% larger than standard wheels, with a weight distribution where over 50% of the car's weight is on the larger wheels, and incorporating electronic traction control and differential wheel speed for improved stability and efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If standard wheel size is used, then device complexity is reduced, but energy efficiency deteriorates due to higher axial friction
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies asymmetry by configuring wheels of different sizes at different positions on the vehicle. Specifically, the vehicle has a mix of larger wheels and smaller wheels, where the larger wheels are positioned to bear the majority of the vehicle weight. This asymmetric wheel size configuration reduces axial friction and improves energy efficiency while maintaining manageable device complexity through a systematic arrangement.
2Duration of action of moving object
If larger wheels are used, then travel distance increases for the same friction energy loss, but vehicle stability may deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by positioning the larger wheels specifically at locations where they can bear the majority of the vehicle weight (greater than 50% of total weight). This localized concentration of weight on larger wheels optimizes the travel distance per unit of friction energy loss while maintaining vehicle stability, as the larger wheels provide sufficient contact area and structural support at the critical load-bearing positions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If weight is concentrated on larger wheels, then energy efficiency improves, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by specifying that the larger wheels should bear greater than 50% of the vehicle's total weight. This parameter threshold provides a clear design target that balances energy efficiency improvements with manufacturability. By setting a specific weight distribution parameter rather than requiring precise equal distribution, the patent achieves significant energy savings while maintaining reasonable manufacturing precision requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
An electrical passenger car, the electrical passenger car including: an electrically driven motor; and wheels, where the wheels include a first wheel, a second wheel, a third wheel, and a fourth wheel, where the first wheel and the second wheel have a radius 20 percent larger than the third wheel and the fourth wheel, where the electrical passenger car includes a total weight, where the electrical passenger car includes a center of gravity designed so that greater than 50% of the total weight will be over the first wheel and the second wheel, where the electrical passenger car is designed to travel for a greater distance for the same axial to wheel friction energy loss than a similar electrical passenger car having wheels of a smaller radius, and where the second wheel width is equal to or less than the third wheel width.