Tapered Spoke Wheel Disc Stress Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional fabricated vehicle wheels face inefficiencies in stress distribution and weight reduction, with limited ventilation and structural optimization, leading to suboptimal performance under cornering and radial loads.
Innovation Solution
The design incorporates a steel wheel disc with radially outwardly extending spokes and a ventilation opening defined by three radii, featuring a concave center wall and tapered outer walls, along with a rib structure between lug bolt holes, enhancing stress distribution and ventilation while maintaining stiffness.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If conventional fabricated vehicle wheels are used with standard spoke design, then structural simplicity is maintained, but stress distribution is inefficient and weight reduction is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The spoke design implements local quality by varying the wall thickness distribution along the radial direction. The center wall and outer walls have different thickness profiles, with the center wall being thicker near the center mounting portion and tapering outward, while outer walls provide structural support at the periphery. This non-uniform thickness distribution optimizes stress distribution in different regions of the spoke, allowing the structure to efficiently handle both radial and tangential loads.
Solution Approach 2:
The spoke design incorporates curvature through concave center walls and bent-back outer walls that extend radially outward and then curve back toward the center. This curved geometry helps distribute stresses more evenly throughout the spoke structure, reducing stress concentrations at sharp corners and improving overall structural efficiency under cornering and radial loads.
2Use of energy by moving object
If conventional fabricated vehicle wheels are used with standard ventilation design, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but ventilation efficiency is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The ventilation opening design utilizes parameter changes by defining the opening boundaries with three different radii (first radius, second radius, and third radius) instead of a single circular radius. This creates an optimized ventilation aperture that maximizes airflow through the wheel disc while maintaining structural integrity. The varying radii allow for enhanced cooling efficiency by adapting the ventilation geometry to the stress distribution patterns and airflow requirements.
3Strength
If spoke width is increased to maintain stiffness, then structural rigidity is improved, but weight increases and ventilation is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The spoke design applies local quality by implementing non-uniform wall thickness distribution, with the center wall being thicker near the center mounting portion where stresses are highest, and gradually tapering toward the outer rim. The outer walls also have varied thickness profiles. This allows the spoke to maintain structural stiffness and strength where needed while reducing material usage and weight in regions where full thickness is not required, thereby achieving weight reduction without sacrificing structural rigidity.
4Reliability
If conventional welding is used to secure disc to rim, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but stress concentrations occur at weld joints
Solution Approach 1:
The outer rim connecting flange design incorporates local quality features including tapered outer walls and optimized thickness distribution that facilitate stress dispersion at the connection interface with the wheel rim. The flange geometry is specifically designed to distribute loads evenly across the welding surface, reducing stress concentrations at the weld joints and improving the reliability of the disc-to-rim connection.
Data Source
AI summary
A wheel disc adapted for use in a fabricated vehicle wheel includes a steel wheel disc defining an axis and includes a center mounting portion, an outer rim connecting flange, a plurality of radially outwardly extending spokes connecting the center mounting portion to the outer rim connecting flange and a ventilation opening provided between each pair of adjacent spokes. A width defined by a center wall of the spoke is tapered inwardly along a substantial portion of a radial length thereof as the center wall of the spoke extends generally from the center mounting portion to the outer rim connecting flange or wherein a width defined by outer walls of the spoke is tapered inwardly along a substantial portion of a radial length thereof as the outer walls of the spoke extends generally from the center mounting portion to the outer rim connecting flange.