TITLE:
Development of a Test Rig for Axial Strains Measurement in Automobile Wheel
AUTHORS:
Samuel Onoriode Igbudu, David Abimbola Fadare
KEYWORDS:
Test Rig, Strain, Contact Angle, Radial Load, Inflation Pressure
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Applied Sciences,
Vol.13 No.10,
October
30,
2023
ABSTRACT: In automobile wheel
application, a test rig is vital and used to simulate conditions of the wheel
in service in order to affirm the safety and reliability of the wheel. The
present work designed a test rig for measuring axial strains in automobile
wheel. The wheel used was a five-arm wheel (6JX14H2; ET 42) and Tyre (175 × 65
R 14). Experimental (EXP) test was carried out, with a radial load of 4750 N
and inflation pressure of 0.3 MPa, to measure the axil strains which were
converted to maximum principal strain values and, compared with data from
Finite Element Analysis (FEA) using Creo-Element/Pro 5.0 at wheel’s contact
angles of 90 degree (FEA 90 deg), 40 degree (FEA 40 deg) and 30.25 degree (FEA
30.25 deg), respectively. Results show that at the wheel’s point of contact
with the ground, maximum principal strain values were highest at the inboard
bead seat with a value of about 5.69 × 10-4 mm/mm, followed by the
values at the well of about 5.66 × 10-4 mm/mm. The value at the
outboard bead seat was least at about 2.22 × 10-4 mm/mm, which was
due to the presence of spikes at this location that tends to resist imposed
radial loads. However, the highest mean maximum principal strain values at the
locations of inboard, well and outboard, were about 2.11 × 10-4 mm/mm, 3.78 × 10-4 mm/mm and .99 × 10-4 mm/mm,
respectively. With the highest single value of about 5.69 × 10-4 mm/mm, the inboard bead seat was the most strained location of the wheel.
Overall results showed that all values of maximum principal strains were below
the threshold value of about 1 × 10-2 mm/mm. The values obtained for
EXP and FEA could be said to be in close agreement when compared with the
threshold value. With this in mind, the rig is recommended for use in related
experimental procedures.