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Virtual Prototyping of rubber wheels

SERVICE MERCATO CLIENT Azienda leader di pneumatici e ruote YEAR 2017-2018

Brief

The aim of the project was to develop virtual prototypes of different rubber wheel geometries and validate them against available experimental data. These virtual prototypes could then be used to optimise wheel geometry and the mechanical properties of the material.

Project challenge

  • To properly model the mechanical properties of the material used (rubber).
  • Mechanical non-linearities (due to rubber properties) and geometric non-linearities (i.e. large deflections) to be taken into account when setting up numerical simulations.
  • To validate the Finite Element model against the results of experimental tests provided by the client, concerning the characterisation of the material (from uniaxial tension tests carried out on specimens), and to also validate specific geometries (from compression tests performed on wheels).

Solution

  • The modelling of the material’s mechanical properties was carried out using the experimental uniaxial tension test results provided by Trelleborg Wheel Systems Italia S.p.A., assuming that the material is incompressible (Poisson’s ratio ? = 0.5) and characterised by hyperelastic mechanical behaviour (applying the Neo-Hookean constitutive law).
  • Finite element analyses were carried out on each of the wheel geometries supplied by Trelleborg Wheel Systems Italia S.p.A. using a Newton-Raphson algorithm to obtain solutions to the non-linear problem, and verifying convergence at each loading stage in terms of forces, displacements and deformation energy.
  • The finite element analyses carried out are quasi-static numerical simulations that reproduce experimental compression tests on rubber prototypes. The numerical results were compared with experimental compression test data provided by Trelleborg Wheel Systems Italia S.p.A. to validate the model.

Execution phases

FASE 1
  • Creation of the Virtual Prototype (finite element model) of the various wheel geometries: modelling of the material, import and simplification of the geometry (3D CAD), definition of the mesh, imposition of constraints and loads that reproduce the loading conditions of the wheel during compression tests.
FASE 2
  • Execution of the analyses.
FASE 3
  • Post-processing of results and comparison with experimental data using specially developed scripts (Python v.2.7), in terms of vertical deflection, width deflection, contact size and specific pressure.

Achieved results

Numerical simulations were performed with ANSYS Workbench® Release 18.2 and ANSYS Mechanical® Release 18.2.

 

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