A Lightweight Tandem Bike Frame
FINITE ELEMENT ALAYSIS
Date
January 2022 - February 2022
Location
IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON YEAR2
Work: I created a tandem bicycle frame, enhancing its structure through finite element analysis. Utilizing SolidWorks simulation, I examined its natural frequency and fatigue characteristics, refining the design until it was prepared for subsequent development phases.
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The Whole Journey
This project aims to design a tandem bike suitable for two adults each weighing 100kg. The bike must be comfortable to ride, (natural frequency greater than 30Hz). Additionally, the frame must have an effective life of at least 10 years (= one million loading cycles).
Two frame designs will be investigated alongside the use of two different materials (aluminium and titanium) to design a lightweight frame with an optimised natural frequency and fatigue life.
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Simulation Preparation:
The analysis procedure entailed constructing 2D concept development, the model in SolidWorks, specifying assumptions and design constraints, meticulously determining boundary and loading conditions, conducting mesh refinements, optimizing geometry, and iterating the design.
Result:
The bike frame met the design criteria, with the figures illustrating areas where the frame was most likely to fail first. Based on these specific locations, further mesh refinement was conducted to iterate into the final design. Material selection was carried out using the S-N curve analysis tool, and finite element analysis (FEA), along with its limitations, were also included in the discussion
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