3 Replies Latest reply on Aug 8, 2013 12:14 AM by Ryan Carteris

Nonlinear - Large Part "non-Pneumatic Wheel"

Ryan Carteris Aug 7, 2013 11:57 AM

I am trying to study a design for a non-pneumatic wheel.

The problem is the part is very complex. The flexible supports are made from layers of thin aluminum sheet metal strips. The double whammy , the mesh is very fine to correctly map the thin sheet metal & I have about 54 non-penetrating contacts in-between the layers of sheet metal.

The contacts would behave similar to this

The non -penetrating contracts are there because the sheet metal is set up similar to a leaf spring . Another issue is I can't find a way to simplify the wheel. I can't run a 2-d simulation because the part is not symmetric throughout . I have tried using shells for the sheet metal but I also have solid parts. I would have to learn how to do a hybrid study.

I have run the entire wheel in a static study & the deformation looks appropriate but I know it needs to be analyzed with a non-linear study to be accurate.

I have a decent computer that maxes out around 7,000,000 nodes, but this non-linear study is taking forever.

any suggestions on how to simplify this part? Thank you

Re: Nonlinear - Large Part "non-Pneumatic Wheel"

Ryan Carteris Aug 7, 2013 1:36 PM (in response to Ryan Carteris)

I applied some mesh controls, lets see if this helps
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Re: Nonlinear - Large Part "non-Pneumatic Wheel"

Jared Conway Aug 7, 2013 5:53 PM (in response to Ryan Carteris)

looks like you could get away with 2d symmetry and then half the model. what am i missing?

do you really need the no pen contact? are you sure you can't get an overall behavior with the components assumed as bonded?

if you're analyzing the wheel and not the spring, why not replace the spring with an idealized spring? or why do they have to be analyzed together?
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- Re: Nonlinear - Large Part "non-Pneumatic Wheel"
  
  Ryan Carteris Aug 8, 2013 12:14 AM (in response to Jared Conway)
  
  I was able to add tiny gaps in between layers to avoid using contacts. I compared a simplified version, one with the gaps and one with contacts. The results where the same.
  
  And that image above is not the spring. The spring is a series of concentric ovals. These are the spokes of the "Wheel" and are offset in a way that 2-d would not work.
  
  but it worked, thanks for your response
  
  .
  
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