Numericalmodelingandsimulation

A.Y.2013/2014

Exercise 1: bicycle frame study

The task of the practice is to study the behaviour of a bicycle frame with the finite element method in order to: evaluate the stresses in the elements of the frame; evaluate the deformation at the loads application points; evaluate the reaction forces at the constraints; understand the use of 1-D elements.

Description of the problem

The subject of the exercise is to study a bicycle frame (showed in Figure 1 on the left) using 1-D elements. The frame is made with aluminium tubes (7075 T6), joined together with TIG welding process. The main dimensions of the frame are the lengths of the vertical tube (570 mm) and of the horizontal tube (590 mm). The loading condition takes into consideration the weight of the driver (75 kg) and a torque due to pedal (10000 Nmm). To simplify the study, the different tubes of the frame have to be considered with the same constant shape and dimensions (external diameter 35 mm, thickness 2 mm). The frame is fully constrained in the attachment points for the rear wheel and for the front fork. The frame can be modelled with 1D elements as shown in Figure 1 on the right.

Figure 1: on the left bicycle frame, on the right modelling of the frae with FE The information required to build the model are summarized in the following: Material properties E (MPa) 69000 Geometries of frame elements o Pipe section o External diameter 35 mm o Thickness of the pipe 2 mm Aluminium 7075 T6 (Gkg/l) Rp0.2 (MPa) 0.3 2.7e-9 390

Numericalmodelingandsimulation

A.Y.2013/2014

Dimensions of the frame NODE 1 2 3 4 5 6 X (mm) -100 -100 120 306 710 737 Y (mm) -291 -291 200 -338 200 109 Z (mm) -70 70 0 0 0 0

Load conditions o Weight of the driver: 7500 N in Y direction on node 3 o Torque due to pedal: 10000 Nmm in Z direction on node 4

Constraints o Constraints in dx, dy, dz, rx, ry, rz, on node 1, 2 and 6

Requirements:
The evaluation of the maximum vertical displacement (Y direction) for node 3 and of the maximum displacement for node 4; the evaluation of the reaction forces in the constraint points; the evaluation of the influence of different parameters (elastic modulus of the material, dimensions of the frame parts) on the previous examined results (displacements, reaction forces). a short description of the different steps necessary to build of the model; the results previous required; a short critical discussion on the results.

The technical report must contain: