This document presents a study analyzing the structural optimization of car wheel rims. Researchers modeled wheel rims from Renault and Volkswagen vehicles using CATIA and analyzed them using ANSYS under an inflation pressure load. Various materials including steel alloy, aluminum alloy, magnesium alloy, titanium alloy, and a carbon composite were considered. The optimized models showed lower stresses and deformations compared to the actual models. Titanium alloy performed best but is not affordable; the study suggests carbon composite as a lighter, stronger alternative material for wheel rims.

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J. Technological Advances and Scientific Res./eISSN- 2454-1788, pISSN- 2395-5600/ Vol. 2/ Issue 02/ Apr-June 2016 Page 105
MODEL OPTIMIZATION AND STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF CAR RIM
K. N. D. Malleswara Rao1, M. N. V. Stalin Babu2, V. Sai Narayana3, V. Vineeth Kumar4
1Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology.
2B. Tech. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology.
3B. Tech. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology.
4B. Tech. Student, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Andhra Loyola Institute of Engineering and Technology.
ABSTRACT
Automotive organizations are paying their major interest in the weight reduction of components to minimize fuel cost. This
weight can be reduced by introducing new materials and manufacturing processes with optimization of design.[1] In this paper, an
attempt is made to minimize the stress and deformation of the wheel by replacing the aluminium alloy with other alloy materials
and composites. This gave a new approach in the field of optimization of car wheel rim. In this work, the modelling is done by using
CATIA V5 R20 and analysis is made by using ANSYS 14.5.[2] The analysis also shows that after the optimization, the stresses generated
from the wheel rim will be below the yield stress.
KEYWORDS
ANSYS, CATIA, Pressure Load, Renault, Volkswagen.
HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Rao KNDM, Babu MNVS, Narayana VS, et al. Model optimization and structural analysis of car rim. J.
Technological Advances and Scientific Res. 2016;2(2):105-114, DOI: 10.14260/jtasr/2016/17
1. INTRODUCTION
The rim of a wheel is the outer circular design of the metal on
which the inside edge of the tire is mounted on vehicles such
as automobiles.
1.1 Types of Rims
1. Wire spoke wheel
2. Steel disc wheel
3. Light alloy wheel
a. Aluminium alloy wheel
b. Magnesium alloy wheel
c. Titanium alloy wheel
d. Composite material wheel
Different materials have different effects on the strength,
stability and life of the wheel rim. Similarly, even changing the
thickness of the wheel by a few inches can drastically affect the
properties of the wheel rim.[3] In this paper, we have analysed
a wheel rim by varying the thickness of the wheel and also by
applying different materials.
1.2 Materials and their Characteristics
 Steel has an excellent feature of high fatigue strength. It
can withstand to maximum number of cyclic loads.[4] But
due to its weight, the fuel consumption is more.
 Aluminium alloy is a metal with features of excellent
lightness, thermal conductivity, physical characteristics of
casting, low heat, machine processing and reutilizing,
etc.[5] This metal’s main advantage is decreased weight,
high precision and design choices of the wheel.
 Magnesium alloy is about 30% lighter than aluminium
and also admirable as for size stability and impact
resistance.[6] However, its use is mainly restricted to
racing, which needs the features of weightlessness and
high strength.
Financial or Other, Competing Interest: None.
Submission 12-03-2016, Peer Review 21-03-2016,
Acceptance 10-04-2016, Published 11-04-2016.
Corresponding Author:
K. N. D. Malleswara Rao,
D. No. 61-24-16,
Tagore St. RL Nagar,
Vijayawada-520013.
E-mail: nottymalli@gmail.com
DOI: 10.14260/jtasr/2016/17
 Titanium is an admirable metal for corrosion resistance
and strength about 2.5 times compared with aluminium,
but it is inferior due to machine processing, designing and
more cost.[7]
 Composite material wheel is different from the light alloy
wheel and it is developed mainly for low weight. However,
this wheel has inadequate consistency against heat and for
best strength.[8] For analysis in this paper, polyether ether
ketone is taken as polymer matrix composite and
reinforced with 30% carbon.
2. MODELLING OF RIM USING CATIA VR20
Sl.
No.
Specification Value
1 Rim Width 230 mm
2 Wheel Diameter 470 mm
3 Offset 20 mm
4 Number of spokes 5
5 Rim thickness 3 mm
6 Bolt diameter 16 mm
7 Number of bolt holes 5
Table 1: Renault Rim Specifications
Sl.
No.
Specification Value
1 Rim Width 250 mm
2 Wheel Diameter 450 mm
3 Offset 25 mm
4 Number of spokes 10
5 Rim thickness 5 mm
6 Bolt diameter 20 mm
7 Number of bolt holes 5
Table 2: Volkswagen Rim Specifications

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Fig. 1: Volkswagen Actual Model
Fig. 2: Renault Actual Model
Fig. 3: Volkswagen Optimized Model
Fig. 4: Renault Optimized Model
3. ANALYSIS OF WHEEL RIM
Auto mesh is done in ANSYS workbench to solve the
differential equations, which are a combination of structured
and unstructured mesh.[9] The imported file geometry
undergoes meshing, after which boundary conditions are
applied to the physical domain. Wheel rim is considered as it
is in static condition and the boundary conditions like
pressures are applied. As the problem is taken in statics, the
entire load on the wheel rim will be distributed throughout the
rim because of the air.
Fig. 5: Imported Model in ANSYS
Fig. 6: Meshed Model
Fig. 7: Imported Model in ANSYS

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Fig. 8: Meshed Model
3.1 Boundary Conditions and Loading:
 Displacements
A. Translation in x, y, z directions is zero.
B. Rotation in x, y, z direction is zero.
These conditions are applied on the five holes provided on
the rim.
 Loading
After constraining the meshed model, the model is subjected
to an inflation pressure of 0.24131 MPa. Later the solution is
done in the SOLVER module.[10] Next solution results such as
stress, displacement are calculated for all the materials.
Fig. 9: Displacement
Fig. 10: Load Applied
3.2 Material Properties
MATERIAL/
PROPERTIES
YOUNG’S
MODULUS
POISSON’S
RATIO
DENSITY
[11]STEEL ALLOY 2e+11 pa 0.3
7850
kg/m^3
ALUMINIUM
ALLOY
7.1e+10 pa 0.33
2700
kg/m^3
MAGNESIUM
ALLOY
4.5e+10 pa 0.35
1800
kg/m^3
[12] TITANIUM
ALLOY
9.6e+10 pa 0.36
4620
kg/m^3
CARBON
COMPOSITE
MATERIAL
2.23e+11
pa
0.44
2200
kg/m^3
Table 3: Material Properties
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Structural Analysis Results for Actual Renault Model
4.1.1 Steel Alloy:
Fig. 11: Deformation
Fig. 12: Stress
4.1.2 Aluminium Alloy
Fig. 13: Deformation

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Fig. 14: Stress
4.1.3 Magnesium Alloy:
Fig. 15: Deformation
Fig. 16: Stress
4.1.4 Titanium Alloy:
Fig. 17: Deformation
Fig. 18: Stress
4.1.5 Carbon Composite Material:
Fig. 19: Deformation
Fig. 20: Stress
4.2 Results for Optimized Renault Model
4.2.1 Steel Alloy
Fig. 21: Deformation

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Fig. 22: Stress
4.2.2 Aluminium Alloy
Fig. 23: Deformation
Fig. 24: Stress
4.2.3 Magnesium Alloy
Fig. 25: Deformation
Fig. 26: Stress
4.2.4 Titanium Alloy
Fig. 27: Deformation
Fig. 28: Stress
4.2.5 Carbon Composite Material
Fig. 29: Deformation

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Fig. 30: Stress
4.3 Structural Analysis Results of Actual Volkswagen
Model
4.3.1 Steel Alloy
Fig. 31: Deformation
Fig. 32: Stress
4.3.2 Aluminium Alloy
Fig. 33: Deformation
Fig. 34: Stress
4.3.3 Magnesium Alloy
Fig. 35: Deformation
Fig. 36: Stress
4.3.4 Titanium Alloy
Fig. 37: Deformation

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Fig. 38: Stress
4.3.5 Carbon Composite Material
Fig. 39: Deformation
Fig. 40: Stress
4.4 Results for Optimized Volkswagen Model
4.4.1 Steel Alloy
Fig. 41: Deformation
Fig. 42: Stress
4.4.2 Aluminium Alloy
Fig. 43: Deformation
Fig. 44: Stress
4.4.3 Magnesium Alloy
Fig.45: Deformation

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Fig. 46: Stress
4.4.4 Titanium Alloy
Fig. 47: Deformation
Fig. 48: Stress
4.4.5 Carbon Composite Material
Fig. 49: Deformation
Fig. 50: Stress
4. RESULTS SUMMARY
MODEL
MATERIALS
STEEL ALLOY
AL
ALLOY
MG
ALLOY
TITANIUM
ALLOY
CARBON
COMPOSITE
MATERIAL
RENAULT
ACTUAL
STRESS 3.2747 3.2397 3.2162 3.2043 3.228
DEFORMATION 0.0040625 0.011487 0.018169 0.008527 0.0074238
RENAULT
MODIFIED
STRESS 3.1253 3.0965 3.1103 3.0523 3.089
DEFORMATION 0.00338 0.009555 0.01511 0.0070906 0.0061744
VOLKSWAGEN
ACTUAL
STRESS 4.8508 4.8155 4.7915 4.7794 4.8035
DEFORMATION 0.0008153 0.0023062 0.0036491 0.001713 0.0014907
VOLKSWAGEN
MODIFIED
STRESS 4.6774 4.6638 4.6547 4.650 4.6592
DEFORMATION 0.00047522 0.0013429 0.0021233 0.0009963 0.00086771
Table 4: Results Summary

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1=STEEL
ALLOY
2=AL
ALLOY
3=MG
ALLOY
4=
TITANIUM
ALLOY
5= CARBON
COMPOSITE
MATERIAL
CONCLUSION
The modelling is done in CATIA and the model was saved in
the IGES format and imported into ANSYS. In the ANSYS
software, the analysis of 4 models done by changing the
materials. The results were tabulated and compared in the
investigation. We came to know that for all the 4 models of rim,
both the stress values and deformation values are low for
Titanium alloy compared to all other alloys, which are used in
this project. But the cost of Titanium is not affordable by
general model cars. So, we are going for next better material
whose values are nearer to Titanium and we got composite
material that is the best material next to titanium. So we
suggest that composite material can be used for the Rim
manufacturing, which is the lighter and strength material
compared to other remaining materials.
FUTURE SCOPE
In the above proposed work only pressure acting
circumferentially on the wheel rim is only considered. This can
be extended to other forces that act on the wheel rim and
structural analysis is carried out. This can be extended to
transient analysis.
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