Project #1 Bicycle Frame Design

In this project, we are going to design a frame of bicycle using a hollow aluminum tube. The
schematic dimensions of the bicycle are shown in the figure. Initially, the flowing cross-sectional
dimensions are used for all frames: outer diameter = 25mm and thickness t =2mm. The
material properties of aluminum are given in the table. Even if the bike is under the dynamic
loads, only two static design criteria are considered here.
- Vertical bending test: When an adult rides the bike, the nominal load can be estimated by the
vertically downward load of 600N at the seat position and a load of 200N at the pedal crank
location. When a dynamic environment is simulated using the static analysis, the static loads
are often multiplied by a certain G-factor. In this design project, use G = 2. Use ball-joint
boundary condition for the front dropout ( 1 ) and sliding boundary condition for rear
dropouts ( 5 and 6 ).
- Horizontal Impact: The BNAs (Bureau of National Affairs) Requirements for Bicycles
manual calls for a single compressive loading test. A load of 980N is applied to the front
dropout horizontally with rear dropouts constrained from any translational motion. Use G = 2.

20
2

500

Seat

400
3

325

20

y
Unit: mm
x
400

20

825 Pedal
6
5

Material Property
Youngs Modulus (E)
Poissons Ration ()
Density ()
Ultimate Tensile Strength(U)
Elongation at Break

50

Value
70 GPa
0.33
2,580 kg/m3
210 MPa
10%

The report is supposed to be readable and complete by itself, for example, including introduction,
approach, assumptions, results, conclusion, discussion, and references. You dont have to submit
your computer model file. However, you are supposed to keep the file during the semester. If
necessary, the instructor will ask the computer file individually. In your report, you must include
followings:
1. Clearly specify the unit system that you used in the model and report.
2. Carry out preliminary analysis of vertical bending test and estimate the maximum stress and
maximum vertical displacement.
3. Using beam finite elements, carry out finite element analysis at the initial design for both cases
and tabulate the maximum stress and displacement as follows:
Test Case
Vertical Test
Horizontal Impact

Max. Stress

Max. x-displ.

Max. y-displ.

You have to clearly identify boundary conditions and applied loads. Provide the cross-sectional
shape of the hollow beam, the finite element model with node numbers, the finite element model
with element numbers, von Mises stress contour plots on the deformed geometry. Optionally,
plot the bending moment diagram if your software allows them. Also, plot the stress distribution
on the cross-section at the maximum stress point.
4. By considering the fatigue property of aluminum, it would be appropriate to limit the
maximum stress less than 70 MPa. In addition, the maximum displacement in either direction
should be less than 0.6 mm. In the design stage, the cross-section of each line in the figure can be
modified (only diameter not thickness). The design goal is to find the best combination of the
bicycle frame diameters to minimize the weight of the frame while satisfying the design criteria
for vertical bending test. Using you engineering sense or any design tools, find the best
combination of diameters. For manufacturing cost reason, only five different diameters are
allowed. Provide the same information as in question 2 at the optimum design. Tabulate the
weight, max. stress, and max. displacement at each design stage. Limit your maximum design
iterations by five.

1.

Unit:
3

ton (10 kg), mm, sec

2.

Preliminary Analysis (vertical bending test)

If we assume the bike frame is a straight beam structure, then the configuration of the problem
can be depicted as in the figure.
400N

1200N

.4
.5

.825

921.2N
678.8N
From the elementary beam theory, the bending moment can be obtained, as
0 < x < 0.4
678.8 x,

M ( x) = 278.8 x + 160, 0.4 < x < 0.5

921.2 x + 760, 0.5 < x < 0.825

If we assume that the bike frame consists of a single straight hollow tube (it is too much
simplification), then the maximum stress can be calculated by
My 299.4 0.0125
max =
=
= 388.7 MPa
4 4
I
(ro ri )
4
which should be much higher expectation because of the single tube assumption.

Next, let us assume that the bike consists of two parallel, hollow tubes separated by 400mm. This
assumption will make the bike stiffer than actual structure because both ends met at a point. The
equivalent moment of inertia for two tube can be obtained from the parallel-axis theorem, such
that

I eqv = 2 (ro4 ri 4 ) + (ro2 ri 2 ) 0.2 2

4

In this case the maximum stress will be

299.4 0.2
= 5.17 MPa
max =
1.158 10 5
The actual stress should be greater than this value.

3.

FEA
Test Case
Vertical Bending Test
Horizontal Impact

Maximum Stress
46.3 MPa
35.1 MPa

Max. x displ.
0.3543 mm
0.4692 mm

Max. y displ.
0.2737 mm
0.3804 mm

Figure. Cross-sectional geometry

Figure. Node number of the bike model

Figure Element number of the bike model

Figure. Von Mises stress contour plot for horizontal impact test

Figure. Von Mises stress contour plot for the vertical bending test

Figure. Stress distribution over the cross-section for the horizontal impact test

Figure. Stress distribution over the cross-section for the vertical bending test

Figure. Bending moment diagram for the horizontal impact test

Figure. Bending moment diagram for the vertical bending test

4.

Design Optimization

Design optimization has been carried out using the Mathematical Programming function in IDEAS. All frames are divided by five groups, which are served as design parameters.

Design 2

Design 1

Design 3

Design 4

Design 5

The design goal is to minimize the mass of the frame, while maximum stress should be less than
70 MPa and the maximum x- and y-directional displacements are less than 0.6mm. The
optimization problem converged in six iterations. The design history is summarized in the table.
Iter
1
2
3
4
5
6

Mass
1.310
1.050
.859
.880
.821
.760

Stress
35.10
41.63
42.46
36.96
35.84
41.51

x-displ
.3543
.4890
.6198
.5286
.5552
.5806

y-displ
.2737
.3909
.4689
.3820
.3907
.3947

Dp1
25.00
25.60
25.62
25.82
25.97
26.14

Dp2
25.00
23.23
23.07
24.60
25.04
25.65

Dp3
25.00
23.18
23.48
25.36
26.00
26.32

Dp4
25.00
10.00
14.08
14.27
12.45
10.63

Dp5
25.00
19.32
14.57
13.87
12.27
10.65