Design optimization of Composite Bicycle frame using HyperMesh

and OptiStruct
In this paper I explore the theory of mechanics of structures and composites
and couple it with techniques of Finite Element Analysis in order to study the
parameters that come into play in the design of a bicycle frame. The
research uses a bicycle frame as a focal point for the knowledge to gravitate
around, but the learning and results of this project can be generalized to
have a wide range of applications in fields relating to the optimization of
structural design using composite materials. Thinking in terms of bicycles
gives me a more tangible feel for these topics and helps me better
understand them. I hope you as a reader have a similar experience.
Introduction
Bicycles are a mainstream means of transportation and recreation. They are
found amid busy streets of dense urban centers, on seemingly endless
roads that stretch out alongside breathtaking sceneries, and across remote
mountaintops that only some dare to ride. As a result of the various
disciplines, terrains, riders and riding styles that exist, there is no universal
truth to what makes the perfect bicycle. In this paper I will incorporate
theoretical principles with computational techniques with the intention of
designing a bicycle frame.

More than any other part, the frame is what gives a bicycle its distinct feel. It
determines the handling of a bike and the way it behaves in corners and at
high speeds. Up to the beginning of the last decade, bicycle design used to
be a trial and error process in which new models were made based on a
combination of what had worked in the past and heuristics. With the
development of new materials and computational tools, engineers are now
able to fine tune design parameters of their choosing in an attempt to make
the best bicycle possible.
Finite Element Analysis integrates the theoretical understanding of the
behavior of materials with computational techniques to create an interactive
visual environment to analyze performance. This allows engineers to know
how particular design is going to behave before having to actually build it.
This is a time and money saving technique, as it allows designers to quickly
and inexpensively go through several iterations of ideas while searching for
an optimal design. It has become a standard methodology for pre-production
analysis.
Altair HyperWorks is a high-performance Finite Element Analysis software
used in the engineering industry to model, visualize, analyze and optimize
design problems. It offers modules directed toward the study of structures,
motion, composites and optimization, which I use throughout this study.
Bicycle Design
The ultimate goal of bicycle design is to maximize how much of the rider's
input energy is used to promote forward motion. That is to say, to make
bicycles that can be ridden faster and for longer, not to mention, that are
comfortable and less prone to breaking. Bicycles must meet safety and
performance requirements as well as in some cases comply with design
regulations set by authorities such as the Union Cycliste International.
Owing to improvements in the field of composites, industries ranging from
aeronautics to naval have adopted these improved materials to make lighter,
stronger and more durable components that are better apt to meet the
needs of specific applications. The use of composites in these industries can
be traced back as far as 1940. More recently, the bicycle industry has began
to use composite materials to replace heavy steel and aluminum tubing in
the making of frames; notably carbon fiber.
Traditionally bicycle frames have been made out of aluminum and steel but,
thanks to advent technological advances in composite manufacturing, the
cycling industry has been shifting its focus into implementing composite
materials into the manufacturing of components. For example, a
carbon/epoxy bicycle frame can be made to weigh less than a kilogram,
compared to the average aluminum frame weighing around 5 kilograms.

In addition to shaving weight, composite materials allow bicycles to have

improved elastic properties. Based on how you manufacture composites you
can customize how much they bend and how much they resist bending;
these properties are called compliance and stiffness, respectively, and are
opposites of each other. Because energy is most efficiently transferred
through stiff members, a torsionally stiff bottom bracket and head tube are
desirable. although it may not be noticeable, if a frame has a tendency to
twist from side to side with each pedal stroke the rider will expend
unnecessary energy. In addition to conserving energy, lateral stiffness also
provides better handling. Improved in-plane vertical compliance means that
the bicycle can flex up and down a little in order to absorb sudden shocks
and vibrations for the road, ultimately resulting in a more comfortable and
stable ride.
Composite Materials
Several materials can be combined in different configurations to create
composite materials which can be given enhanced properties than those
found in each one of the composing materials individually. Such is the case
with carbon fiber, which is made by bounding a series of long thin fibers of
carbon with epoxy to create a lamina. By themselves, epoxy and carbon are
rather weak materials, but by strategically combining them they can be
given properties that surpass those of common metals.
When manufacturing composites using unidirectional fiber composites, each
lamina can be arranged with a different orientation. The overall fiber layup
can therefore be tailored to optimize the behavior of the structure it
composes.
Using HyperWorks I find optimal the fiber orientation and layer thickness to
better respond to the loading conditions.
Force Analysis
The frame of the bicycle is the main structure designed to support the main
external loads. A pedaling force from the rider is transmitted through a chain
mechanism and is made to rotate a rear wheel thus propelling the bicycle
and rider forward. Doing a simplified analysis of the transmission of power
the bicycle experiences it can be seen that forces come from the rider at five
key locations: two at the handlebar, one on each pedal and one on the
saddle. As the rider shifts position . A rider may alternate between sitting and
standing positions effectively shifting his weight between the front and read
of the bicycle, as well as vary the application of forces from side to side.
During intense pedaling a left pedal stroke is couple with a downward and
upward force on the left and right end of the handlebar respectively.

An often overlooked point noted by L Maestrelli in [] is that due to the

standard placement of the chain on the right side of the bicycle causes that
the loading conditions associated to the push of the right and left pedal are
asymmetric.
There is a contact point at the location where each wheel meets the ground.
At each of these contact points the play of forces aboard the bicycle is
countered by a normal force and a traction force perpendicular to the
direction of travel of the wheel. The balance of forces and its relationship to
the geometry of the bicycle determines the direction of travel or whether the
bicycle is able to stay up or go around turns.
Structural Analysis
It is important to overstate the importance of structural analysis of the frame
when designing a bicycle. The strength and stiffness of a bicycle can be
predicted and modified by coupling the theoretical understanding of
mechanics of composites and structures with the use of computer modeling
techniques such as Finite Element Analysis.

Motivations

Design lighter bikes that can be ridden faster and for longer.
Optimize performance, minimize weight.
Flexing of rear triangle to absorb shock.

Hypermesh
The bicycle frame model was designed on SolidWorks based on the general
dimensions of a Rocky Mountan Blizzard bicycle.

Each tube that composes the frame was considered as an individual section.

Based on the paper by Maestrelli loading is considered to be asymmetric

about the main axis due to the chain being located on the right hand side of
the bicycle.

Bottom bracket concentrated loading from riders weight as well as a

moment

Material

The material used for this simmulation is AS4/3502-6 carbonn fiber, and its
properties are as follows:
AS4/3502-6
t=0.005
E1=20.6e6
E2=1.42e6
V12=0.3
G12=0.87e6
XT=330e3
XC=-180e3
YT=7.5e3
YC=-35e3
S=14e3

Deflection analysis

Optimization
Finite Element Structural Optimization methods are ways of applying
traditional optimization algorithms to structural design problems using Finite
Element Analysis. Compared to standard mathematical techniques these
methods
have
the
advantage
of
being
able
to
analyze
otherwise cumbersome numerical problems and of providing a visual
representation of the optimal results. [Marco Cavazzuti]
Common optimization methods in mechanical engineering

Topology optimization

Topometry optimization

Topography optimization

Size optimization

Shape optimization

As with the numerical methods, necessary elements used for structural

optimization are:

Design space (mesh)

Variables (thickness, angle, mass)

Optimization constraints, measurement

stress, strain, failure (hill, etc))

Objective
function(min/max/minmax/maxmin) Minimize
maximize vertical compliance, maximize lateral stiffness, etc

Optimization Algorithm (gradient based, mma)

In the case of topology, topometry, topography(2D or shell elements),

and size optimization the element density can vary between 0 (void)
and 1 (present)

(stiffness,

displacement,
mass,

Optimization
Objective: Minimize Volume (mass) of chain stay

Constraint: Displacement
Lower bound=1.4
Upper bound=2.4

Variables: thk1, thk2, thk3, thk4

The 7 layers are symmetric about the middle axis. This results in there being
4 different ply orientations, 3 of which have a corresponding match about the
mid-plane. This allows for the use of only 4 design variables, which simplifies
calculations.

Optimization results
Through the OptiStruct Module the objective function was minimized
throughout 15 iterations. The volume of the chain stay can be seen to go
from around 1.3 to 0.626 cm^3.

It can be seen that in iteration 4 and 8 the maximum constraint on

displacement was violated. The thickness was reduced too much which
caused
the
displacement
to
go
over
the
constrain
limit.

The following image shows the final thickness of each set of layers. The
results show that the mid plane should be the thickest layer.

Conclusion
The analysis shows results that are numerically off to those that would apply
to a real life model, but give insight to how much effect each variable has in
the behavior of the frame. There is more work and learning to be done in
order to improve the modeling and optimization.

In the future a large part of the frame will be created using simplified hollow
pipe structures directly on HyperMesh to avoid the meshing complications
that file importing brought along.

Literature Review
An early use of Finite Element Methods for bicycle design was done by
Paterson and Londry in 1986 [] who represented a tubular frame structure
using eulerian beam elements and measured their respective deflection,
von Mises stress and strain energy under various loading conditions. Their
rudimentary study laid down important grounndwork and proved the
usefulness of FEM techniques in the design of bicycle frames. Their findings
showed that energy dissipation in the vertical direction could be increased
with minimal negative effect on hill climbing when pedaling out of the saddle
and that the down tube was the greatest ebsorber of train energy.
In 1994 Lessard et al also modeled tubular frames using beam elements and
compared the analysis of several frame designs to experimental
measurements, focusing on maximizing the vertical compliance and lateral
stiffness. He emphasized that in the classical tubular diamond shape frame
structure problems arose at the junction between tubes.. In his study Lessard
studied and identified the boundary conditions that a frame would encounter
during realistic riding conditions, and narrowed them down to three
generalized loading cases: braking, front impact, and stand up peadling. He
used arbitrary loads and comments that the choice of load to apply is
arbitrary since he was only studying displacement and the tests are done
within the elastic limit of the material.
He suggests that composite bicycle frames should be composed of a
monocoque structure in which loads are supported through a low mass skin
of a large surface area, therefore improving stiffness characteristics. Because
the ideal racing frame should effectively transfer human energyt hat the
rider puts into the pedals and handlebar with minimal losses due to the
frame. He suggests a torsionally stiff bottom bracket and head tube, as
energy is most effectively transfered through stiff members. He adds that the
frame should allow for in-plane vertical compliance to dissipate road surface
forces. Lessard comments that there is room for study of the relationship
between quantifiable frame stiffness characteristics and qualitative
description of the experience of the rider.
Derek Covill used parametric finite element analysis of bicycle frame
geometries to study the vertical compliance and lateral stiffness
characteristics of 82 existing bicycle frames. His results showed that smaller
frames behave most favourably in terms of vertical compliance and lateral
stiffness, and that a shorter top tube length and larger head tube angle
result in a laterally stiffer frame. He suggests that there is further room for
development of the study regarding a more detailed tube geometry, the use
of alternative materials, and analysis of of other structural characteristics.

Paolo Balisedra used the FEM software HyperMesh to study four different
bicycle fork designs and used eight different quasi-isotrpoic laminates
generated using the HyperLaminate module. He notes that the virtual model
represents an ideal component and neglects possible defects that may
occurr during the manufacturing process such as porosity, wavyness or ply
drops. The results were used to validate the use of a manufactured frame
which was subsequently used for races through a total distance of around
500 km. The fork was later submitted to lateral static load tests and showed
no significant redution in stiffness.
Noting the incorrect assumptions that can be made about the location of
stresses on a bicycle during real riding conditions, professional cycling
company Cervelo created an instrumented 'strain gage' bike outfitted with
sensors and 'ridden hard'. They accounted for different situations and riding
styles in their tests and concluded that bending and torsion loads were
distributed differently than previously believed. Being a private company
these results were not released to the public.
Cervelo's analysis showed that a large 1.2 inch axle increased the stiffness of
the bottom bracket and allowed the seat tube and down tube to be lighter as
well, at a lower weight. They cite that they use carbon/epoxy prepreg of
diferent moduli (supplied by Ntwport Adhesives and Composites and Nippon
Graphite Fiber Corp.) in different areas of the frame to tailor the mechanical
properties of each section, and use a fiberglass scrim in the places where the
carbon layup comes in contact with metal components.
Cervelo manufactures the frame's top tube, head tube, down tube, seat tube
and bottom bracket as a monocoque shell, and chain stay and seat stay
molded as separate pieces; using inflatable latex bladders to achieve an
accurate fiber architecture and a consistent all thickness.
Xiang introduces in 2011 the principles of biomechanics and ergonomic
knowledge, noting that feature parameters of the rider are often not included
in the frame design. He defines the relative position between the saddle, the
handlebar and the central axis as the bicycle's threepivot and uses it as a
main parameter in order to improve rider confort. The optimization goal of
his methods is to keep the rider comfortable by maintaining the back
muscles in a relaxation state and minimizing leg fatigue.