Strength analysis of the drive wheel hub of a hydrogen-powered prototype hyper-light vehicle

This article presents a strength analysis of the rear wheel hub of the prototype vehicle for the Shell Eco-Marathon competition. Due to only one wheel in the vehicle's driving axle, all drive components and the wheel are subjected to higher loads. Therefore, the rear hub must withstand the loads generated by the rear part of the vehicle and the powertrain. The aim of the paper was to develop a hub with the minimum possible weight while fulfilling the strength conditions. The low weight of the hub is particularly important because of the efforts to achieve the highest possible efficiency of the drive system, which generates less energy loss and the ability to travel a longer distance on the same amount of fuel. The article presents the developed three-dimensional model of the hub. The suitable materials for the individual elements that are parts of the whole hub were selected. The three-dimensional model was tested to strength analysis using the finite element method with the use of Abaqus® software. The developed calculation mesh as well as the assumptions and boundary conditions of the modelling carried out are presented. The results of the simulation tests, which are the basis for further design work are also described.