Maximum Stress on a wheel in motion

[Davieslad]

Homework Statement

I have a vehicle traveling at 180 ms^-1, weighing 2000kg.
I need to calculate the maximum stress that the wheel is likely to sustain if it hits a solid, immovable object at the above speed, so that i can successfully design a wheel which won't go beyond its yield strength.

Does anyone know of any formula to calculate the maximum force transmitted to the wheel

Homework Equations

stress = force/area

The Attempt at a Solution

Im not really sure where to start with the maximum stress.

Any help much appreciated

Cheers
Ed

 

[spaceshipone]

I would think you'd need to at least know the modulus E of the material to find the max allowable stress?

 

[nlightner]

Hello Ed,

To calculate the maximum stress on a wheel in motion, we need to consider the forces acting on the wheel when it hits a solid, immovable object. The main forces to consider are the vehicle's weight, the impact force of the collision, and the area of the wheel in contact with the object.

To start, we can use the formula stress = force/area, as you mentioned in your post. In this case, the force will be the sum of the vehicle's weight and the impact force of the collision. The area will be the surface area of the wheel that comes into contact with the object.

Next, we need to determine the impact force of the collision. This can be calculated using the equation F = m * a, where F is the force, m is the mass of the vehicle, and a is the acceleration due to the collision. In this case, the acceleration will be the change in velocity (180 ms^-1) divided by the time it takes for the collision to occur. This time can be estimated based on the distance between the vehicle and the object.

Once we have the impact force, we can plug it into the stress formula along with the weight of the vehicle and the wheel's surface area to calculate the maximum stress on the wheel. This value will be important in designing a wheel that can withstand this stress without exceeding its yield strength.

I hope this helps guide you in your calculations. Best of luck with your design!