Design and Analysis of a Hybrid Tricycle for Different Frame Materials

International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 09 Issue: 12 | Dec 2022 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072
© 2022, IRJET | Impact Factor value: 7.529 | ISO 9001:2008 Certified Journal | Page 1173
Design and Analysis of a Hybrid Tricycle for Different Frame Materials
Kumar Mangalam Singh Rathore1, Dr. Sudhir Tiwari2
1M.Tech Scholar, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SGSITS Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
2Professor, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, SGSITS Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India
---------------------------------------------------------------------***---------------------------------------------------------------------
Abstract - Concerns about traffic and pollution related to
using motor cars for personal mobility are growing. The goal
of this project is to develop a vehicle that might serve as a
practical short-distance transportation substitute for cars.
Efficient-Cycle encourages domestic transportation
applications to be less reliant on fossil fuels. This project work
consists of a vehicle design (tadpole design) for a tricycle that
can be driven by both electrical and human energy and can
seat two passengers side by side. The focus of this research is
to examine four different materials AISI 1080, AISI 304, AISI
4130, and ASTM A36 (Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Alloy Steel,
and Mild steel respectively) for the vehicle's frame, and to
choose the best material for the frame based on its strength,
weight, and cost-effectiveness. SolidWorks Version 2020 had
been used to model the vehicle frame design. For the impact
analysis, ANSYS Workbench Version R1 was implemented to
ensure the safety and optimum material for the design
analyzed using FEM. overall deformation, the highest stress,
the highest strain, and the safety factor are all used to derive
the result. After analyzing all the materials on the vehicle
frame AISI 4130 steel performed the best for the vehicle. The
material should have better results in terms of overall
deformation, the highest stress, the highest strain, and the
safety factor for the drivers, according to the results. It is also
a lightweight, medium-cost material.
Key Words: Efficycle, Green Technology, Hybrid Tricycle,
Finite Element Analysis
1. INTRODUCTION
It is imperative to create alternative, more eco-friendly
forms of transportation to ensure a sustainablefuture,asthe
use of conventional fossil fuelsintransportationplacesa risk
to the continuation of life on Earth.
The study's goal is to create a vehicle that could effectively
replace cars for short rides. This vehicle's hybrid human-
electric driving mechanism powers it. The tricycle that is
propelled including human muscular strength and electric
energy is known as a mixed passenger and a battery
electric vehicle. The underlying idea is to combine the
technology of bicycles with electric vehicles. A maximum of
two people can drive this three-wheeled vehicle, which has
two passenger seats side to side arrangement. The tricycle
has four batteries with lead-acid sealed, each ratedattwelve
volts, a BLDC 1.5 HP electric drive mounted on the back, and
a chain drive for transferring electric power. The ability to
switch between manual and electric driving modes as
needed. This vehiclehasa tadpole-typeconfiguration,having
one wheel attached at the back andtwowheelsconnected up
front. The tricycle has a single-driver steering system in the
style of Ackermann (Right-hand side). For proper and
efficient braking, the disc brakes on all three wheels are
connected via sliding calipers. The roll cage material
selection process aimed to balance cost, weight, and
strength. Safety, convenience, reduced weight, and the cost
of producing the chassis were the main factors taken into
account.
Gunjal et al, showed a study about the design of an ultra-
lightweight vehicle which was designed made like a three-
wheel cycle (1 wheel in the front and 2 wheels in the rear).
the design adopted an off-the-shelf type and the vehicle roll
cage design weight is only 16 kg because of their design. this
vehicle is a hybrid human vehicle that is powered by both
human and electrical power. For electric power, the PMDC
motor was selected, and aluminum alloy 6061 T6 was
selected for the frame material. the primary focus was on
creating vehicle ergonomics for a typical adult. Modeling
software PRO-E WILDFIRE 4 was used to create the design,
and FEM analysis ANSYS 12.0 software was used to analyze
it [1].
Sarvadnya et al, performed the fabrication and evaluationof
a three-wheel hybrid vehicle's modified front double
wishbone suspension (Tadpole design). The primary goal of
this research is to identify the ideal suspension system for a
three-wheel hybrid vehicle. there are mainly two types of
suspension systems are dependent system and the
independent system. An independent system has a mac-
Pherson suspension system and a double-wishbone
suspension system. So, the double-wishbone suspension
system was selected for their vehicle. that system decreases
the unsprung mass while also improving the vehicle's
traction, stability, and ride comfort. Furthermore, the
suspension geometry may be designed with a great deal of
versatility using the double-wishbone suspension system
and is lightweight and easy to pack. the suspension design
was made on CATIA software and analyzed on the FEM
software ANSYS [2].
Gupta et al, a tricycle operated by two people as well as by a
373 Watt Geared PMDC was designed utilizing a stepper
motor and is efficyclepoweredwitha built-inprogrammable
position control gear shifter. The approach adopted in this
paper's innovation is stepper motor-based programmable
position control of the gear shifter. Programming regulates

the speed of the motors, which in turn regulates the position
of the gear changer. It enables more automatic control of the
vehicle and lessens the effort required from the driver. The
emphasis has been placed on the excellentperformance,low
maintenance, safety, and affordability of the design. Steel ST
52.3 Over AISI 1080 was chosen for the vehicle's material
because it is too lightweight, extremely ductile, and strong.
Solidworks was used to simulate the design, while Ansys
software was used for analysis for tests such asfrontimpact,
side impact, rear impact, and rollover impact [3].
Chawla et al, displayed the suspension system design and
hardpoint optimization of a three-wheel hybrid vehicle. The
simulation modeling and analysis of suspension geometry
are covered in this study. The suspension was created with
superior handling and comfort for both drivers in mind. To
replace the rickshaws that lack both front and rear
suspension systems. So, they enhanced the suspension
design by choosing hard point optimization (camber curve,
bump steer curve, caster change rate, etc), Damper design,
and Spring design. This paper'smajorobjectiveistoimprove
the rolling and dive characteristics of suspension systems
while maintaining good vehicle handling, a good balance
between driver and drive stability, increased durability and
reliability, and maximum wheel travel [4].
Abhay et al, demonstratednumerouslightweighttechniques,
including lightweight seats, wheels, and steering. This
paper's innovation uses UV joints in the front axletoprovide
the vehicle with independent suspension and front-wheel
drive, which are hardly ever seen on the front of a car,
making it easier for the car to climb hills and resist stocks at
the same time. The tadpole design was adopted with two
wheels in front and one wheel in the back, and they chose
various approaches for turning radius, stability, handling,
and ease of maneuvering. They also reduced the weight of
the vehicle by choosinglightweightequipmentandmaterials
that were still strong, and they optimized it for a lightweight
vehicle so the material AISI 1080 was selected. The design
was simulated and analyzed on SOLIDWORKS, and it
underwent various tests including front, side, rear, and
rollover analyses [5].
Aphale et al, performed the design and analysis of a roll cage
for an electric hybrid tricycle demonstrating improving the
roll cage's structural integrity and overall attractiveness, so
the vehicle frame gives better safetyforthedriversaswell as
ergonomic design and strength. Also, they selected the
various type of materials for the frame after comparingtheir
mechanical and chemical properties they selectedHSLA340
material for the frame of the vehicle due to its strong
strength, low carbon content, and exceptional weldability.
after that, they prepared the designintheCADmodel namely
PTC Creo 3.0, and FEA was undertakenin ANSYSWorkbench
15 [6].
Prakash et al, developed a human-powered electric hybrid
power tricycle to lessen reliance on fossil fuels for
transportation to a short distances. This paper aims to
visualize, design, and fabrication the tricycle known as
efficycle. So first they focused on the chassis design of the
vehicle and assumed considering the constraints and
dimensions then a CAD was implemented to design the
vehicles on software PTC Creo 3.0 then ensure the safety of
roll cage/ frame design the vehicle chassis tested by using
FEA software ANSYS V16.2. In this, they calculated the
impact analysis for front, side, and rollover impacts in terms
of total deformation, max. stress, max. strain, and factor of
safety. The material AISI 1080 was used for the frame of the
vehicle. After completing the design and simulation the
vehicle was fabricated. The key parameter for this paper is
cost-reducing, better strength for the vehicle, and a
comfortable base for the riders [7].
Reddy et al, designed andfabricatedanultralightvehiclethat
is powered by both using electric power as well as human
power. This study also concentrated on the affordabilityand
simplicity of the vehicle design. The design was made using
modeling software SOLIDWORKS keeping a view of drivers'
ergonomics and placement of the aggregates and then the
design was analyzed by Finite Element Method analysis
software ANSYS 12.0 for Frontal, Side, and Rollover impacts
analysis in form of total deformation, max. stress, and max.
strain. For the frame, the type is a roll cage design, and the
material was used Mild steel (ANSI 1026) with circular pipe
dimensions: OD- 30mm, ID- 24mm, Thickness- 3, and
Density- 7858 kg/cm3. The key parameters for this paper
are ultra-lightweight, hybrid tricycles, and mechanical drive
[8].
2. Modeling
2.1 Design of tricycle
The vehicle's measurements are presumptive,takinginto
account the limitations and proportions based on the
compactdesign.Followingtheassumptionoftheproportions,
consideration was madeto making the vehicleergonomicfor
a typical adult. The vehicle is then created using Solidworks
V2020. ANSYS VR1, thesoftwareforfiniteelementanalysis,is
used to assess the vehicle's structural integrity. The roll
cage/framedesign is adjusted forsafetyreasonsbeforebeing
finalized. Several factors, including serviceability,
craftsmanship, and cost reduction, were taken into account
when modeling the vehicle frame.
The following aspects are kept in mind for the drivers'
ergonomics:
 Seat and steering angle placements.
 The driver's hand should be able to reach all levers and
switches.
 Both drivers have more than enough headroom and
legroom.

 The battery and BLDC motor are located behind the
driver.
 To prevent injuries in the event of an accident,
scratch protectors are fitted on both sides of the driver.
Fig -1: (a) Isometric image of the tricycle; (b) Front image
of the tricycle.
2.2 Frame
The frame design was createdwithimprovedaviationand
the riders' comfort in mind. For the protection of riders,
additional battery placement, suspension, and sitting areas
were created in addition to this roof covering configuration.
The frame pipes are hollow with the dimension of outer
diameter 25.4, an Inner diameter 21.4, and a thickness of 2
mm.
Fig -2: Frame of the vehicle.
2.3 Material selection
In thisstudy there are fourmaterialsAISI1080,AISI304,AISI
4130,and ASTM A36 were selected for the vehicle frame.For
the design of their vehicle frames, various study publications
have chosen various materialsbasedontheirmechanicaland
chemical qualities. To determine which material is best
suitable for a vehicle frame in terms of strength, lightweight,
and affordability, wechose four commonmaterialsthatwere
chosen in earlier research for this project and ran them
through ANSYS using finiteelement analysis. Belowtable1&
2 show the MechanicalandChemicalmaterialcharacteristics.
Table -1: Mechanical characteristics of four materials [6] -
[8].
Mechanical
properties
AISI1080 AISI 304 AISI4130 ASTM
A36
Brinell
Hardness
126 215 240 240
Ultimate T. S. 440 MPa 505 MPa 560 MPa 550 MPa
Yield T. S. 365 MPa 215 MPa 460 MPa 250 MPa
Modulus of
elasticity
205 GPa 200 GPa 210 GPa 200 GPa
Bulk modulus 140 GPa 134 GPa 140 GPa 140 GPa
Poisson’s
ratio
0.29 0.27 0.30 0.26
Shear
modulus
80 GPa 74 GPa 80 GPa 79.3 GPa
Density 7870
Kg/m3
8000
Kg/m3
7850
Kg/m3
7850
Kg/m3
Table -2: Chemical characteristics of four materials [6] – [8].
Chemical
properties
AISI 1080
%
AISI 304
%
AISI 4130
%
ASTM
A36 %
Iron 98 - 99 66.74 –
71.24
97.03 –
98.22
98
Carbon 0.75 –
0.88
0.07 0.280 –
0.330
0.25 –
0.29
Manganese 0.60 - 0.90 2 0.40 –
0.60
1.03
Sulphur 0.05
(max.)
0.03 0.040 0.05
Phosphorous 0.04
((max.)
0.05 0.035 0.04
Chromium - 17.5 –
19.5
0.80 –
1.10
-
Nickel - 8 – 10.5 - -
Silicon - 1 0.15 –
0.30
0.280
Nitrogen - 0.11 - -
Molybdenum - - 0.15 –
0.30
-
Copper - - - 0.20
3. Vehicle Frame Finite Element Simulation
After the CAD model of the vehicle, and the frame was
finished, four materials were chosen and subjected to FEA
study in the form of frontal impacts, side impacts, and
rollover impact analysis to guarantee driver safety and

improve the frame's strength. For analyzing all the resultson
the frame and the frame meshed on theANSYSWorkbenchto
get better and morepreciseresults.WhenFramewasmeshed
on the software automatically selected the element size
(20.33mm) and the default method coarse mesh but made
manually selected a 5 mm element size and fine meshing
because the more the number of elements on the frame
produced precise results.
Fig -3: Meshing Frame of the tricycle
4. Frontal impact analysis
Considerations & Assumption to calculatefrontalimpact,itis
estimated that the vehicle will reach final zero velocity in 0.6
seconds at a top speed of 35 kmph. The vehicle is estimated
to weigh 150 kg, while the two drivers each weigh 90 kg. Any
impact could be made to the vehicle, whether it is
unintentional or deliberate. Finding impact forces and doing
impact analysis are considered essential since the vehicle is
anticipated to withstand the impact.
For the frontal impact force calculation: overall weight(m)is
calculated as 150 + 90 + 90 kg, which is 330kg, time(T)is0.6
seconds, starting velocity (u) is 35 kilometers per hour or
9.722 m/s, and ending velocity (v) is 0 kilometer per hour.In
addition, the front impact force is given by F = m dV/dT [7] =
330 * 9.723/0.6 or 5347.65 N. A maximum force of 5347.65
N must be taken into account for frontal impact.
4.1 Analysis of frame on AISI 1080
The ANSYS Workbench platform is used to run the
simulation. Results for overall deformation, max. stress,
safety factor, and max. strain are illustrated in figures
4(a),(b),(c)&(d). Following are the measured values shown
in below table:
overall
Deformation
Max. stress Safety factor Max Strain
1.2748 mm 146.83 MPa 2.4859 0.0008873
Fig -4: (a) overall deformation; (b) Max. stress
distribution; (c) Safety factor (d) Max. strain.
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.307 mm 147.66 MPa 1.45 0.00091178
in below table:

overall
Deformation
1.2443 mm 146.27 MPa 3.14 0.00086485
4.4 Analysis of frame on ASTM A36
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.3072 mm 148.48 MPa 1.68 0.00091432
5. Side impact analysis
Considerations & Assumption to calculate side impact, it is
estimated that the vehicle will reach final zero velocity in 1
second at 35 kilometers per houristhemaximumspeed.The
vehicle is estimated to weigh 150 kg, although each of the
two drivers only weighs 90 kilograms. Any effect could be
made to the vehicle, whetheritisunintentional ordeliberate.
For the side impact force calculation: overall weight (m) is
calculated as 150 + 90 + 90 kg, which is 330 kg, impact time
(T) is 1 second, starting velocity (u) is 35 kilometers per
hour or 9.722 m/s, and ending velocity (v) is0kilometer per
hour. In addition, the side impact force is given by F = m
dV/dT [7] = 330 * 9.722/1 or 3208.26 N. A maximum force
of 3208.26 N must be taken into account for side impact.
5.1 Analysis of frame on 1080
in below table:
overall
Deformation
2.0298 mm 165.76 MPa 2.20 0.00081253
in below table:
overall
Deformation
2.0767 mm 166.15 MPa 1.29 0.00083485

10(a),(b),(c)&(d). Following are the measuredvaluesshown
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.9838 mm 165.48 MPa 2.77 0.00079184
in below table:
overall
Deformation
2.0726 mm 166.52 MPa 1.50 0.00083674
6. Rollover impact analysis
To calculate the roll-over impact, The vehicle is thought to
have fallen from a height of 6 feet on its roll-over hoop
members into the ground or the road. it is expected that the
vehicle will reach its 35-kilometer-per-hourmaximumspeed
in 6 seconds and that its ultimate velocity will be zero. The
vehicle is estimated to weigh150kg,althougheachofthetwo
drivers only weighs 90 kilograms.
For the rollover impact force calculation: the overall weight
(m) is calculated as 150 + 90+ 90 kg, which is 330 kg, time.In
addition, the Rollover impact force is given by F =
{(N*W/2)*h} [7] =[330*9.81*1.83/2] or 2962.12 N. A
maximum force of 2962.12 N must be taken into account for
rollover impact.
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.2132 mm 113.41 MPa 3.21 0.00057389

in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.2444 mm 113.47 MPa 1.89 0.00058854
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.1837 mm 113.38 MPa 4.0573 0.00056007
in below table:
overall
Deformation
1.2452 mm 113.53 MPa 2.20 0.00058888

7. Comparison with previous data
By contrasting the present findings with those from other
research, the frontal impact, sideimpact, and rolloverimpact
analysis are all validated in the form of overall deformation,
max. stress, safety factor, and max. strain. Present study
results are compared with Jay Prakash et al.[7] where they
calculated applied forces on the vehicle frame for frontal
impact, side impact, and rollover impact are 5348.16 N,
3208.59 N, and 1438.8 N respectively. Table no. 3, 4, and 5
showed results comparisons with previous studies, and its
shows that present study results are more reliable and
somewhere near to previous studies.
Table -3: Comparison of previous study frontal impact
result in form of deformation, stress, safety factor, and
strain with present study.
Material
s
Authors Overall
deformat
ion
Max.
stress
Safety
factor
Max.
strain
AISI
1080
Jay
Prakash
et. al. [7]
4.341
mm
146.3
7 MPa
2.49 0.000883
27
AISI
1080
Present
study
1.2748
mm
146.8
3 MPa
2.48 0.000887
3
AISI
304
Present
study
1.307
mm
147.6
6 MPa
1.45 0.000911
78
AISI
4130
Present
study
1.2443
mm
146.2
7 MPa
3.14 0.00086
485
ASTM
A36
Present
study
1.3072
mm
148.4
8 MPa
1.68 0.000914
32
Table -4: Comparison of previous study side impact result
in form of deformation, stress, safety factor, and strain with
present study.
Material
s
Authors Overall
deformat
ion
Max.
stress
Safety
factor
Max.
strain
AISI
1080
Jay
Prakash
et. al. [7]
0.5236
mm
29.20
7 MPa
12.5 0.000161
9
AISI
1080
Present
study
2.0298
mm
165.76
MPa
2.20 0.000812
53
AISI
304
Present
study
2.0767
mm
166.15
MPa
1.29 0.000834
85
AISI
4130
Present
study
1.9838
mm
165.4
8 MPa
2.77 0.000791
84
ASTM
A36
Present
study
2.0726
mm
166.52
MPa
1.50 0.000836
74
Table -5: Comparison of previous study rollover impact
result in form of deformation, stress, safety factor, and
strain with present study.
Material
s
Authors Overall
deformat
ion
Max.
stress
Safety
factor
Max.
strain
AISI
1080
Jay
Prakash
et. al. [7]
3.007
mm
70.20
5 MPa
5.19 0.00043
5
AISI
1080
Present
study
1.2132
mm
113.41
MPa
3.21 0.00057
389
AISI
304
Present
study
1.2444
mm
113.47
MPa
1.89 0.00058
854
AISI
4130
Present
study
1.1837
mm
113.3
8 MPa
4.05 0.00056
007
ASTM
A36
Present
study
1.2452
mm
113.53
MPa
2.20 0.00058
888
8. CONCLUSIONS
The Effi-cycle is an Eco-green vehicle with an electric motor
that was developed to reduce noise and air pollution. The
focus has been laid to select the best-suited material for the
vehicle frame to give better strength, lightweight, and
economical material. In this project work, Four materials
used from previous research AISI 1080, AISI 304, AISI 4130,
and ASTM A36 (Carbon steel, Stainless steel, Alloy Steel, and
Mild steel respectively) for the frame designing of Effi-cycle.
After successfully analyzing these four materials on the
vehicle frame Finite Element Analysis is calculated in the
form of overall deformation, maximum stress, the safety of
factor, and maximum strain for all impact loads. Concluded
that the best-suited material is AISI 4130 for the Effi-cycle
because of the strength aspect as well as the economic point
of view. This AISI 4130 material produced the minimum
impact loads as compared to other steel materials. So this
research provided the vehicle with more strengthandsafety
factors for both drivers.
REFERENCES
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(2015) "Design and analysis of modified front double
wishbone suspension for a three wheel hybrid
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[3] Gupta, Upendra S., Sumit Chandak, and Devashish Dixit.
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