A study on the radial fatigue characteristics of vehicle steel wheel considering the material nonlinearity and spoke/rim interference fit

Firstly a 3D finite element model for vehicle steel wheel is constructed and a simulation is conducted to calculate its stress distribution under radian load, considering the effects of material nonlinearity and the interference fit between spoke and rim. Then a wheel stress analysis is performed with the technique of judging the tension or compression types of material plastic deformation by the third invariant of deviatoric stress tensor, and the fatigue life of wheel is calculated based on the value of von Mises stress in risky areas. Finally, corresponding tests are carried out to verify the results of above simulation and calculation. The results show that the finite element model built and analysis method used are correct, laying a foundation for further lightweight design of wheel structure.