Thermal and mechanical analysis of wheel rim in Formula 1 vehicles

The wheel rim is a metal or alloy component that holds the tire and connects it to the vehicle. The wheel rims of Formula 1 cars are exposed to thermal stresses during the race and frequent braking at high speeds. In addition to thermal resistance, wheel rims must possess high mechanical durability. Therefore, material selection is crucial, along with the designs of the wheel rims. In the production of wheel rims for Formula 1 vehicles, magnesium, aluminum, and carbon fiber wheel rims are commonly used. Each of these materials has its advantages and limitations. Optimization processes in Formula 1 technology aim to reduce mass while increasing mechanical and thermal properties. Therefore, alloys used in wheel rim production are continuously evolving. In this study, deformation, stress, and temperature values were investigated using the CF) method by exposing Mg AZ80, Al 6061-T6, and carbon fiber to conditions of 300?C temperature, 1 MPa pressure, and 300 km/h speed. Turbulence modelling was carried out using the k-? method in numerical analyses, which utilized a mesh file consisting of approximately 2 million grids. As a result, the highest deformation in mechanical pressure analyses was obtained using Mg AZ80 material. In contrast, carbon fiber achieved the lowest deformation value in the analysis. Regarding thermal results, the lowest temperature value of 282.75?C was obtained from the wheel rim made of carbon fiber, whereas with the use of Mg AZ80 material, this value reached up to 292.03?C. Considering these values, it was concluded that carbon fiber is the most suitable wheel rim material for Formula 1 race cars.