Fender Design - Wheel Arch Challenge
Fender design-Wheel Arch Challenge
Objective
To calculate the wheel arch area of the given fender and prove whether the car will pass the European Standards or not.
Introduction
Wheel Arch is the shaped part of the bodywork of a car or other vehicle that allows the wheel to be accessed, and in the case of front wheels, enable them to be steered. It is the semi-circular part that is positioned above the wheel of the vehicle. It should have the sufficient clearance between the tyre and the wheel arch so that it does not touch the wheel arch area.
If the wheel arch calculation is not done then it does more chipping which causes a lot of damage to the pedestrian as well as to the car also. The clearance value differ from region to region, according to the road condition. Followings are some standards that are followed by automobile industries.
European Standards:
- At all five sections the clearance value should be greater than 10 mm.
- Wheel guard requirement: The value of ‘a’ shall be more than 10 mm at a line 30˚ forward and 50˚rearward from the central vertical axis of wheel.
Wheel Arch Calculation
This calculation will be done using European standards as per the instruction in the challenge to be followed.
Procedure: The sketch is drawn on the wheel face and projected on the wheel arch at section SA, SB, SC, SD, and SE and then the clearance value at these section is measured.
Obtaining the clearance value ‘L’ at section SA, SB, SC, SD and SE:
At Section SB:
At Section SA:
At Section SC:
At Section SD:
At Section SE:
Observation Table:
|
Sections |
Standard clearance valuve (> 10 mm) |
Clearance Measured (mm) |
Test Result |
|
SA |
10 |
9.9720 |
Fail |
|
SB |
10 |
10.0000 |
Pass |
|
SC |
10 |
-0.3691 |
Fail |
|
SD |
10 |
-3.1780 |
Fail |
|
SE |
10 |
-6.4072 |
Fail |
Note: - The negative sign is used because the curvature of the fender-wheel arch is going down from the wheel surface.
Conclusion:
The given model is analysed according to the European Standards and from the above table it is clear that the fender does not pass the European standards at all sections except at section SB.