The Lightweight Tandem Bicycle Frame project was an individual project, completed as part of the ‘Finite Element Analysis’ module, part of the Design Engineering (MEng) course at Imperial College London.
In this project, a tandem bicycle frame was designed in computer-aided design (CAD) software using measurements from an online blueprint and subsequently optimised using the learnings from finite element analysis (FEA) simulations and tests. The goal was to test the durability before its hypothetical manufacture.
First, mesh refinement studies were conducted to simulate the surface of the frame as accurately as possible. Next, static simulations were used to determine the maximum stress the frame would experience, if this was under the ultimate tensile strength (by a safety factor) the frame would pass and be safe to use.
Additionally fatigue studies were conducted with cyclic loads to test out the effects of wear and tear on the frame.
