Stress analysis to the outer frame of a wheelchair

Abstract

The objective of the present article is to study a wheelchair in a way to lighten it and make it more comfortable to the user. For that, a structural analysis was carried out in order to study one component from the wheelchair. The component that was chosen was the outer frame since it is one of the most important elements in the structure of the wheelchair. The outer frame is a structural element that supports the weight of the user, and contributes to the structural rigidness and stability of the wheelchair. Since the structural analysis of the component is the objective of this article, static and fatigue studies were carried out. For each study, static and fatigue, there was an analytical and numerical analysis. Later with basis on the results obtained from the static and fatigue studies, there was a comparison between the analytical and the numerical analysis of each. With regard to the analytical analysis, the study was performed with basis on bibliography which pertained to the study. With regard to the numerical analysis, the study was performed with the help of computer software namely SolidWorks®