Swingarm and Rear Suspension Design in an Electric Reverse Trike

Sammanfattning: OMotion AB is developing a new model of their vehicle that will house a more powerful motor than the current model, which uses a hub motor in the rear wheel. The motor will be mounted behind the seats in the rear of the vehicle, entailing that drive by either chain or belt will be necessary. This poses a few challenges, but also facilitates beneficial adjustments to vehicle dynamics. This project intends to tackle these challenges and opportunities. The elaborate teachings of Tony Foale in Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design are used as guidance regarding vehicle dynamics, while the process created by Karl T. Ulrich and Steven D. Eppinger in Product Design and Development was used during the conceptual phase. Topological optimisation is used to reach a theoretically optimal swingarm design in terms of stiffness-to-weight, which subsequently becomes the basis of inspiration for a welded, more easily manufacturable design. This welded design is then improved iteratively based on its performance in several edge cases that the swingarm must be able to withstand.