1 Mechanical Principles of Wheelchair Design

1.1 Design Layout of Wheelchair

1.1.1 Sketch of Smart Wheelchair

The Figure below shows a sketch of the smart wheelchair which has been done so as to obtain an
idea of the future steps on AUTOCAD.

Figure 1: Sketch of wheelchair

1.1.2 Principle Features of the wheelchair

The wheel chair consists of the following principle parts namely:

(1) Frame
A seat frame is actually a structural (skeletal) system that supports other components
attached to the seat. The dimensions of the seat’s frame are chosen by considering the
space that is usually required for a normal person to sit comfortably and also by taking
other ergonomic factors into consideration. In fact, the seat of this particular wheelchair
is similar to that of a car seat but with some additional features such as armrest, padding
and upholstery. Different types of metal can be used to make the seat frames. AISI 1020
steel is used as the selected material for simulation purposes. The material properties of
AISI 1020 are given in Table 1.
 Table 1: Material Properties of AISI 1020

Property Value Units

Elastic Modulus 2e+011 Nm-2
Poisson Ratio 0.29 N/A
Shear Modulus 7.7e+010 Nm-2
Density 7900 Kgm-3
Tensile Strength 420507000 Nm-2
Yield Strength 351571000 Nm-2
Thermal Conductivity 47 Wm-1K-1
Specific Heat Capacity 420 JKg-1K-1

The figure below shows a seat frame (skeletal system) of the wheelchair seat.

Figure 2: Wheelchair seat frame

(2) Wheels
Puncture proof drive wheels are selected for the design of this wheelchair which is ideal
for moving heavy loads over uneven surfaces. The rear wheels selected have a normal
diameter of approximately 204 mm (radius of 102 mm) and a width of 45 mm. On the
other hand, the front wheels have a diameter nearly equal to 150 mm (radius of 75 mm)
and a width of 45 mm.

Figure 3: Rear and front wheel diameter

The Figure below shows the rear-wheel drive layout of the wheelchair which depicts the
transmission system that provides power to the rear wheels of a motor vehicle.

Figure 4: Rear-wheel drive

(3) Chair
The chair is one of the main parts of the wheelchair design which is fitted on to the frame
of the wheelchair. In fact, the chair provides a tilting mechanism which allows the user to
adjust the angle seat’s back angle according to his comfort.

Figure 5: Tilting mechanism of chair

(4) Gear Motor and Reduction box

A gear motor is used as locomotion unit and this motion is transmitted to the wheels
through drive shafts. A gear motor of 180 watt power is used and the speed of the motor
is reduced to approximately 28 rpm using an appropriate ratio gearbox. The
specifications of the motor and the battery are shown in table and respectively.

Table 2: Specification of motor

Dc Gear motor Parameters Dc Gear motor values

Voltage 24V
Current 7.5 A
Duty S1
Speed 1440 rpm

Table 3: Specifications of battery

Battery Type Dry battery

Voltage 12V
Current 7.5 A
 The availability of the battery in the market is of 12V. Thus, in order to provide the
required voltage for the motor to operate properly, two batteries are connected in series to
obtain a total voltage of 24V. The figure shows the connection of the motor.

Figure 6: Motor Connection

1.1.3 Measurements of the Wheelchair

1.1.3.1 Overall Dimensions of Wheelchair

(1) Height
The height of the designed wheelchair is 920mm. This height is considered to be
ideal as per the survey results carried out previously.

(2) Width
The width is taken to be approximately 750 mm. This particular length was
chosen by taking into consideration the sizes of most doors; thereby ensuring that
the wheelchair user is able to go in and out of his house or any other buildings’
entrance easily.
1.1.3.2 Single Part Dimensions of Wheelchair
(1) Seat
The seat of this particular wheelchair is similar to that of a car seat but with some
additional features such as armrest, padding and upholstery. The average length of
the seat (D to B) is of 380 mm wide the figure below.

Figure 7: Seat Dimensions of wheelchair

(2) Arm Rest

The arm rests have a chosen value of 200 mm long and 40mm wide because this
length is very comfortable to rest the arm.

(3) Back Rest

The back rest is 420 mm wide and 650 mm long which is within the comfort level
of the user to rest his back.
1.2 Calculations Prior to Construction
1.2.1 Calculation of the Centre of Gravity
The centre of gravity (CG) of a body or a particular system refers to an imaginary point from
which the whole weight of the body may be considered to act. In fact, for uniform gravity, it is
the equal to the centre of mass of the system. A proper understanding of the CG location is an
essential criterion in wheelchair design because it enables us to maintain the wheelchair in
balance no matter how it is turned or rotated around that point.

Actually, when a wheelchair tips to a point where the CG of the user is vertically aligned with
the point where the wheel is in contact with the ground, the forces and moments acting on the
chair become unbalanced thereby making the chair is unstable and if this tipping angle is further
increased, the system will topple over as shown in the figure below.

𝐴
tan βtip =
𝐵

𝐴
βtip = arctan ( )
𝐵

𝐻𝑡𝑖𝑝
βtip = arcsin ( )
2𝐴
1.2.2 Wheel Motor Torque
This particular smart wheelchair has been designed by considering a maximum weight of a
person to be 100kg. Thus, as per Newton’s Second Law of Motion, the structure of the
wheelchair is capable of carrying a load of 981N.

Generally, a number of factors need to be taken into consideration so as to be able to determine

the maximum torque required and hence, subsequently make an appropriate selection for drive
wheel motors of the smart wheelchair. The following calculations represent the method applied
for computing the required torque [1]. The design criteria include:


Gross vehicle weight (WGV)

𝑊GV = 90 𝐾𝑔 × 9.81ms-2 = 882.90 𝑁


Weight on each drive wheel (Ww)

𝑊𝑊 = 23 𝐾𝑔 × 9.81ms-2 = 225.63 𝑁

Radius of wheel (Rw) = 0.102 m

Desired maximum speed (Vmax) = 0.3 ms-1

Desired acceleration time (Ta) = 1 s

Maximum incline angle (α) = 15 ̊̊

Worst working surface = Good Concrete

Furthermore, in order to make an appropriate selection of a motor capable of producing enough

torque to propel the smart wheelchair, it is necessary to determine the total tractive effort
(TTE) requirement for the vehicle. The total tractive force of the wheelchair can be obtained
from the equation shown below.
TTE = RR + GR + FA

Where:

TTE = Total tractive effort (N)

RR = Force required to overcome rolling resistance (N)

GR = Force required to climb a grade (N)

FA = Force required to accelerate to final velocity (N)

[1] = [Drive wheel motor torque calculations ,EML2322L – MAE design and
manufacturing laboratory, Reference Citation: White hydraulics drive products.]

A. Rolling Resistance
Rolling Resistance (RR) is the force required to drive a vehicle over a particular surface.
The worst possible surface type to be encountered by the vehicle should be factored into
the equation which in our case is good concrete.

RR = WGV × Crr

RR = 882.90 ×0.01
= 8.829 N
Where:

RR = Rolling resistance (N)

WGV = Gross Vehicle Weight (N)
Crr = Surface Friction (For good concrete, Crr = 0.01)

B. Grade Resistance
Grade Resistance (GR) refers to the amount of force necessary to move a vehicle up a
slope or “grade”. This calculation must be made using the maximum angle that the smart
wheelchair will be expected to climb during its normal operation. The equation shown
below is used order to convert incline angle α, into its equivalent grade resistance.

GR (N) = WGV × sin (α)

GR = 882.90 × sin (15)

= 228.51 N
 Where:

GR = Grade resistance (N)

WGV = Gross Vehicle Weight (N)
α = Maximum incline angle (Degrees)

C. Acceleration Force
Acceleration Force (FA) is in fact the force required to accelerate a vehicle from its rest
position to a maximum speed in a desired time interval. The acceleration force for the
smart wheelchair is calculated as shown below:

FA = (WGV × Vmax) / (9.81 ms-2 × Ta)

FA = (882.90 × 0.30) / (9.81×1)

= 27 N
Where:

FA = Grade resistance (N)

WGV = Gross Vehicle Weight (N)
Vmax = Desired maximum speed (ms-1)
Ta = Desired acceleration time (s)

D. Total Tractive Effort (TTE)

After finding the required parameters’ value, the total tractive effort of the wheelchair can
be calculated as shown below.

TTE = RR + GR + FA

TTE = 8.829 N + 228.51 N + 27 N

= 264.34 N
 E. Wheel Motor Torque
In order to verify the fact that the wheelchair will perform in accordance to the designed
tractive effort and acceleration, it is fundamental to calculate the required wheel torque
(Tw) based on the obtained tractive effort. The wheel Motor Torque (Tw) can thus be
calculated as per the equation shown:

Tw = TTE × Rw × RF

Where:
Tw = Wheel torque (Nm)
TTE = Total tractive effort (N)
Rw = Radius of the wheel/tire (m)
RF = Resistance factor

The resistance factor accounts for the frictional losses between the caster wheels and their
axles and the drag on the motor bearings. Typical values range between 1.1 and 1.15 (10
to 15%). Therefore, the wheel Motor Torque (Tw) can be given as:

Tw = 264.339 N × 0.102 m × 1.1

= 29.659 Nm

1.2.3 Power and Efficiency Calculations

The output mechanical power of the motor can be calculated by using the equation shown below
if the two parameters namely motor speed and torque – the turning force of the motor are known.

Pout = τ × ω
From the design criteria discussed previously, the angular velocity, ω of the wheels can be
calculated using the formula shown below.

Vmax = Rw × ω

ω = 0.3
0.102
= 2.9412 rads-1

The output power is therefore given by:

Pout = τ × ω

= 29.569 ×2.9412
= 86.968 W
The consumed electrical power Pin of the motor can be defined as:

Pin = V × I

Pin = 24 ×7.5
Where: = 180 W

Pin = input power(W)

V = applied voltage (V)
I = Current (A)

Subsequently, the efficiency of the motor can be calculated by:

Efficiency, µ = Pout/Pin

Efficiency, µ = 86.968 / 180

= 0.48316 = 48.32 %
1.3 Final Rendering of Smart Wheelchair
The Figure below shows the final rendering of the smart wheelchair which has been simulated
using the AUTOCAD software.

Figure 8: Final design of wheelchair