DEVELOPMENT AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF AN ELECTRIC TRICYCLE WITH AN ADJUSTABLE WHEEL CAMBER

Abstract

This research focused on the development and performance evaluation of an electric tricycle with an adjustable wheel camber. As efforts increase to improve the speed of tricycles used by the disabled through the use of electric motors, the need to investigate their stability as speed increases have become an important safety concern. Through the conscious choice of geometric parameters using steady-state cornering equations, the center of gravity location, tire cornering stiffness, and understeer gradient, a tricycle powered by an electric motor was developed having an adjustable wheel camber. Rollover analyses were carried out and a constant radius test was also carried out with different wheel camber angle adjustments of 0 degrees, 5 degrees, 10 degrees, and 15 degrees. Theoretical analyses and practical test results were compared. It was established that at 15m radius, even with a maximum camber angle of 15 degrees, the tricycle attained a maximum speed of 17km/h without the risk of tipping over. Wheel camber is seen to improve stability with a maximum speed of 11km/h attained at 0 degrees camber angle and 17km/h maximum speed attained at 15 degrees camber angle, all tested within a 15m radius turn.