Design Parameters of an

ATV Roll cage

What is a Roll Cage?
 A Roll cage is a specially designed skeletal
Structure of a Vehicle which, apart from giving
structural stability, acts as a 3D shell for
protecting the occupant in the event of a roll over
Design Parameters

 Material Selection
 Frame Design
 Cross Sectional determination
 Finite Element Analysis
Important Criteria

 Roll Cage should have high strength to Weight

Ratio
 The Centre of gravity should be kept as low as
possible
 Structural Integrity should be retained by having
truss* formation
Truss
 The C.G of Roll cage alone is calculated for
assembling it in the frame.
 However, Calculation of Driver and seat masses,
Engine and Gear box positions, Transmission and
Axle position masses are to be taken into account
 A bending Moment value will be ascertained using
BMD of all the considered loads
Preliminary version of Roll Cage
 After designing the chassis, the cockpit area is
designed.
 All the measurements such as seat position from
rear roll hoop, foot pedals, roof members with
sufficient head clearance, side impact members
are determined by placing the driver in the
driving position.
 Also by taking into consideration the engine,
gearbox and exhaust system, the rear of the roll
cage is designed
 The roll cage is designed by taking into
consideration the steering system, foot pedals
and brake cylinders. Additionally, members are
provided to mount the suspension and the wheels.
Frame Cross Section Determination
 Cross Section of Members plays Vital role in the
design
 Circular tubing is incorporated for various reasons
 Bending strength is considered vital as the vehicle
will be subjected to load always
 Fabrication and bending limitations are to be
considered
 AISI 1018 AISI 4130 AISI 1026 are few candidates
for materials.
Stress Calculation
 Bending Stress can be calculated using the
Bending Moment Equation
 we have (σ/y) = (M/I) Where I = Moment of Inertia
=[ π(D4-d4)/64 ]* n , where n = number of Cross
sections.
 y = D/2
 The bending stresses are calculated for all the
candidates, from which a suitable material will be
finalized for the frames
Finite Element Analysis
 After finalizing the frame along with its material
and cross section, it is very essential to test the
rigidity and strength of the frame under severe
conditions.
 Driver Protection and Resistance to deformation
are the vital criteria
 Some of the Tests carried out are
 Frontal impact test
 Wheel bump test
 Longitudinal Torsion test
Frontal Impact Test Calculations
 Load calculations: Let mass of the vehicle as
‘P’kg.
 The impact test or crash test is performed
assuming the vehicle hits the static rigid wall at
top speed of 60kmph.
 The collision is assumed to be perfectly plastic.
Initial velocity u=16.67m/s Final velocity v=0
 In automotive industry, the impact time is of the
range 0.15 to 0.2 s. Taking time of impact as
0.18s,
 By applying Newton’s 2nd law,
 F= (m*(v~u))/t
 F= (P*(0~16.67))/0.18 (Assume P = 350kg)
 F = 32413N or ~32kN
 Hence a gross load of 32kN is applied at the front
corners constraining the rear members
 If in the analysis, the maximum stress value in the
roll cage exceeds the safe value, modifications
are made in the design.
 Bracing members are added to the chassis to
distribute the load
 The positioning of the engine, gearbox and
suspension is modified resulting in changes to the
roll cage.
 The iteration is repeated with new Bending
Moment diagram and stress calculations until the
stress value falls within the safety limit
Chassis – Before and After Analysis
Wheel Bump Test
 This test is performed to check the strength of
the nose area.
 While traveling over a bump, if the suspension
fails, it transfers the entire road reaction to the
nose of the roll cage.
 In this situation the nose should not fail. Situation
considered for this test is that one of the front
wheels of the vehicle gets lifted due to the bump
while rests of the wheels maintain contact with
the level ground.
 A force equal to gross weight of the ATV is applied
on the member to whom the lifted wheel is
connected and rest of the members is constrained
 Again the maximum stress value is calculated and
checked whether it falls under safe value.
Longitudinal Torsion Test
 This test is performed to examine the structure
under twisting loads.
 Diagonally opposite wheels are lifted and the
other pair of wheels maintains contact with the
level road as weight on the wheels will restrict
them to lift up.
 The frame can be thought of as a torsion spring
connecting the two ends where suspension loads
act.
 According to Force Distribution Diagram, a higher
force is applied at the rear wheel than that of the
front one and stress values are calculated
 Thus , after the numerical calculations, design and analysis, we arrive
at the feasible values of stresses for all tests.
 With the suitable material and the values of Engineering Calculations,
a cost effective ATV can be fabricated.