The multi-speed drive hub mainly makes for change speed with planetary gear trains. It has some advantages such as small, change the shelf steadily to move and difficult to receive external environmental impact. So the multi-speed drive hub has already become the focal point that every bicycle's factory researches and develops gradually. The purpose of this work is to develop a system methodology for the computer-aided design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs. First, analyzing multi-speed drive hub patents to identify the basic characteristics and requirement of multi-speed drive hub, and using a systematized method synthesizes the feasible gear trains. Second, a method is proposed to determine the feasible multi-speed sequence tables for each planetary gear train. Third, a method is formulated to find the gear ratios and gear teeth according to the feasible multi-speed sequence tables. Fourth, a method is to design and dispose the governors of multi-speed drive hubs easily. Finally, using Visual Basic 6.0 procedure language develop a computer software easy to use by utilizing the above-mentioned procedures, and the results of this work will be benefit to the development and design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs.

A multi-speed drive hub is one of important components in transmission system. The purpose of this work is to develop a system methodology for the design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs. First, analyse multi-speed drive hub patents to identify the basic characteristics and design requirement of multi-speed drive hub. Second, using a systematized mathod to synthesize the feasible gear trains. Third, a method is proposed to determine the feasible multi-speed sequence tables for each gear train. Fourth, an analytic method is formulated to synthesize the gear ratios and gear teeth according to a set of desired speed ratios. Fifth, design and dispose governors of multi-speed drive hubs. The results of this work will be benefit to the development and design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs.

The wheelchair is an auxiliary tool for people who have defective legs. In comparison with the power wheelchair, the manual wheelchair has the advantage of low price and easy carrying. The regular, standard manual wheelchair is only suitable for residential environment and short-distance movement, and it¡¦s unsuitable for outdoor recreation and long-distance movement. The purpose of this study is to develop the manual wheelchair for outdoor recreation and long-distance movement, so that the users can expand their living space beyond the residential areas. In order to enhance the efficiency of propulsion for manual wheelchairs, a systematic designing method for propulsive mechanisms is proposed in this study in which the propulsive way of the traditional manual wheelchair is replaced by propelling the propulsive mechanism. In order to let the wheelchair be adapted to all kinds of environments, the multi-speed drive hub is applied to the manual wheelchair to enhance the users¡¦ force with more flexibility. In addition, this study also designs and manufactures a wheelchair to test the functions. The results of the test are then recorded and examined to provide the references for the future design.

­^¤åºK­n A multi-speed drive hub is one of important components in transmission system. The purpose of this work is to develop a system methodology for the design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs by using a concept of combination. First, identify the basic characteristics and design requirement of combinative multi-speed drive hub. Second, using three combinative the useful gear trains. Third, a method is proposed to determine the feasible multi-speed sequence tables for each gear train. Fourth, an analytic method is formulated to synthesize the gear ratios and gear teeth according to a set of desired speed ratios. Fifth, a computer programs developed for the automatic analysis the transmission performance of drive hubs. The results of this work will be benefit to the development and design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs.

A multi-speed drive hub is one of important components in transmission system. The purpose of this work is to develop a system methodology for the design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs. First, identify the basic characteristics and design requirement of multi-speed drive hub. Second, using the useful gear trains. Third, a method is proposed to determine the feasible multi-speed sequence tables for each gear train. Fourth, an analytic method is formulated to synthesize the gear ratios and gear teeth according to a set of desired speed ratios. Fifth, the basic theory for transmission analysis of multi-speed drive hubs will be developed. The results of this work will be benefit to the development and design of multi-speed bicycle drive hubs.

The planetary gear train are applied in multi-speed drive hubs for bicycles. Since a multi-speed drive hub has the advantages of the small volume and stable gear shifting, it is used widely in folding bicycles and electric bicycles. The distributed-flow-type multi-speed hubs could provide more gears, the related design theory is not well development. Thus, the purpose of this research is to develop a systematical methodology for the design of the distributed-flow-type multi-speed hub for bicycles. First, an existing patent is analyzed to identify the basic characteristics and the requirements of the multi-speed hubs. Based on the basic characteristics and the requirements, a systematical procedure is proposed to synthesize the feasible concepts of the planetary gear trains. Second, another procedure is proposed to determine the feasible clutching sequence tables. Third, the difference in value of the angular velocity is assigned to calculate the gear ratio and to determine the numbers of the teeth of all gears. Finally, the shifting-gear system in the multi-speed drive hubs is designed and arranged. The evaluation of the multi-speed drive hubs is proceeded to select the better alternatives. The result of this work obtains twenty-senven types of the distributed-flow multi-speed hubs for bicycles, three of them could reach sixteen speeds.

Advances in electro-mechanical actuation have encouraged revolutions in automobile design which promise to increase fuel efficiency, reduce costs, improve safety and performance, and allow a wider range of architectural choices for the vehicle designer and manufacturer. This is facilitated by the concept of an intelligent corner (IC). The IC consists of traction, steering, camber, and suspension actuators working together to control the forces generated at the wheel/surface interface, allowing complete control of vehicle motion with completely active, as opposed to passive, systems. The most critical actuator to the longitudinal performance of an IC vehicle is the traction system, envisioned in this case as a hub mounted electro-mechanical actuator connected directly to the wheel. This traction actuator consists of a number of primary and supplementary components, including a prime mover, gear train, clutch, brake, bearings, seals, shafts, housing, etc. The consideration of these components in the design of an in-hub electric drive actuator is the subject of this report. Currently, gear trains are used in automobiles to match the operating speed of an internal combustion engine (ICE) to the speed of the vehicle on the road. The same need is anticipated for the hub drive wheel, although with fewer reduction ratio choices due to the responsiveness of the electric motor. Specifying a gear train design includes selecting a gear train architecture, and designing the gears to handle the expected loads. A review of gear design and gear train architectures is presented. A number of electric machines are used in industrial, and now more commonly, vehicle applications; of these, the switched reluctance motor (SRM) represents an excellent candidate for a vehicle prime mover due to its ruggedness, broad torque speed curve, low cost, and simplicity. Integrating the motor and gear train into an electro-mechanical actuator with multiple speeds requires consideration of other ancillary components. Brief design guides are presented for clutches, brakes, bearings, seals, and the structure for the in-hub wheel drive. Given the analytical descriptions of the drive wheel components, methods for managing the numerous design parameters are developed and expanded. Actuator specifications are chosen based upon meeting various vehicle performance requirements such as maximum speed, gradeability, acceleration, and drawbar pull. A proposed parametric drive wheel design is presented to meet the requirements of a generic heavy vehicle. The design demonstrates the feasibility of actuator technology that can be used to increase the performance, maintainability, and refreshability of hybrid electric vehicles while allowing open architecture paradigms to lower costs and spur new levels of manufacturing and innovation. / text

This thesis aims to design and develop LSPM motors capable of operating in two distant synchronous speeds with good starting torque and steady state characteristics for variety of industrial applications, in particular offshore and maritime applications. The proposed designs are based on variable pole numbers for the stator and the rotor. The stator winding consist of two independent windings with different pole numbers to switch the winding and change the operating pole count for low and high speed applications. For the motor to operate in these two distinct operating speeds, the rotor must be capable of creating two different magnetic polarities (pole numbers) to adapt itself to the stator operating pole number. For this purpose, two different schemes for the rotor structure are proposed. In scheme I two-speed operation is realized by the combination of electromagnetic torque and reluctance torque which enables the motor to operate as a synchronous PM motor at high speed and synchronous reluctance motor at low speed. In scheme II, rotor with dual PM polarity is proposed which enables the motor to operate as a PM motor at both low and high speed regions.

Pavements in Canada that are built on top of frost susceptible soil experience loss of support in early spring as the frozen structure begins thawing. To minimize pavement damage, low- volume roads rely on Spring Load Restrictions (SLR), since building these roads to withstand spring thaw is usually not feasible. However, implementing SLR increases operational costs to commercial transporters and impacts local economies. The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) is routinely faced with requests from the truck industry to lift restrictions on certain roads, and questioning from municipalities that seek understanding on the needs for SLR in their roads. To help answer these questions, a comprehensive study was performed at 15 Seasonal Load Adjustment (SLA) stations across Ontario. The data collected included Falling Weight Deflectometer (FWD) testing, borehole investigation, climatic data, traffic volumes, and pavement rehabilitation data. A backcalculation using the FWD data estimated pavement structural capacity and remaining service life for each SLA for different dates throughout spring, followed by a life cycle analysis using the rehabilitation data. The SLAs were divided in three groups of similar pavement support conditions based on the service life analysis results. Results indicate that none of Group 1 SLAs need load restrictions, with the calculated remaining service life being greater than 25 years for all test dates. Within Group 2, pavement recovery throughout spring suggests that SLR could extend service life, although generally not necessary for the intended life cycle. Results indicate most SLAs in Group 2 achieving a full life cycle from the last rehabilitation activities for estimates based on early spring parameters, suggesting that these roads were likely designed with spring conditions accounted for. For Group 3, the lack of structural support and low service life values indicate the need for strict load restrictions to avoid excessive damage and maintain serviceability. Pavements with high-quality subgrades, granular structures and non-frost susceptible materials, thick asphalt layers and major rehabilitation activities were found to generally perform well for spring conditions. However, with several site-specific conditions, an overall recommendation for implementation of SLR cannot be generalized based on the pavement structure and subgrade soil type alone. The structural condition and thawing behaviour of individual sites must be thoroughly understood before a decision is made, as investigation might indicate that some roads can withstand full traffic year-round and would not need SLR, while others might need more rigorous restrictions. In addition to the service life analysis, approximately 600 lane km of deflection data was collected using a Multi-Speed Deflectometer in Southern Ontario. Recommendations were made for potential applications of the equipment as a network screening device, able to identify weak road sections in a time and cost-effective manner prior to a detailed investigation using FWD; and for regular monitoring of road conditions at a network level, including the monitoring of seasonal variations. / Thesis / Master of Applied Science (MASc)

Exploring the integration of multi-speed gearboxes in electric vehicle (EV) drivetrains, this research presents a comprehensive analysis through detailed gearbox modelling, empirical traction machine testing, and analytical drive unit loss evaluations. The study utilizes two distinct automotive-grade electric machines – an axial-flux permanent magnet synchronous machine and an interior permanent magnet machine, the latter coupled with a single-speed gearbox – to demonstrate how multi-speed gearboxes can enhance drivetrain efficiency and performance for a subcompact EV. Extensive dynamometer testing, incorporating a variety of electrical and thermal conditions, characterizes both traction machines. Findings reveal that despite the incremental churning losses from additional gear pairs, two-speed gearboxes facilitate a more efficient operation of the electric machine, inverter, and gearbox, particularly when optimized through strategic gear ratio selection. Dynamometer testing under no-load conditions and at different temperatures underscores the impact of gearbox churning and bearing drag losses and the potential for their reduction. Detailed examinations of load-dependent and independent losses within the drive unit elucidate the interactions among drivetrain components across various gear ratios. Optimized two-speed gearboxes are shown to reduce vehicle energy consumption by up to 9% and increase driving range compared to conventional single-speed configurations, supported by strategic gear ratio selections and optimizations aimed at achieving vehicle performance targets, such as acceleration, gradeability, and top speed. This research contributes to advancing the field of electric vehicle technology by illustrating the complex trade-offs and potential enhancements achievable with multi-speed drivetrains, setting a precedent for future studies to refine gearbox performance and explore novel technologies to optimize powertrain performance across diverse operational landscapes. / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)