Structural Analysis and Optimization of Electric Bike Front Drive with Bottom Bracket Electric Motor

The main objective of this research was to propose a light and practical design solution for electric bike front drive with bottom bracket electric motor. The initial design needs to be redesigned so it can enable simultaneous use of the electric drive and pedal drive, with integration of the front gear shifter. After gathering the basic information linked to the problem and inspecting the initial design solution, the assets and flaws have been identified. The CAD models of the considered possible solutions were developed into FEM models which were used for struc- tural analysis in CAD/CAE software system CATIA. On the basis of the FEM analysis and additional criteria, the optimal solution was chosen, and structural optimization, based on FEM model, was performed. A prototype was manufactured and a mounting process in a place of the initial design was performed. Afterwards, electric bike with mounted prototype was tested under real conditions.