Sam(GTD)
Member
- Messages
- 57
Hello, this is a rather bizzare topic but it seems like there's a good mix of knowledge on this forum so i may as well ask!
I'm trying to develop a high tensile strength material that can be poured into a mould through an aperture of circa 1 inch.
If i tell you what i am trying to achieve it will make more sense:
A reinforced car wheel hub and tyre filled with this material to create a type of flywheel that can use pre existing car wheel bearings and braking systems.
I've um'd and ah'd about other ways of creating a suitable sized flywheel, my lathe certainly isn't big enough and getting metal stock that size would not be cheap, the car tyre seems like the perfect option.
Therefore the material needs to be:
-Reasonably heavy (the mass of concrete would be ideal)
-High tensile strength, so it dosn't fragment when rotating, it really does need to be strong so i have a high safety factor.
-Pourable and will set with no air gaps and little shrinkage to maintain an even weight distribution.....no doubt there will be imbalance caused with this method which will be counteracted with standard wheel balancing. (another advantage to the wheel plan)
The speed required will be around 3,500rpm, so at the absolute high end of road wheel speeds and thus i will be using high grade wheel bearings.
The hubs will be strong 10 inch steel, with high grade new tyres.
The first material that crossed my mind was of course concrete but even with the strength of the tyre this wouldn't be strong enough.
Now i have the idea of some type of glass fibre strand (under 1 inch cut such as that used in the building industry) reinforced resin/concrete composite.
Putting a metal support structure within the tyre is not an option, as it would be impossible to keep reasonably balanced, the material needs to be a very even mix.
As the hub itself will not be mechanically attached (simply bonded) to the composite, hoop strength of the composite 'doughnut' will need to be high.
Any ideas on suitable composite mixes?
I'm trying to develop a high tensile strength material that can be poured into a mould through an aperture of circa 1 inch.
If i tell you what i am trying to achieve it will make more sense:
A reinforced car wheel hub and tyre filled with this material to create a type of flywheel that can use pre existing car wheel bearings and braking systems.
I've um'd and ah'd about other ways of creating a suitable sized flywheel, my lathe certainly isn't big enough and getting metal stock that size would not be cheap, the car tyre seems like the perfect option.
Therefore the material needs to be:
-Reasonably heavy (the mass of concrete would be ideal)
-High tensile strength, so it dosn't fragment when rotating, it really does need to be strong so i have a high safety factor.
-Pourable and will set with no air gaps and little shrinkage to maintain an even weight distribution.....no doubt there will be imbalance caused with this method which will be counteracted with standard wheel balancing. (another advantage to the wheel plan)
The speed required will be around 3,500rpm, so at the absolute high end of road wheel speeds and thus i will be using high grade wheel bearings.
The hubs will be strong 10 inch steel, with high grade new tyres.
The first material that crossed my mind was of course concrete but even with the strength of the tyre this wouldn't be strong enough.
Now i have the idea of some type of glass fibre strand (under 1 inch cut such as that used in the building industry) reinforced resin/concrete composite.
Putting a metal support structure within the tyre is not an option, as it would be impossible to keep reasonably balanced, the material needs to be a very even mix.
As the hub itself will not be mechanically attached (simply bonded) to the composite, hoop strength of the composite 'doughnut' will need to be high.
Any ideas on suitable composite mixes?