Eventos Anais de eventos
COBEM 2021
26th International Congress of Mechanical Engineering
Structural Analysis of a Three Wheeled Frame for Race Running (PETRA) Using Finite Element Method
Submission Author:
Frederico Sousa Santos , MG
Co-Authors:
Frederico Sousa Santos, Márcio Peres de Souza, Diego Augusto Costa Alves, CLEUDMAR ARAÚJO
Presenter: Frederico Sousa Santos
doi://10.26678/ABCM.COBEM2021.COB2021-0554
Abstract
Race Running (PETRA) is a para-athletics modality predominantly suited to those with Cerebral Palsy but also suitable for those with other disabilities that affect mobility and balance. The device used for its practice is called Race Runner and consist of a three wheeled frame, with handlebars, a saddle and a trunk support, similar to a tricycle. Rather than using a pedaling system, the athletes propel themselves along the racetrack by stepping their feet on the ground. This adapted sport was invented in Denmark in 1989 and is under analysis for inclusion in the 2024 Paralympic Games. PETRA was taken to Brazil in 2009 as an initiative of the Associação Nacional de Desportos para Deficientes (ANDE), the organization responsible for holding the events and championships at the country. In this context of promoting this sport and provide support to athletes, the Comitê Paralímpico Brasileiro (CPB) approached the authors proposing the design of an affordable and reliable Race Runner. One of the models that is being currently used presents constant cases of breakage and instability during the race, as reported by them. This initial study aims to identify the existing limitations in the frame to better understand the points to be improved in a new design. Therefore, a CAD model of the evaluated frame was made, and a structural simulation was carried out using the finite element method. Two load conditions were simulated: the first being the application of the user’s weight and the second a torsional analysis of the frame as a consequence of the athlete’s gait. The results of the analysis revealed that the frame is in fact not well designed, and the critical points found coincided with the most common reports of breakage cases. Such results will serve as a basis for an optimization of the frame aiming to improve the athlete’s performance and safety.
Keywords
Race running, PETRA, Adapted Sports, Finite Element Method
