Carbon Fiber Wheels Become A Weight Loss Artifact That Bentley And Ford Like To Use
Carbon fiber, because it is light and extremely tough, is regarded by automotive engineers as a popular choice for the next generation of car building materials. In late July last year, MarketaaWatch data analysis agency released a "2021 Automotive Carbon Fiber Market Research Report", which pointed out that the global automotive carbon fiber market in 2020 will be close to 160 million US dollars; from 2021 to 2027, the global automotive carbon fiber market is expected to be The compound annual growth rate of 5.71% keeps growing. With the increasing demand for environmental protection and energy saving and emission reduction, the global automotive industry is seeking diversified lightweight solutions. The weight reduction demand of unsprung mass is particularly prominent. As an important part of unsprung mass, wheels account for a large proportion of the overall mass of the car. One of the effective ways to reduce weight is to use carbon fiber wheels. As raw materials and manufacturing costs have fallen, carbon fiber wheels, which were originally expensive and only used for luxury or ultra-luxury models, are gradually "dipping down".
Carbon fiber wheels become "weight loss artifact"
It should be pointed out that carbon fiber is nothing new in the automotive industry. It has already been applied to the body and many parts of the car. For example, the body and chassis of the BMW i3, which was launched in 2013, use carbon fiber materials. Currently, as the automotive industry accelerates its transition to electrification, some manufacturing engineering challenges are shifting from internal combustion engine vehicles to electric vehicles. Weight reduction, improved aerodynamics, and noise reduction may be the top three non-powertrain challenges facing contemporary automotive engineers when developing electric vehicles. Electric vehicles have far fewer components than ICE vehicles, but they are not necessarily lighter than ICE vehicles. In fact, many EVs are heavier than their ICE counterparts because of their "big" battery packs. For example, the new GMC Hummer electric pickup truck launched by General Motors not long ago weighs as much as 9,046 pounds (about 4.1 tons).
In addition, in recent years, the wheel size and weight of many off-road vehicles and pickups have increased significantly. The wheel size of some large SUVs is 22 inches (about 55.9 centimeters), and some even exceed 30 inches (about 76.2 centimeters), which makes a wheel weigh nearly 100 pounds (about 45 kilograms). The wheel weight of the car reaches 400 pounds (about 181 kilograms). Many car companies are equipping new cars with larger wheels and tires. For example, Chevrolet released a new car preview in mid-August this year, saying that the Chevrolet Silverado electric pickup based on the GM Ultium electric vehicle platform will be equipped with a four-wheel steering system and an optional 24-inch (about 61 cm) large hub.
In this case, the weight reduction of carbon fiber on the wheel has attracted the attention of the industry. Australia-based Carbon Revolution (Carbon Revolution) is a technologically advanced one-piece carbon fiber composite automotive wheel manufacturer. Its CEO Jack Dingle said that carbon fiber wheels are 40% to 50% lighter than aluminum wheels. , A set of carbon fiber wheels can reduce the weight of the vehicle by 88 to 110 pounds (about 40 to 50 kilograms). That's a sizable number, after all the chassis and body engineers struggled to save 1kg.
Which car companies are the first to use carbon fiber wheels? Let's take a look together.
1. The new carbon fiber rim of Bentley Bentayga took five years to develop
Bentley has released a five-year-old new 22-inch carbon fiber rim. The rim will be mounted on the Bentley Bentayga and will be available exclusively for Bentayga models.
Bentley says they are the largest production carbon wheels ever offered to a car, and the carbon rims were not made on a whim. The design and testing process took five years to complete in collaboration with Bucci Composites. Coincidentally, this was around the same time that the first Bentayga hit the streets, so the project appears to have been developed in conjunction with the Bentley Bentayga.
Bentley says the wheels are built using a patented process that includes a specific braid that helps avoid catastrophic tire blowouts in severe impacts. Various tests simulate various road conditions to ensure the quality of the carbon fiber rims, because after all, this SUV weighs nearly 3 tons.
What are the benefits of carbon fiber wheels on a car as big as the Bentayga? , The use of carbon fiber can reduce the weight of each wheel by 13 pounds (6 kg), although not much, but it can effectively reduce the unsprung weight and improve the handling. Bentley also highlighted the strength and stiffness of the wheels for a more stable steering platform.
2. Ford Mustang GT500 new kit exposed, large-sized carbon fiber wheels, handling performance will be improved
Overseas media reported that Ford is building a new carbon fiber kit for the Mustang (Mustang) ShelbyGT500 model, which is expected to be officially released this year. It is reported that the kit may cover a 20-inch carbon fiber wheel. The use of carbon fiber material will effectively reduce the unsprung mass of the vehicle and further improve the handling performance of the vehicle. It is reported that the Mustang GT500 is equipped with a 5.2-liter V8 supercharged engine with a maximum output of 567kW, and the transmission system is matched with a 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox.
3.8600rpm engine and carbon fiber rims, Chevrolet unveils 8th generation Corvette Z06
Chevrolet's 8th-generation Corvette was upgraded to a Z06 version. The existing Z06 brought powerful output and torque by adding a turbo to the V8 6.2-liter engine, but the new model once again returned to the naturally aspirated engine. The biggest change to the Corvette Z06 is that it comes with a newly developed engine. Called the LT6, the engine comes in a V8 5.5-liter naturally aspirated specification. Despite the reduced displacement and lack of a supercharger, it is a high-revving engine developed for track driving. The basic configuration of this engine is the same as that of the C8.R racing car. Same as the Porsche 911 (992) GT3 based on the racing engine. First, the engine is all aluminum and maintains the 4.4-inch (111.76 mm) bore that is the hallmark of Chevrolet's "Small Block" engine. Conversely, the displacement is reduced by shortening the stroke length.
The existing pushrod OHV valve structure has been changed to an overhead camshaft (DOHC) type. In short, this is how engines are used today. The intake valve adopts titanium alloy to reduce weight, and the exhaust valve adopts sodium-filled valve to improve heat dissipation efficiency. The piston is made of forged aluminum and the connecting rod is made of forged titanium. This reduces weight while increasing rigidity. Additionally, the throttle and exhaust manifolds are all new. The cylinder heads are also painted red.
The bigger changes happen to the crankshaft. A plane crankshaft is used to replace the plane crankshaft used in general internal combustion engine vehicles. The planar method repeats the firing sequence of the cylinders from left to right in a V-type engine, which is easily based on very high engine speeds, although there are disadvantages such as uneven low rpm and uneven torque drop. That's why almost all supercar brand engines use flat-plane crankshafts. The newly developed engine produces 670 hp at 8400 rpm and 63.5 kgf m of torque at 6300 rpm. The available engine speed is 8600 rpm. A dry sump lubrication system was introduced to provide smooth lubrication performance in the cylinder even in environments where strong gravitational acceleration occurs. In this way, the effect of reducing the height of the engine is also increased.
