Lightweight of wheel hubs is the linchpin for reducing the unsprung mass and improving the vehicle dynamic and braking performance of vehicles, thus, sustaining stability and comfortability. Current experience-based lightweight designs of wheel hubs have been argued to render uneven distribution of materials. This work develops a novel method to combine the reverse modeling technique with the topological optimization method to derive lightweight wheel hubs based on the principles of mechanics. A reverse modeling technique is first adopted to scan and reproduce the prototype 3D geometry of the wheel hub with solid ribs. The finite element method (FEM) is then applied to perform stress analysis to identify the maximum stress and its location of wheel hub under variable potential physical conditions. The finite element model is then divided into optimization region and nonoptimized region: the former is the interior portion of spoke and the latter is the outer surface of the spoke. A topology optimization is then conducted to remove the optimization region which is interior material of the spokes. The hollow wheel hub is then reconstructed with constant wall thickness about 5[Formula: see text]mm via a reverse modeling technique. The results show that the reconstructed model can reduce the mass of 12.7% compared to the pre-optimized model. The present method of this paper can guarantee the optimal distribution of wheel hub material based on mechanics principle. It can be implemented automatically to shorten the time interval for optimal lightweight designs. It is especially preferable for many existing structures and components as it maintains the structural appearance of optimization object.

中文翻译：

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空心肋汽车轮毂轻量化设计的逆向建模与拓扑优化

轮毂的轻量化是减少簧下质量、提高车辆动力和制动性能、保持稳定性和舒适性的关键。目前基于经验的轮毂轻量化设计被认为会导致材料分布不均。这项工作开发了一种新方法，将逆向建模技术与拓扑优化方法相结合，根据力学原理推导出轻量化轮毂。首先采用逆向建模技术来扫描和再现具有实心肋的轮毂原型 3D 几何形状。然后应用有限元法 (FEM) 进行应力分析，以确定在可变的潜在物理条件下轮毂的最大应力及其位置。然后将有限元模型分为优化区域和非优化区域：前者为辐条内部，后者为辐条外表面。然后进行拓扑优化以去除作为辐条内部材料的优化区域。然后通过逆向建模技术以恒定的壁厚约 5[公式：见文本]mm 重建空心轮毂。结果表明，与优化前的模型相比，重建模型可以减少12.7%的质量。本文提出的方法可以根据力学原理保证轮毂材料的最优分布。它可以自动实施，以缩短优化轻量化设计的时间间隔。