Wheel Chair
Wheel Chair
Wheel Chair
Abstract: As electric wheelchairs are on a raising trend, there is plenty of scope in achieving a strong,
lightweight and cost-effective wheelchair. This project illustrates some elegant engineering innovations in the
chassis, motor and powertrain system that can help us achieve the goal. Furthermore, the project describes how
the wheelchair can be converted into a stretcher and be used for transportation of patients and goods in
hospitals or industries. As we proceed, we will see the designs, calculations and analysis for all the mechanical
components such as power transmission, chassis and stretcher mechanism.
Key Word: Wheelchair, electric, stretcher, hospital environment, chain drive.
I. Introduction
As per Census 2011, about 2.68 Cr persons are ‘disabled’ out of the 121 Cr Indian population, which is
about 2.21% of the total population. The mobility of physically challenged people becomes a serious concern. In
addition, not all families can afford to buy the expensive power wheelchairs available in the market. Mainly
the individuals with neurodegenerative disease such as MND (Motor Neuron Disease), ALS (Amyotrophic
Lateral Sclerosis) etc. needs a guardian to physically lift the patient every time the patient needs to move from
wheelchair to his bed or vice a versa. This process takes a lot of physical tolls on the guardian, according to a
study about 40% of guardians are suffering from back pain and joint pain. To solve this problem many
researchers and mechanical engineers have developed various designs where the wheelchair can itself be able to
be converted into a stretcher, some of which are using mechanisms of hydraulic and pneumatic lift, while others
are using a lead-screw mechanism. These mechanisms are very efficient but the drawbacks are that it either
requires servo motors which increases the manufacturing costs or are a noisy. To overcome this problem, we
have proposed a new system which is purely mechanical based for the stretcher conversion. Having a purely
mechanical mechanism helps in lowering the cost and at the same time to achieve a simple mechanism with less
moving parts which shall help in reducing noise.
Also, a lot of electric wheelchairs available in the market are very expensive for a middle-class person
to afford, thus to overcome this problem our objective is to choose a low power dc motor in order to lower the
cost and compensate for its power by designing an efficient power transmission system.
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Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
ease of defecation, cleaning and changing of clothes. The design also incorporates adjustable backrest, armrest and leg
rest.
A design manual written by Amos Winter [6] has explained various mechanical principles in a wheelchair design.
This report talks about the forces, center of gravity, free body diagram, moments, inertial forces, axial stress, behavior
of metals, strain modulus, shear stress, bending stress, moment of inertia, (stiffness vs strength), failures and other
important design parameters in a wheelchair.
Xin Chen [7], in his report has given a detailed study on modeling and design of a mechanism which is capable of
having a sliding seat which is helpful for patients for moving themselves from the wheelchair to any other seat close
by. Further this report discusses the static and dynamic analysis of the chair.
Parag Nikam [8], the report explains the tooth force calculation and its static structural analysis using Ansys
workbench. Though the calculations were perfect, the simulation is not precise enough as boundary condition
involves fixed constraints at bolt holes.
Since the wheelchair is designed to run in an indoor environment, the velocity can vary from 0.5m/s to 1.5m/s. We
have considered the higher velocity of 1.5m/s. Also, the standard slope in Indian hospital environment is of
7.1 .˚
The total mass of the wheelchair = 145Kg. (self-weight = 45kg, Load carrying capacity = 100kg) Radius of the wheel
= 10 inches = 0.254m based on availability and cost.
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Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
Case 1: Travelling on flat path:
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Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
3.2 Transmission:
Purchasing a high torque motor would be heavy and extremely expensive. Thus, we have incorporated a
transmission system which can multiply the torque to carry the design load.
We select chain drive over gear box to drive the wheelchair wheel which is powered by 250W motor due to
following reasons:
The chains drive has the center distance between input and output shafts is less
Less slippage
Velocity ratio can be achieved accurately
Sprockets usually have low weight.
Less maintenance and cost effective
High efficiency
Further the detailed design of various parts of transmission is discussed.
Material Selection:
Based on availability and applications we have selected C-45 (Mild
steel) as Sprocket Material.
As per the standard Torque vs Rpm curve [8] (as shown in Fig. 3) of
a DC motor, the maximum power of the motor is obtained at nearly
half the rated RPM. It indicates that the motor has the maximum
efficiency at this RPM.
The efficiency of the motor is important as it can lead to major
heating issues, battery drainage and insufficient power.
Since the selected motor has a rated RPM of 360, we plan to run it at
180 RPM to obtain maximum power and efficiency.
Therefore, Figure 3
N1 = 180 rpm, No of Teeth = Z1 = 9 (Driver pinion)
N2= 57 rpm (Driven
Therefore, Reduction ratio = N1/N2 = 180/57 = 3.157
Z2 = Z1*3.15 = 28.35 ≈ 29 Teeth
Using formula, D = p / sin(180/z)--------------------------------------(Pitch – 12.7 mm)
We get D1= 37.13 mm, D2 = 117.463mm
We know that, chain length is pitch times the no of links, i.e., L = lp *p
No of links is given by; lp = 2 ap + (Z1 + Z2)/2 + ((Z2 –Z1)/2*pi)2 / ap
L = 635 mm---------------------------------------------------------------(Calculated Chain length for ap = 15)
Actual Centre distance is calculated as
a= (e + sq root (e2-8*m)/4 * p = 196.26 mm
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Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
Dynamic Calculation:
To check whether the design sprocket is safe or not in dynamic condition:
Assume Power = 250 W = 0.25kW
For dynamic conditions, we need to calculate first Service Factor (Ks) and it is given by
Service factor, Ks= k1 * k2 * k3 * k4 * k5 * k6
Table no 1
Chain No Rolon Pitch Roller Dia Bearing Area Wt./m Breaking Load
ISO/DIN (mm) (mm) (cm2) (kgf) (kgf)
Table 3
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Teeth
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Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
Now, Performing FEA Simulation in Ansys Workbench. As boundary condition, giving fixed constraint to the
holes and applying calculated tooth loads. The solution for driver and driven is shown in Fig 5 and 6 respectively.
Also the corresponding values are tabulated in table no. 4.
Figure 5
Figure 6
Table No 4
Type Minimum Maximum
Equivalent Stress (Driver) 157.36 Pa 1.2154e+008 Pa
Deformation (Driver) 3.1137e-007 m 9.2689e-006 m
Life (Driver) 1.5851e+005 cycles
Deformation (Driven) 6.3039e-006 m 2.1623e-005 m
Equivalent Stress (Driven) 236.35 Pa 8.7681e+007 Pa
Life (Driven) 9.066e+005 cycles
Design of Shaft:
Shaft is rotating machine element, sometimes stationary, which is used as support element. Here, shaft is used to
drive the chain sprocket fixed to it. Therefore, the only weight acting on it is the sprocket, the shaft is supported
at both the ends with roller support. As it as to transmit torque too, the shaft will undergo both bending and
torsion.
Designing the shaft for Bending and torsional.
Given: Power = 250W = 0.25kW, 57 rpm, Shaft length = 65mm =
0.065m Material selection:
We select shaft material as C-45 due to its strength and applications with Shear stress strength = 450 MPa = 450
N/mm2
Permissible shear stress strength = 𝑟 = 450 = 45 N/mm2 (For FOS = 10)
10
We know that, Torque = 𝑃*60 = 41.88 N-m
T = 41.88 * 103 N-mm 2𝜋𝑁
Maximum Bending Moment:
We know that,
𝖶*𝐿 0.400*9.81*0.065
M= 4 = 4 = 63.765 N-mm
Now, Equivalent Twisting moment,
Te =√𝑀2 + 𝑇2
Te = 41880.048 = N-mm
Also, Te 𝜋*𝑐*𝑑3
= 16 41880.04 *16
Therefore, D3 =
𝜋*𝑐
D = 16.797 mm
D = 20mm.................................(Referring to standard available
Figure 7 Shaft FBD
diameter of shafts)
Analysis of Shaft:
We have performed static analysis of hub shaft in Ansys simulation software to check whether the analytically
calculated dimension is safe or not in terms of structural, factor of safety and life of Shaft by fixing Support at
one end. Applying bearing load as a 3.9 N and torque as 41.8 Nm. The solution for the shaft analysis is shown in
Fig. 5. Also the corresponding values are tabulated in table no. 5
Table No 5
Type Minimum Maximum
Equivalent Stress 0.16404 Pa 8.1348e+007 Pa
FOS 1.05 15
Life - 10E6
Design of Key
A key is a piece of MS used to prevent relative motion between shaft and hub. It is inserted half in shaft and
other half in hub. Keys are also subjected to crushing and shearing stresses.
Material selection:
We select key material same as shaft which has 𝑟 = 45𝑁/𝑚𝑚2 for FOS = 10
We know that,3 Shaft diameter = 20mm; 𝑟 = 45𝑁/𝑚𝑚2
Torque = *𝑐*𝑑 = 70685.83 Nmm
16
For shaft diameter = d = 20mm; Width of key = 8mm; Thickness = 7 mm
l= length of key
Considering key for shearing failure,
70685.83 = l*w* 𝑟* Therefore, l=19.63 mm
𝑑
2
Considering key for crushing
Taking FOS = 5 for crushing
stress
70685.83 = l*𝑡*𝜎𝑐*𝑑
2 2
L = 29.699 mm ≈ 30 mm Figure 9 Shaft and Key
Therefore, the selected key dimension is L = 30 mm, W = 8mm T = 7mm
3.3 Chassis:
The main component which defines the quality, life and cost of any mechanical system or instrument is
the chassis. Chassis is the basic skeleton structure of any vehicle and bears all the stresses, both static and
dynamic, therefore the selection of material and the geometric design is one of the most crucial part in the
DOI: 10.9790/1684-1803011629 www.iosrjournals.org 9 | Page
Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher
designing process. The primary purpose of this body is to assemble all the components into a single unit and
maintain its stiffness.
Material Selection:
The Material we have chosen for the chassis is AISI 1018 hot rolled steel square pipes with 25.4mm
OD and thickness of 1. 6mm.The other commonly available thickness in the market are 1.2mm and 2mm, the
former was not chosen as it has very little thickness which can be a problem during the welding process and the
later was not chosen as it increased the overall weight of the chassis.
Another option was aluminum, though it is lighter in weight but it has very poor weldability and has
high market cost. Therefore, though steel is heavier it is chosen for its good strength, welding capability,
cheaper cost and market availability. The properties of the selected material are shown in table (6).
Table No 6
Material Properties
Name: AISI 1018 Steel, hot rolled bar
Yield strength: 1.8e+08 N/m2
Tensile strength: 3.25e+08 N/m2
Elastic modulus: 2e+11 N/m2
Poisson's ratio: 0.29
Mass density: 7,870 kg/m3
Shear modulus: 8e+10 N/m2
Thermal expansion coefficient: 1.2e-05 /Kelvin
Figure 10
Since the wheelchair consists of a stretcher convertible mechanism, chain-sprocket system, DC motor,
motor driver and a battery, the chassis is designed in order to achieve the packaging of all the mechanical parts
and the electrical components. The cad model of the chassis with its packaging of the components can be seen in
Fig. 8
Figure 11
Figure 12 Figure 13
As per the standard body weight distribution, Upper body weight accounts for roughly 68.35%
Whereas thighs weigh nearly 18.8%. In sitting position, consider the upper body weight to act at the back half of
the seat. The weight distribution according to it can be seen in Fig-12. This weight distribution is converted to
uniformly distributed load as shown in the free body diagram of Fig-13.
Let VA, RB be the reaction forces acting on the Rear and the front member respectively. Assume weight of 104.5
Kg (according to average obese patient).
The bending stress is calculated for the pipes selected for the
chassis refer Fig-14,
Total Pipe length = 430mm, Outer dia = 25.4mm, Inner dia =
22.2mm
Sectional Modulus of Hollow Square:
Z = (BD3-bd3)/6D
For Square Section, B = D
= (25.44 - 22.24)/ (6*25.4) =173340.16/152.4 b =1137.4026
From equation two we know that ending moment is at point C =
61717.63Nm
Therefore, Bending Stress = M/Z = 54.26N/mm2
Figure 14
Figure 15
The structural analysis of the chassis is performed in solidworks-simulation study. In this study, four
‘Fixed geometry type’ fixtures are provided as shown in green in Fig-15, where two are at the front end of the
circular section at the position where the castor wheels are to be mounted and the other two fixtures are at the
rear end where the axle bearing of the rear wheels will be mounted. The loading conditions is applied for an
assumption of a person weighing 120 kg. The forces are applied as per the calculation for the standard body
weight distribution as discussed and calculated in previous section, in fig-F the load represented in pink have the
value of 701.2 N and the load represented in yellow have the value of 192.87 N. The mesh as seen in Fig-15
used is of standard mesh of ‘solid mesh type 'keeping the mesh quality plot as high having Element Size:
10.5145mm and Tolerance: 0.525735 mm.
Study results:
On applying all the necessary boundary conditions as discussed before the results are obtained, the following
figures show the plot of Von Mises Stress (Fig-16), Equivalent Strain (Fig-17), Resultant Displacement (Fig-18)
and Factor of Safety (Fig-19). The results are shown in the table-7.
Safety Table No 7
TYPE MINIMUM MAXIMUM
von Mises Stress 2.952e-01 N/m^2 4.705e+07 N/m^2
ESTRN: Equivalent Strain 1.175e-12 1.371e-04
URES: Resultant Displacement 1.000e-30 mm 2.268e-01 mm
Factor of Safety 3.825e+00 1.000e+01
Hence, from the analysis it is observed that the structure of the chassis is safe.
Back-Rest Conversion: -
Figure 20 Figure 21
1. The back-rest conversion mechanism works mainly with a pair of two link mechanism. The pair of links are
represented as (‘B and F’ in fig 20).
2. The seat is mounted to the chassis with a foldable hinge, as seen in (‘G’ fig 20).
3. The upper link (‘B’ in fig 20) is connected to the seat by a mount welded on the seat and socket structure at
the end of the link (‘A’ in fig 20). This is fixed using two bearings and a stud, thus providing rotational
motion to the upper link.
4. The lower link (‘F’ in fig 20) is connected to the mount in lower member of chassis, this connection is done
by a bush insert of a larger diameter and a stud which provides in rotational motion of the lower link too.
5. The upper and lower links are joined together (‘D’ in fig 20) using a similar bush and stud mechanism as
used above.
6. Hollow sleeves (‘C’ in fig 20) slide over the upper link, the sleeve acts as the main component to lock or
unlock the links using a key. In Fig. 21, the wheelchair is in stretcher position where the links are bent in
almost 90-degree angle until the castor wheels attached to the lower link meets the ground and acts as a
support.
7. In Fig-21 the wheelchair is in sitting position, here the upper and lower pair of links are aligned in a straight
line and are locked together using the sleeves and keys (shown by an arrow in Fig-20).
8. The key material is selected to have lower FOS than the sleeve and links, as in situation of failure the key
should break instead of the primary parts. Rubber Grommets (‘E’ in Fig 20) are attached to the lower link
using adhesives. The grommets will act as a stopper for the sleeve in case of failure of the key, thus acting
as a safety mechanism.
Leg-Rest Conversion: -
Figure 22 Figure 23
The conversion mechanism for the leg rest is achieved using a foldable hinge bracket, where one part
of the hinge bracket is attached to the leg-rest and the other part is attached to the plate on the chassis. The Fig-
22 and Fig-23 represent the hinge in sitting position and stretcher position. Such adjustable hinges are readily
available in the market, are cheap in cost and, at the same time it helps in making the mechanism simple and less
complicated. It also helped with providing compactness of the chassis and achieving sufficient amount of space
for packaging of the battery, motors and other hardware.
The cad model for the wheelchair in stretcher and sitting position is shown in Fig-24 and Fig-25: -
Figure 24 Figure 25
Battery- 24V
000
Transmission Sprocket
60
Chain
80
Shaft and key
00
Chassis (Stretcher Convertible) MS AISI 1018 pipes
800
Wooden Planks
00
Tyres R10
00
Miscellaneous
00
Total
s.20,540
V. Conclusion
The goal of designing a strong and lightweight wheelchair was accomplished successfully. All the
designs are safe as justified through simulations. The bill of material suggests the affordability of the product
compared to other wheelchairs available in the market. The design eliminates the complexity of transferring the
patients from wheelchair to stretcher. Thus, the wheelchair convertible to a stretcher eliminates the need to have
both the products separately Also, the stretcher mechanism enables the wheelchair to be used in industrial
applications for transportation. The wheelchair can be controlled either manually through joystick control, or
through some automation.
The rendered image of the final CAD model of stretcher cum wheelchair is shown in Fig. 26
Figure 26
References
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Issue 6, June 2017.
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Mar -2017.
[3]. Jyothish K Sunny, Thomas Paul, “Design and Fabrication of Stretcher Cum Wheel Chair”, IJIRST Volume 2 | Issue 11 | April
2016. [4]. P. Swapna , Dr. B. Sharmila, “Electric Wheelchair for Physically Challenged”, IRJET Volume: 03 Issue: 05 | May-2016.
[5]. Mohan Kumar R., Lohit H. S., “Design of Multipurpose Wheel Chair for Physically Challenged and Elder People”, SASTECH
Volume 11, Issue 1, Apr 2012.
[6]. Mechanical Principles of Wheelchair Design, MIT.
[7]. Xin Chen, Zhong Wu, “An Optimization Design for Standard Manual Wheelchair”. Blekinge Institute of Technology, Sweden
[8]. Parag Nikam, Rahul Tanpure, “Design Optimization Of Chain Sprocket Using Finite Element Analysis”, IJERA ISSN : 2248-9622,
Vol. 6, Issue 9,(Part-5) Sepember.2016, pp.66-69.
[9]. Center for Innovation in Product Development MIT,
<http://lancet.mit.edu/motors/motors3.html> [10]. Bryan
Maddock,Dimensions.com,<https://www.dimensions.com/>
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Siddhant Pawar, et. al. "Design and Analysis of Electric Wheelchair cum Stretcher." IOSR
Journal of Mechanical and Civil Engineering (IOSR-JMCE), 18(3), 2021, pp. 16-29.