Willis Wu.
The project collection

01 / University of Toronto Supermileage

UTSM dynamometer

I worked with the UTSM team to redesign a dynamometer frame after excessive wobble and deformation.

My contribution

Dynamometer frame design & structural analysis

Context

University of Toronto Supermileage

Dates

Sept 2025 – April 2026

Three-quarter render of the complete UTSM dynamometer, including its frame, rollers, motor, and base.
Dynamometer assembly · CAD renderThree-quarter overview of the frame, rollers, motor, and base.View original

01 / Project brief

Redesigning a flexible frame.

The existing dynamometer frame showed pronounced wobble and deformation during competition use.

I focused on the load path through the roller supports, frame members and corner connections.

02 / My contribution

Members, joints & load path.

I worked on material changes and corner brackets/bracing for the frame supporting the rollers and measurement motor. I treated the members and connections together, using static load calculations and ANSYS analysis to guide the redesign.

Drivetrain views

02
Drive-side view of the full dynamometer, showing the motor and drive assembly.
Dynamometer assembly · CAD renderDrive-side view

Motor and drive assembly from the drive side.

View original
Transmission-side view of the complete dynamometer with blue geared components.
Dynamometer assembly · CAD renderTransmission-side view

Alternate drivetrain view showing the blue geared components.

View original

03 / Load model & assumptions

Start with an explicit idealization.

To examine vertical bending, I idealized each roller-support rod as a simply supported beam with a central load, assuming equal sharing between the two rods.

Nominal design case
640 N
Overload design case
1000 N

For the rod calculation, I split the wheel-supported vertical load Ww equally between the two rods: P = Ww/2.

Idealized vertical-load model
A simply supported roller-support rod of span L carries a central downward load P, with equal upward reactions RA and RB.

Vertical load and support reactions for one roller-support rod.

Loads, equations & text description
Load sharing
I assumed two rods share the wheel-supported vertical load Ww equally. One rod carries a central point load P = Ww/2 over span L.
End reactions
Equilibrium gives RA = RB = P/2 = Ww/4.
Maximum bending moment
For this central-load model, Mmax = PL/4 = Ww L/8. Forces are in N, span is in m, and bending moment is in N·m.
Model scope
This isolates vertical bending in one rod. Contact angles, traction, motor reactions, belt forces and frame-joint behavior require separate treatment.

04 / Iteration & testing

Hardware testing, revised analysis.

We physically tested the revised assembly after the frame and corner-bracing changes.

Next analysis iteration

My next step is to refine the ANSYS mesh and rerun the structural checks.

Team & vehicle context

University of Toronto Supermileage

The University of Toronto Supermileage team gathered with its vehicle.

University of Toronto Supermileage team and vehicle.

View full photograph
Willis Wu in the UTSM vehicle cockpit, with his hands and the surrounding cockpit structure visible.

With the UTSM vehicle.

View full photograph

Next project / 02

Cinematography arm