Experimental study demonstrates high load capacity in a lightweight carbon-fiber composite wheel prototype, indicating the feasibility of continuous fiber winding for automotive use.
This study presents the design and preliminary evaluation of an ultra-lightweight carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) wheel prototype fabricated using optimized continuous fiber winding paths. Seven winding-path configurations were first evaluated through compression tests using single trapezoidal specimens. Based on the maximum load and load-to-weight ratio, Path F was selected and applied to a full-scale CFRP wheel prototype. The final prototype weighed 1.6 kg, including the CFRP structure, residual PLA support molds, milled-carbon-fiber bolt-circle region, epoxy resin, and EVA contact layer. The full wheel sustained a maximum static compression load of 7155.9 N and supported a stationary compact vehicle without visible structural failure. The results demonstrate the preliminary feasibility of the proposed CFRP wheel concept under static loading conditions. These results establish a promising foundation for further development and validation of the proposed CFRP wheel under representative automotive loading and environmental conditions.
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Kim et al. (2026) studied this question.
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