Jean Lefèvre
Current Organizations / Institutes
The organizations/institutes from the scholar's latest article
Jean Lefèvre has a total of 6 co-authors. Here are the top co-authors by number of shared publications:
- Christian Willberg
Magdeburg‐Stendal University of Applied Sciences Magdeburg Germany
1 shared publication - Enes Savli
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems (IKTS), 01109 Dresden, Germany
1 shared publication - Kevin Klemt
Institute of Lightweight Systems, German Aerospace Center, Braunschweig, Germany
1 shared publication - Kilian Tschöke
Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technology Systems (IKTS)
1 shared publication - Louisa Türke
Institute for Engineering Design, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany
1 shared publication - Raffael Bogenfeld
Institute of Lightweight Systems, German Aerospace Center, Braunschweig, Germany
1 shared publication
Latest Publications
- Open Access
- 26 February 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in Discover Applied Sciences
- Vol. 8 (3) , 296
Conceptualization design and analysis of lightweight composite rims for a formula student race car with a review of existing concepts
This article presents a structured design process for lightweight carbon fiber rims tailored to an electric Formula Student race car. Unlike prior work that focuses mainly on geometry or material selection, the contribution here is an integrated design approach that enables geometry-invariant laminate sizing and is grounded in a structured review of existing CFRP rim and wheel concepts. The process includes the concept development, structural finite element analysis, and the integration of manufacturing considerations within a framework tailored to the resource and time constraints typical of Formula Student projects. This review clarifies typical mass savings, concept choices, and validation strategies and provides the reference frame for the subsequent design. Drawing on this review, three design solutions were evaluated: a composite rim with an aluminum center disk, a full composite spoke rim, and a full composite flange rim. Considering the integration with the existing vehicle architecture and manufacturing feasibility, the hybrid rim with a metallic center disk was selected. A suitable laminate design was achieved iteratively via finite element simulations to meet strength and stiffness requirements. The final configuration, a symmetric stacking sequence with alternating 0 $$^\circ $$ and 45 $$^\circ $$ plies of woven carbon fiber fabric, is governed by the displacement limits under the cornering load case. Safety margins against strength and fatigue failure were confirmed for all relevant Formula Student load cases. Eventually, manufacturability aspects were incorporated in an enhanced numerical simulation that reflects realistic ply draping and supports the preparation of tooling and layup definition. The developed rim satisfies the camber-angle stiffness requirement and maintains safety factors of approximately 1.5 in compression and 1.8 in tension and achieves weight savings of $${49\,\mathrm{\%}}$$ compared to an aluminum reference. This reduction approximately halves the rim’s polar mass moment of inertia and, together with the 3% vehicle mass reduction, is expected to improve acceleration, braking response, and ride quality for the Formula Student car. Still, the main contribution of this article lies in a transferable methodology for CFRP rim design that combines the laminate design process with realistic manufacturing and vehicle integration constraints and is informed by the synthesized literature on composite rims for Formula Student and automotive applications. Graphical abstract- 26 February 2026
- Published by Springer Nature in Discover Applied Sciences
- Vol. 8 (3) , 296
Open AccessConceptualization design and analysis of lightweight composite rims for a formula student race car with a review of existing concepts
This article presents a structured design process for lightweight carbon fiber rims tailored to an electric Formula Student race car. Unlike prior work that focuses mainly on geometry or material selection, the contribution here is an integrated design approach that enables geometry-invariant laminate sizing and is grounded in a structured review of existing CFRP rim and wheel concepts. The process includes the concept development, structural finite element analysis, and the integration of manufacturing considerations within a framework tailored to the resource and time constraints typical of Formula Student projects. This review clarifies typical mass savings, concept choices, and validation strategies and provides the reference frame for the subsequent design. Drawing on this review, three design solutions were evaluated: a composite rim with an aluminum center disk, a full composite spoke rim, and a full composite flange rim. Considering the integration with the existing vehicle architecture and manufacturing feasibility, the hybrid rim with a metallic center disk was selected. A suitable laminate design was achieved iteratively via finite element simulations to meet strength and stiffness requirements. The final configuration, a symmetric stacking sequence with alternating 0 $$^\circ $$ and 45 $$^\circ $$ plies of woven carbon fiber fabric, is governed by the displacement limits under the cornering load case. Safety margins against strength and fatigue failure were confirmed for all relevant Formula Student load cases. Eventually, manufacturability aspects were incorporated in an enhanced numerical simulation that reflects realistic ply draping and supports the preparation of tooling and layup definition. The developed rim satisfies the camber-angle stiffness requirement and maintains safety factors of approximately 1.5 in compression and 1.8 in tension and achieves weight savings of $${49\,\mathrm{\%}}$$ compared to an aluminum reference. This reduction approximately halves the rim’s polar mass moment of inertia and, together with the 3% vehicle mass reduction, is expected to improve acceleration, braking response, and ride quality for the Formula Student car. Still, the main contribution of this article lies in a transferable methodology for CFRP rim design that combines the laminate design process with realistic manufacturing and vehicle integration constraints and is informed by the synthesized literature on composite rims for Formula Student and automotive applications. Graphical abstract - Open Access
Numerical Simulations in Ultrasonic Guided Wave Analysis for the Design of SHM Systems—Benchmark Study Based on the Open Guided Waves Online Platform Dataset
Structural health monitoring (SHM) strategies based on ultrasonic guided waves are very promising regarding thin-walled lightweight structures. To study the performance of such systems, validated numerical analysis tools have to be used. For that procedure, a benchmark between two numerical methods will be presented. The first promising approach is the elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT). Miscellaneous research shows that its capability of capturing wave characteristics and interactions is advanced in various media and structures, including thin-walled composites. The second approach employs conventional shell-type finite elements following the Reissner–Mindlin theory for modelling layered composite structures. The advantage of using such finite element methods (FEM) is their high availability in general purpose simulation tools. As a reference model, the measurement data coming from the Open Guided Waves Project (OGW) was taken into account. The OGW dataset provides the experimental data of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in carbon fiber composite plates with an additional omega stringer. By using this contribution, this experiment was reproduced by simulation. The paper presents the results of a validation and motivates further research, such as in research related to the probability of detection analysis and numerical performance.
Open AccessNumerical Simulations in Ultrasonic Guided Wave Analysis for the Design of SHM Systems—Benchmark Study Based on the Open Guided Waves Online Platform Dataset
Structural health monitoring (SHM) strategies based on ultrasonic guided waves are very promising regarding thin-walled lightweight structures. To study the performance of such systems, validated numerical analysis tools have to be used. For that procedure, a benchmark between two numerical methods will be presented. The first promising approach is the elastodynamic finite integration technique (EFIT). Miscellaneous research shows that its capability of capturing wave characteristics and interactions is advanced in various media and structures, including thin-walled composites. The second approach employs conventional shell-type finite elements following the Reissner–Mindlin theory for modelling layered composite structures. The advantage of using such finite element methods (FEM) is their high availability in general purpose simulation tools. As a reference model, the measurement data coming from the Open Guided Waves Project (OGW) was taken into account. The OGW dataset provides the experimental data of ultrasonic guided wave propagation in carbon fiber composite plates with an additional omega stringer. By using this contribution, this experiment was reproduced by simulation. The paper presents the results of a validation and motivates further research, such as in research related to the probability of detection analysis and numerical performance.