Dolly Cart

If we have to move a heavy cart's what helps more: Making wheels bigger or adding more wheels?

I have a project on designing a dolly/aircraft meal cart that is easier to move when fully loaded. Can Anyone give me ideas on how to do develop an alternative wheel or sliding system that will make moving these carts easier. (space inside an aircraft is a major constraint)

The problem depends upon the surface you are working with. If the cart is on a relatively soft or yielding surface, it is better to have more and wider wheels as this distributes the load better with less load on each wheel and lower deflection of the surface. The problem with a wheel is that on an infinitely hard surface the wheel makes almost point contact but on yielding surfaces the surface deforms under load and you are always pushing against the yielding surface, pushing uphill to some extent. So the less the surface is made to deform, the less force is required. But too wide wheels are difficult to turn and maneuver so that is a consideration. If the surface is not smooth, some form of suspension, like cushioned wheels may help. This allows the wheels to bump over the irregularities in the surface without jolting the entire cart. You need to do some tests to determine if the carts now in use are bumping or deforming the surface or what and then correct the problem. Identifying the exact problem is the first step in any solution.

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