Dynamic Simulation and Test Verifcation of Hydraulic Automatic Tensioner for an Engine Timing Chain Drive System

As a fundamental component of an automobile engine’s timing chain drive system, the hydraulic automatic tensioner signifcantly enhances fuel economy while minimizing system vibrations and noise. However, there is a noticeable lack of research on automatic hydraulic tensioners. This study presents a comprehensive calculation approach for the principal parameters of a hydraulic automatic tensioner. An efective method, grounded in hydraulics and multibody dynamics, was introduced for estimating the dynamic response of such a tensioner. The simulation model developed for the hydraulic tensioner is characterized by its rapid dynamic response, consistent operation, and high accuracy. The dynamic behavior of the tensioner was analyzed under varying boundary conditions, using sinusoidal signal excitation. It was observed that the maximum damping force increases with a decreasing leakage gap. Conversely, an increase in oil temperature or air content leads to a decrease in the maximum damping force. The reaction forces derived from these calculations align well with experimental results. This calculation and simulation approach ofers considerable value for the design of innovative hydraulic tensioners. It not only streamlines the design phase, minimizes the number of trials, and reduces product costs, but also provides robust insights for evaluating the performance of hydraulic tensioners.

Hydrodynamic Response of A Fully Coupled TLP Hull-TTR System with Detailed Modeling of A Hydraulic Pneumatic Tensioner and Riser Joints

Tension Leg Platform(TLP)in deepwater oil and gas field development usually consists of a hull,tendons,and top tension risers(TTRs).To maintain its top tension,each TTR is connected with a tensioner system to the hull.Owing to the complicated configuration of the tensioners,the hull and TTRs form a strong coupled system.Traditionally,some simplified tensioner models are applied to analyze the TLP structures.There is a large discrepancy between their analysis results and the actual mechanism behaviors of a tensioner.It is very necessary to develop a more detailed tensioner model to consider the coupling effects between TLP and TTRs.In the present study,a fully coupled TLP hull-TTR system for hydrodynamic numerical simulation is established.A specific hydraulic pneumatic tensioner is modeled by considering 4 cylinders.The production TTR model is stacked up by specific riser joints.The simulation is also extended to analyze an array of TTRs.Different regular and irregular waves are considered.The behaviors of different cylinders are presented.The results show that it is important to consider the specific configurations of the tensioner and TTRs,which may lead to obviously different response behaviors,compared with those from a simplified model.

Strain Monitoring and Stress Analysis of a Post-Prestressed Tunnel Liner

The strain monitoring and stress analysis of a new type of post-prestressed tunnel liner were carried out. The instrumentation block of the tunnel liner, with the dimensions of 12.06 m in length, 6 500 mm in diameter, and 650 mm in thickness, was post-prestressed with the unbonded tendons, each of which consists of 8 pieces of double-looped strands and the axial spacing of the tendons is 500 mm. Concrete strain meters, rebar meters, load cell and zero-stress meters were installed for the strain monitoring. The tensioning loads were applied incrementally in three cycles (50%, 77% and 100%) at the concrete age of 28 d and the tensioning work lasted for 187.1 h. Strain readings were taken before and after each cycle during tensioning period and at the specified time interval after tensioning period. It is found that concrete creep developed over tensioning period is 30% of total strain and 41.5% of elastic strain respectively. Prestress force in the unbonded tendon and concrete stress in the liner were evaluated according to the observed strain variations. Both of them are time-dependent, and about 5.3%, 8.3% and 9.0% of the prestress losses are observed at the age of 1 d, 30 d and 60 d respectively after stressing. The distribution of prestress in the liner is relatively uniform and meets the design requirement.