Application of response surface method for contact fatigue reliability analysis of spur gear with consideration of EHL

In order to consider the effects of elastohydrodynamic lubrication(EHL) on contact fatigue reliability of spur gear, an accurate and efficient method that combines with response surface method(RSM) and first order second moment method(FOSM) was developed for estimating the contact fatigue reliability of spur gear under EHL. The mechanical model of contact stress analysis of spur gear under EHL was established, in which the oil film pressure was mapped into hertz contact zone. Considering the randomness of EHL, material properties and fatigue strength correction factors, the proposed method was used to analyze the contact fatigue reliability of spur gear under EHL. Compared with the results of 1.5×105 by traditional Monte-Carlo, the difference between the two failure probability results calculated by the above mentioned methods is 2.2×10-4, the relative error of the failure probability results is 26.8%, and time-consuming only accounts for 0.14% of the traditional Monte-Carlo method(MCM). Sensitivity analysis results are in very good agreement with practical cognition. Analysis results show that the proposed method is precise and efficient, and could correctly reflect the influence of EHL on contact fatigue reliability of spur gear.

Experimental Study on Response Performance of VIV of A Flexible Riser with Helical Strakes

Laboratory tests were conducted on a flexible riser with and without helical strakes. The aim of the present work is to further understand the response performance of the vortex induced vibration（VIV） for a riser with helical strakes. The experiment was accomplished in the towing tank and the relative current was simulated by towing a flexible riser in one direction. Based on the modal analysis method, the displacement responses can be obtained by the measured strain. The strakes with different heights are analyzed here, and the response parameters like strain response and displacement response are studied. The experimental results show that the in-line（IL） response is as important as the cross-flow（CF） response, however, many industrial analysis methods usually ignore the IL response due to VIV. The results also indicate that the response characteristics of a bare riser can be quite distinct from that of a riser with helical strakes, and the response performance depends on the geometry on the helical strakes closely. The fatigue damage is further discussed and the results show that the fatigue damage in the CF direction is of the same order as that in the IL direction for the bare riser. However, for the riser with helical strakes, the fatigue damage in the CF direction is much smaller than that in the IL direction.

Thermal-structural response and low-cycle fatigue damage of channel wall nozzle

To investigate the thermo-mechanical response of channel wall nozzle under cyclic working loads,the fnite volume fluid-thermal coupling calculation method and the fnite element thermal-structural coupling analysis technique are applied.In combination with the material lowcycle fatigue behavior,the modifed continuous damage model on the basics of local strain approach is adopted to analyze the fatigue damage distribution and accumulation with increasing nozzle work cycles.Simulation results have shown that the variation of the non-uniform temperature distribution of channel wall nozzle during cyclic work plays a signifcant role in the thermal-structural response by altering the material properties;the thermal-mechanical loads interaction results in serious deformation mainly in the front region of slotted liner.In particular,the maximal cyclic strains appear in the intersecting regions of liner gas side wall and symmetric planes of channel and rib,where the fatigue failure takes place initially;with the increase in nozzle work cycles,the residual plastic strain accumulates linearly,and the strain amplitude and increment in each work cycle are separately equal,but the fatigue damage grows up nonlinearly.As a result,a simplifed nonlinear damage accumulation approach has been suggested to estimate the fatigue service life of channel wall nozzle.The predicted node life is obviously conservative to the Miner＇s life.In addition,several workable methods have also been proposed to improve the channel wall nozzle durability.

Effects of installations on the low frequency vibration response of specimens in acoustic fatigue tests

The low frequency vibration response of a specimen in acoustic fatigue tests depends not only on the dynamic characteristics and the boundary conditions of the specimen itself, but also on the test unit which couples the specimen to a given sound field. Further, the latter can even be dominant instead the former in some circumstances. This fact is shown in the paper by using the experimental results and the theoretical analysis of the acoustic-induced vibration of a boundary clamped rectangular thin plate. In analysing the systems of acoustic fatigue test, an approach of electro-mechano-acoustical analogous circuit is used. The application of the approach can give an estimation of the effects on the low frequency vibration modes of various parameters in a system quantitatively. This supplies a theoretical basis and a means for the rational layout of acoustic fatigue tests.

Application of semi-analytical finite element method to analyze asphalt pavement response under heavy traffic loads

Accurate assessment of the impact of heavy traffic loads on asphalt pavements requires a computational model which is able to calculate the response of the pavement fast and precisely. Currently the most finite element analysis programs based on traditional methods have various limitations. A specific program SAFEM was developed based on a semi-analytical finite element method to overcome the problems. It is a three-dimensional FE program that requires only a two-dimensional mesh by incorporating the semi- analytical method using Fourier series in the third dimension. The computational accuracy and efficiency of the program was verified by analytical verification previously. The experimental verification is carried out in this paper and the results show that the SAFEM is able to predict the mechanical responses of the asphalt pavement. Using the program SAFEM, the impact of heavy traffic loads was analyzed in terms of stress and strain dis- tribution, surface deflection and fatigue life. The results indicate that if the asphalt pave- ment is subjected to the heavy traffic load more, the thicknesses and stiffness of the pavement structural layers should be increased adequately in order to support the surface deflection, The compressive stress in asphalt binder course is relatively large and increases more significantly compared with that in the other asphalt layers when the axle load becomes larger. With comparison of the predicted fatigue life, the increase of the axle load will lead to the destruction of the asphalt pavement extremely easily.