Remaining Useful Life for Heavy-Duty Railway Cast Steel Knuckles Based on Crack Growth Behavior with Hypothetical Distributions

The current research on the integrity of critical structures of rail vehicles mainly focuses on the design stage,which needs an effective method for assessing the service state.This paper proposes a framework for predicting the remaining useful life(RUL)of in-service structures with and without visible cracks.The hypothetical distribution and delay time models were used to apply the equivalent crack growth life data of heavy-duty railway cast steel knuckles,which revealed the evolution characteristics of the crack length and life scores of the knuckle under different fracture failure modes.The results indicate that the method effectively predicts the RUL of service knuckles in different failure modes based on the cumulative failure probability curves for different locations and surface crack lengths.This study proposes an RUL prediction framework that supports the dynamic overhaul and state maintenance of knuckle fatigue cracks.

Real-Time Co-optimization of Gear Shifting and Engine Torque for Predictive Cruise Control of Heavy-Duty Trucks

Fuel consumption is one of the main concerns for heavy-duty trucks.Predictive cruise control(PCC)provides an intriguing opportunity to reduce fuel consumption by using the upcoming road information.In this study,a real-time implementable PCC,which simultaneously optimizes engine torque and gear shifting,is proposed for heavy-duty trucks.To minimize fuel consumption,the problem of the PCC is formulated as a nonlinear model predictive control(MPC),in which the upcoming road elevation information is used.Finding the solution of the nonlinear MPC is time consuming;thus,a real-time implementable solver is developed based on Pontryagin’s maximum principle and indirect shooting method.Dynamic programming(DP)algorithm,as a global optimization algorithm,is used as a performance benchmark for the proposed solver.Simulation,hardware-in-the-loop and real-truck experiments are conducted to verify the performance of the proposed controller.The results demonstrate that the MPC-based solution performs nearly as well as the DP-based solution,with less than 1%deviation for testing roads.Moreover,the proposed co-optimization controller is implementable in a real-truck,and the proposed MPC-based PCC algorithm achieves a fuel-saving rate of 7.9%without compromising the truck’s travel time.

A human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator for heavy-duty truck seats

In this study,a human-sensitive frequency band vibration isolator(HFBVI)with quasi-zero stiffness(QZS)characteristics for heavy-duty truck seats is designed to improve the comfort of heavy-duty truck drivers on uneven roads.First,the analytical expressions for the force and displacement of the HFBVI are derived with the Lagrange equation and d'Alembert's principle,and are validated through the prototype restoring force testing.Second,the harmonic balance method(HBM)is used to obtain the dynamic responses under harmonic excitation,and further the influence of pre-stretching on the dynamic characteristics and transmissibility is discussed.Finally,the experimental prototype of the HFBVI is fabricated,and vibration experiments are conducted under harmonic excitation to verify the vibration isolation performance(VIP)of the proposed vibration isolator.The experimental results indicate that the HFBVI can effectively suppress the frequency band(4-8 Hz)to which the human body is sensitive to vertical vibration.In addition,under real random road spectrum excitation,the HFBVI can achieve low-frequency vibration isolation close to 2 Hz,providing new prospects for ensuring the health of heavy-duty truck drivers.

FATIGUE LIFE PREDICTION OF CRANKSHAFT MADE OF MATERIAL 48MnV BASED ON FATIGUE TESTS,DYNAMIC SIMULATION AND FEA

S-N curve and fatigue parameters of 48MnV are obtained using small sample tests and staircase or up and down method, which paves the way for predicting fatigue life of crankshaft made of 48MnV. The fatigue life of the crankshaft of a six-cylinder engine is calculated using different damage models such as S-N method, normal strain approach, Smoth-Watson-Topper （SWT）Bannantine approach, shear strain approach, and Fatemi-Socie method based on dynamic simulation and finite element analysis （FEA） of crankshaft. The results indicate that the traditional calculation is conservative and the residual fatigue life of crankshaft is sufficient to maintain next life cycle if the crankshaft is remanufactured after its end of life.

Identification of Axial Vibration Excitation Source in Vehicle Engine Crankshafts Using an Auto-regressive and Moving Average Model

Violent axial vibration of a vehicle engine crankshaft might lead to multiple defects to the engine.Much research on mechanism and control measures has been done on engines,such as using the dynamic stiffness matrix method,rayleigh differential method,and system matrix method.But the source of axial vibration has not been identified clearly because there are many excitation factors for the axial vibration of a crankshaft,such as coupled torsional-axial vibration and coupled bending-axial vibration,etc.In order to improve the calculation reliability and identify the excitation source of axial vibration of in vehicle engine crankshafts,this paper presents a method to identify the axial vibration excitation source of crankshafts for high speed diesel engines based on an auto-regressive and moving average（ARMA） model.Through determining initial moving average variables and measuring axial /bending/torsional vibrations of a crankshaft at the free-end of a 4-cylinder diesel engine,autoregressive spectrum analysis is applied to the measured vibration signal.The results show that the axial vibration of the crankshaft is mainly excited by coupled bending vibration at high speed.But at low speed,the axial vibration in some frequencies is excited primarily by torsional excitation.Through investigation of axial vibration source of engine crankshafts,calculation accuracy of vibration can be improved significantly.

Non-linear Torsional Vibration Characteristics of an Internal Combustion Engine Crankshaft Assembly

Crankshaft assembly failure is one of the main factors that affects the reliability and service life of engines.The linear lumped mass method,which has been universally applied to the dynamic modeling of engine crankshaft assembly,reveals obvious simulation errors.The nonlinear dynamic characteristics of a crankshaft assembly are instructionally significant to the improvement of modeling correctness.In this paper,a general expression for the non-constant inertia of a crankshaft assembly is derived based on the instantaneous kinetic energy equivalence method.The nonlinear dynamic equations of a multi-cylinder crankshaft assembly are established using the Lagrange rule considering nonlinear factors such as the non-constant inertia of reciprocating components and the structural damping of shaft segments.The natural frequency and mode shapes of a crankshaft assembly are investigated employing the eigenvector method.The forced vibration response of a diesel engine crankshaft assembly taking into account the non-constant inertia is studied using the numerical integral method.The simulation results are compared with a lumped mass model and a detailed model using the system matrix method.Results of non-linear torsional vibration analysis indicate that the additional excitation torque created by non-constant inertia activates the 2nd order rolling vibration,and the additional damping torque resulting from the non-constant inertia is the main nonlinear factor.The increased torsional angular displacement evoked by the high order excitation torque relates to the non-constant inertia.This research project is aimed at improving nonlinear dynamics theory,and the confirmed nonlinear parameters can be used for the structure design of a crankshaft assembly.

Method for Analyzing Articulated Torques of Heavy-duty Six-legged Robot

The accuracy of an articulated torque analysis influences the comprehensive performances of heavy-duty multi-legged robots. Currently, the extremal estimation method and some complex methods are employed to calculate the articulated torques, which results in a large safety margin or a large number of calculations. To quickly obtain accurate articulated torques, an analysis method for the articulated torque is presented for an electrically driven heavy-duty six-legged robot. First, the rearmost leg that experiences the maximum normal contact force is confirmed when the robot transits a slope. Based on the ant-type and crab-type tripod gaits, the formulas of classical mechanics and MATLAB software are employed to theoretically analyze the relevant static torques of the joints. With the changes in the joint angles for the abductor joint, hip joint, and knee joint, variable tendency charts and extreme curves are obtained for the static articulated torques. Meanwhile, the maximum static articulated torques and the corresponding poses of the robot are also obtained. According to the poses of the robot under the maximum static articulated torques, ADAMS software is used to carry out a static simulation analysis. Based on the relevant simulation curves of the articulated torques, the maximum static articulated torques are acquired. A comparative analysis of the maximum static articulated torques shows that the theoretical calculation values are higher than the static simulation values, and the maximum error value is approximately 10%. The proposed method lays a foundation for quickly determining accurate articulated torques to develop heavy-duty six-legged robots.

Actualities and Development of Heavy-Duty CNC Machine Tool Thermal Error Monitoring Technology

Thermal error monitoring technology is the key technological support to solve the thermal error problem of heavy-duty CNC （computer numerical control） machine tools. Currently, there are many review literatures intro- ducing the thermal error research of CNC machine tools, but those mainly focus on the thermal issues in small and medium-sized CNC machine tools and seldom introduce thermal error monitoring technologies. This paper gives an overview of the research on the thermal error of CNC machine tools and emphasizes the study of thermal error of the heavy-duty CNC machine tool in three areas. These areas are the causes of thermal error of heavy-duty CNC machine tool and the issues with the temperature moni- toring technology and thermal deformation monitoring technology. A new optical measurement technology called the ＂fiber Bragg grating （FBG） distributed sensing tech- nology＂ for heavy-duty CNC machine tools is introduced in detail. This technology forms an intelligent sensing and monitoring system for heavy-duty CNC machine tools. This paper fills in the blank of this kind of review articlesto guide the development of this industry field and opens up new areas of research on the heavy-duty CNC machine tool thermal error.

Directional solidification casting technology of heavy-duty gas turbine blade with liquid metal cooling(LMC) process

In this work, some important factors such as ceramic shell strength, heat preservation temperature, standing time and withdrawal rate, which influence the formability of directionally solidified large-size blades of heavy-duty gas turbine with the liquid metal cooling(LMC) process, were studied through the method of microstructure analysis combining. The results show that the ceramic shell with medium strength(the high temperature flexural strength is 8 MPa, the flexural strength after thermal shock resistance is 12 MPa and the residual flexural strength is 20 MPa) can prevent the rupture and runout of the blade. The appropriate temperature(1,520 ℃ for upper region and 1,500 ℃ for lower region) of the heating furnace can eliminate the wide-angle grain boundary, the deviation of grain and the run-out caused by the shell crack. The holding time after pouring(3-5 min) can promote the growth of competitive grains and avoid a great deviation of columnar grains along the crystal orientation <001>, resulting in a straight and uniform grain structure. In addition, to avoid the formation of wrinkles and to ensure a smooth blade surface, the withdrawal rate should be no greater than the growth rate of grain. It is also found that the dendritic space of the blade decreases with the rise of solidification rate, and increases with the enlarging distance between the solidification position and the chill plate.

Loading System for Full-Scale Heavy-Duty Support Node Test with Multi-Directional Loading Requirements

This paper presents the design, analysis and experimental study of a loading system for heavy-duty nodes test based on a large-scale multi-directional in-plane loading device, which has been used in a full-scale heavy-duty support node test. Test loads of the support reached 6 567 kN with multi-directional loading requirements, which outrange the capacity of the available loading devices. Through the reinforcement of a large-scale multi-directional inplane loading device, the innovative design of a self-balanced load transferring device, and other arrangement considerations of the loading system, the test was implemented and the loading capacity of the ring was considerably enlarged. Due to the heavy loading requirements, some checking computations of the ring and the load transferring device outranged the limit of the Chinese national code "Code for Design of Steel Structures (GB 50017—2003)", thus elastic-plastic finite element (FE) analysis was carried out on the two devices, and also the real-time monitoring on the whole loading systems during experiments to ensure test safety. FE analysis and test results show that the loading system worked elastically during experiments.

Multi-body dynamic simulation research on the influence of piston engine crankshaft thrust bearings abrasion

Fault diagnosis studying on piston engine,crankshaft and gearbox is focused in this paper. The thrust bearing abrasion caused by axial movement of the crankshaft will affect the force of timing gears and oil pump gears,which will result in the fracture of gears,abnormal ignition,connecting rod cracking and collision of cylinder. Simulation based on CREO software is done to build three-dimensional models of crankshaft and gears of a WP10 diesel engine. The models are imported into ADAMS to complete multi-body dynamics simulations. The force analysis of gears in different kinds of axial movements is finished and variations rules of gear dynamic load is obtained. The presented results show that the crankshaft axial movement can cause overload and vibration on gears. Combined with the realistic case data,the fault feature through simulation research is validated and early warming parameters of gear fault are proposed.

Matrix test measurements of ground-borne vibration induced by the heavy-duty trains on embankment and cutting tracks in a loess area

This paper presents a comparative analysis of ground vibration in three directions generated by a heavy-duty railway with various track sections.The vibration characteristics in the plane area were investigated by using matrix test measurements.Acceleration peak attenuation was faster within 25 m from the embankment,and the high-frequency vibration attenuates faster with increased distance.For the cutting section with multi-stage soil slope,decay rate of acceleration was relatively larger.The acceleration level of the plane region ranged to 82.2-89.1 dB by the single C80 train.Yet the acceleration level caused by the C80 trains running parallel after meeting showed a distinct increment.The increment of the cutting section was much larger compared with the embankment section,with the increment ranging from 1.2-2.5 dB.In terms of the cutting section,Y direction acceleration was dominant closer to the track.Within 10-30 m of the track,the Y direction acceleration(perpendicular to the rail)decreased rapidly and became comparable to the X direction(parallel to the rail)and Z direction.Additionally,the cutting case generated a higher level of vibration in all three directions compared to the embankment,but as the distance from track increased,the deviation between acceleration gradually decreased.

Static Force Analysis of Foot of Electrically Driven Heavy-Duty Six-Legged Robot under Tripod Gait

The electrically driven six-legged robot with high carrying capacity is an indispensable equipment for planetary exploration, but it hinders its practicability because of its low efficiency of carrying energy. Meanwhile, its load capacity also affects its application range. To reduce the power consumption, increase the load to mass ratio, and improve the stability of robot, the relationship between the walking modes and the forces of feet under the tripod gait are researched for an electrically driven heavy-duty six-legged robot. Based on the configuration characteristics of electrically driven heavy-duty six-legged, the typical walking modes of robot are analyzed. The mathematical models of the normal forces of feet are respectively established under the tripod gait of typical walking modes. According to the MATLAB software, the variable tendency charts are respectively gained for the normal forces of feet. The walking experiments under the typical tripod gaits are implemented for the prototype of electrically driven heavy-duty six-legged robot. The variable tendencies of maximum normal forces of feet are acquired. The comparison results show that the theoretical and experimental data are in the same trend. The walking modes which are most available to realize the average force of distribution of each foot are confirmed. The proposed method of analyzing the relationship between the walking modes and the forces of feet can quickly determine the optimal walking mode and gait parameters under the average distribution of foot force, which is propitious to develop the excellent heavy-duty multi-legged robots with the lower power consumption, larger load to mass ratio, and higher stability.

Shear performance analysis of a heavy-duty universal hinged cast steel support

This paper presents the shear performance analysis of a heavy-duty universal hinged cast steel support with the largest bearing capacity. The effect of 9 parameters ( 52 specimens) ,i. e. height of the upper support,depth of the ring of the upper support,depth of the top plate of the bottom support,height of the ribs of the bottom support,depth of the ribs of the bottom support,bolt hole diameter,number of the ribs of the bowl,depth of the ribs of the bowl,and yield strength of the material,were analyzed with a 3-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element model in which the nonlinearities of geometry,material and contact were all considered. Analysis shows that height of the upper support,depth of the ring of the upper support and yield strength of the material have a great effect on the mechanical performance of the support. Height of the upper support has the largest effect on performance price ratio of the support,and the maximum effect can be up to 160% . Depth of the top plate of the bottom support,height of the ribs of the bottom support and depth of the ribs of the bottom support have a medium effect on performance price ratio of the support,and the effect is within the limit of 15% 19% .

Experimental and Numerical Study of Impact of Air Filter Holes Masking on Altitude at Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine

At high altitudes, power of an internal combustion engine reduces due to air density reduction. In turbocharged diesel engine this issue affects the performance of the compressor and can result in unstable operation of the turbocharger if the power is not decreased by engine actuator. Mainly for testing the effects of altitude in the test room, air throttle valve and combustion air handling unit were used to reduce the suction air pressure. Easier and cheaper solution to consider effect of altitude on engine performance is to mask part of the air filter to reduce the suction pressure. In this paper, pressure drop against 0%, 26%, 52%, 66% and 74% of air filter hole’s masking for different mass flow rates has been studied by computational fluid dynamics. The analysis output mass flow rate-pressure diagram for the air filter, will be used as input data in the GT-Power software which is a one-dimensional computational fluid dynamics software and the effect of masking on altitude and performance at different revolutions per minute of the engine is investigated. Also, an experimental and computational fluid dynamics study was carried out to predict altitude against different proportions of air filter hole’s masking at 1000 rpm. The predicted results are validated by comparing with those of experimental data. A good agreement between the predicted and experimental values ensures the accuracy of the numerical predictions with the present work.

Residual fatigue strength of 48MnV crankshaft based on safety factor

Residual fatigue strength of 48MnV crankshaft was studied and analyzed based on safety factor. Three different status crankshafts were used to the hop-up tests, which maintain new after 500h hop-up tests and after 1000h hop-up tests. Then, crankshafts were cut into unit cranks. The unit cranks were used to do endurance bending tests to get the residual fatigue strength. Finally, the results were analyzed based on safety factor. The results show that safety factor of crankshaft descends a little with the increase of the running time, and the residual safety factor is still much bigger than the endurable safety factor. Furthermore, after the crankshaft accomplishes a full life cycle, the residual fatigue strength of the crankshaft is enough to remanufacture and fulfill the next life cycle.

The Applications of Measurement System for Crankshaft

This paper will introduce two types of multi-parameter co-measuring system and their application in the produc- tion.The first is crankshaft bent deformation measuring machine system.The second is the crankshaft pneumatic-electric measur- ing system.They have been used in final inspection procedure of automation line for crankshaft of automobie engine with good re- sults,the structure principle and soft clash technological process of the measurement system are presented.

Fatigue life prediction of crankshaft repaired by twin arc spraying

This paper used Baumel Jr. and Seeger’s approach estimating fatigue parameters of 48MnV with 3Cr13 coatings. The fatigue life of the crankshaft of a six-cylinder engine, repaired by twin arc spraying 3cr13 deposits, is respectively calculated using different damage model such as S-N method, normal strain approaches, SWT-Bannantine approaches, shear strain approaches, and fatemi-Socie method based on dynamical simulation and FE analysis of crankshaft. The results indicate that the traditional calculation is conservative and that the life of crankshaft repaired by arc spraying is sufficient.

A Simplified Model for Vibration Analysis of Diesel Engine Crankshaft System

A spatial finite element model for vibration analysis of crankshaft system was proposed. The crankshaft body was simplified as spatial rigid frame by using beam elements based on Timoshenko beam theory. The main bearings in system were simplified as linear springs and dashpots. The natural frequencies of the crankshaft system of a four in-line cylinder engine were calculated and compared with the analytical and experimental values available in other publications. In order to simulate the motion of operating crankshaft system, the gas forces, rotating masses and reciprocating masses were considered, the crankshaft and main bearings were coupled in a rotating coordinate system, and a dynamic model for vibration analysis of crankshaft system was established. By applying the dynamic model, the influence of the mass and moment of inertia of front pulley on the behavior of crankshaft vibration was investigated.

Production of 48MnV-C non-heat treatment crankshaft steel by means of converter plus continuous casting and hot-rolling process

48MnV-C non-heat treatment crankshaft steel is specially used for making crankshafts of Cummings C engines.It mainly adopts the technology of V—N micro-alloying,at present,it has been successfully used in making crankshaft of heavy duty truck engines.BX STEEL made trial production by means of converter→secondary metallurgy(RH + LF)→rectangular slab caster→hot rolling process,and studied the T[O],T[N],[H]and non-metal inclusion in 48MnV - C steel under continuous casting process condition,the actual grain size and the slab quality.All the chemical compositions and test results met the needs of Cummings Crankshaft Steel Standard.In order to ensure the mechanical properties of the non-heat treatment steel,a certain amount of nitrogen is added to it,also a small amount of sulfur is added to improve the cutting property of the steel.This process route can make full use of the de-hydrogen function of RH,and during RH treatment,rough adjustment of alloy elements may be made while the adjustment of Nitride Manganese nitrogen pick up and adjusting Mn,as well as Ca treatment and S content adjustment may be done during LF treatment so as to ensure the requirement of high nitrogen,low hydrogen,low oxygen content in 48MnV-C steel.Magnetic marks are defects shown in magnetic powder testing after the steel was used to make finished crankshafts.The 48MnV - C non-heat treatment crankshaft steel produced by means of the above-mentioned process route has not only relatively high robust performance which meets the needs of truck crankshaft safety,but also high qualification rate and basically no "magnetic marks" are found after being made into finished crankshafts,which meets the crankshaft standard.Therefore,this steel has been widely used in domestic crankshaft industry.