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S-cam brake is a drum-type foundation brake used in heavy commercial vehicles. It is a safety-critical device; hence, thorough validation of its performance by lab test rigs and field tests is essential. During prototype testing, an unusual impact was observed during dynamic braking at high pressure application, specifically when the brake drum is rotating, after a period of operation of about 10,000 cycles. This phenomenon was then observed even at static braking when the brake drum was at rest. From initial inspection, it is due to the cam roller, which rides on the web-slot provided at the shoe assembly, while the S-cam is rotating and falls back instantly. This phenomenon occurs repeatedly and creates an audible noise, which needs to be eliminated. The study aims to correlate the phenomenon using finite element analysis (FEA) as in a prototype test and to identify the root cause and optimize the design variables. Since the friction coefficient at the cam roller–web interface is unknown after a period of operation, different values of friction coefficient, ranging from 0.1 to 0.8, are iterated and simulated by rotating the S-cam until the braking effort is reached. The dynamic implicit analysis procedure in Abaqus standard is used to simulate this condition. Based on the results, design variables were improved to mitigate the issue. A quick solution, achieved by modifying a minor feature, successfully prevented the fallback behavior and was validated through physical testing. Furthermore, a permanent solution was developed to eliminate both the “ride-on” and “fallback” phenomena by optimizing component dimensions. This FEA methodology helps to validate the design in an initial concept phase itself for future variants. Using this method, even the structural and fatigue performance of braking parts can be validated at a system-level simulation with better accuracy.
Dinesh Kumar, J.Riyaz Mohamed, D.Vasanth Bharath, S.Rajkumar, S.Murugan, S.
Nickel-based superalloys are becoming common in the automotive exhaust and turbocharger systems, wherein components are subjected to extreme thermal, mechanical, and oxidative conditions. Nimonic C263 exhibits high-temperature strength and creep resistance. But its surface is susceptible to degradation under service conditions. Electroless composite deposition is a surface engineering technique in which metal ions are chemically reduced and deposited onto the substrate without external electrical energy, enabling uniform and adherent coatings. In this study, electroless nickel-phosphorous (Ni–P)/multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT) composite coating has been deposited on Nimonic C263 substrates. Two carbon nanotube (CNT) concentrations (0.20 g and 0.36 g) were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze surface morphology and CNT dispersion, while micro-Vickers hardness testing was conducted in accordance with ASTM E384 using a diamond pyramid indenter at a load of 100 g and a dwell time of 15 s. The Ni–P/0.20 g MWCNT coating exhibited superior hardness due to uniform CNT dispersion and improved microstructural characteristics. Higher CNT concentration results in agglomeration and reduced coating efficiency. The experimental findings would be a quality dataset to optimize composite coating in future with the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning. The paper emphasizes the uniqueness of coating Nimonic C263 superalloy with Ni–P/MWCNT composite coatings, which is not as extensively studied as traditional materials. The best CNT concentration of 0.20 g is found in order to experience the best microstructural uniformity and hardness. The findings provide a definite structure–property relationship between the dispersion of CNT and mechanical performance, which makes the coating to be practical in high-temperature automotive applications.
Vinoth, N.Anush Raj, B.Lokeshkumar, J.Vishnu, N.
This specification covers a corrosion- and heat-resistant nickel alloy in the form of welding wire.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a nitriding grade of premium aircraft-quality, low-alloy steel in the form of bars, forgings, mechanical tubing, and forging stock. AMS6496 and AMS6498 cover UNS K23280 with other quality levels.
AMS E Carbon and Low Alloy Steels Committee
This specification covers a manganese bronze alloy in the form of sand and centrifugal castings (see 8.5).
AMS D Nonferrous Alloys Committee
This specification covers a corrosion- and heat-resistant steel in the form of welding wire.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a gold-palladium-nickel alloy in the form of wire, rod, sheet, strip, foil, pig, powder, shot, chips, preforms, and a viscous mixture (paste) of the powder in a suitable binder.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers an iron-nickel alloy in the form of strip 0.020 to 0.250 inch (0.51 to 6.35 mm), inclusive, in nominal thickness.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a corrosion- and heat-resistant nickel alloy in the form of welding wire.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a corrosion- and heat-resistant nickel alloy in the form of welding wire.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a corrosion- and heat-resistant steel in the form of welding wire.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This specification covers a corrosion-resistant steel in the form of bars, wire, forgings, extrusions, flash-welded rings, and stock for forging, extruding, or flash-welded rings.
AMS F Corrosion and Heat Resistant Alloys Committee
This SAE Aerospace Recommended Practice (ARP) establishes methods for testing airframe plain bearings. The purpose of ARP5448 and its associated slash sheets is to document test methods commonly used to evaluate airframe bearings. These test methods may be referenced in specifications, part standards, purchase orders, etc., when the test is deemed appropriate to the intended use of the bearing by the end user of the bearing. These test methods are not intended to encompass every conceivable requirement for an airframe bearing. The end user of the bearing must exercise engineering judgment to determine the most appropriate standard and/or nonstandard tests for the application.
ACBG Plain Bearing Committee
The malfunction of the aircraft windshield electric heating system, particularly arc discharge, poses a serious threat to flight safety by causing glass breakage. A systematic study was conducted on the causes and effects of arc faults on windshield structural integrity, employing macroscopic observation, microscopic analysis, and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) following a windshield fracture incident. The results indicate that arc discharge typically occurs at the interface between the heating film busbar and adjacent structures. Localized high temperatures cause the outer glass to fracture, generating radial cracks. The ablation of the busbar silver coating and the carbonization of the PVB interlayer are direct evidence of arc action, whereas the heating wire remains a passive component affected by the high-temperature environment. The fault is primarily attributed to local disbonding at the busbar interface and moisture ingress. Based on the findings, recommendations are proposed for process optimization and inspection method improvement, providing a basis for the safe design and maintenance of windshield structures.
Chen, LiFeng, YanpengDing, Keqin
In order to improve the self-sufficiency rate of key mineral resources in China, it is necessary to develop and research deep-sea mining vehicles to improve the mining capacity of seabed mineral resources. The deep-sea mining vehicle is a heavy-duty underwater robot, and its main frame structure, as a critical component, must be designed to be lightweight to improve payload capacity and mining efficiency. This paper first conducted static analysis for the initial main frame structure. Finite element analysis results indicate that the initial structure fails to meet the strength requirements for lifting and recovery operations. The power index penalty factor was introduced into the topology optimization, which was based on the variable density method. The topology optimization objective was set to minimize structural compliance, with the maximum element stress and volume fraction used as constraints. The optimization process finally obtained the optimal material distribution. According to the results of topology optimization and space requirements of the installed equipment on the deep-sea mining vehicle, the new frame structure of the mining vehicle was re-established in the secondary modelling. According to the results of the analysis, the weight of the frame structure was reduced by 2.9%, and at the same time, the maximum stress was reduced by 57.2%, the maximum displacement was reduced by 47.2%, and the first-order natural frequency was increased by 54%. The strength and stiffness of the frame structure were greatly improved.
Tao, YichunYang, Mingyu
Air springs are increasingly replacing traditional shock absorbers in vehicle suspension systems due to their superior mechanical properties, including adjustable stiffness, nonlinear characteristics, and excellent damping performance. To further explore the potential of air suspension in improving ride comfort, this paper focuses on air suspension. We first conducted mechanical characteristic experiments on air springs to obtain their stiffness and damping characteristics under different inflation pressures and excitation frequencies. These tests provide essential mechanical parameters for subsequent modeling and simulation. Based on the experimental data, a simplified 1/4 air suspension simulation model is constructed, taking into account the nonlinear stiffness and damping properties of the air springs. To simulate real-world driving conditions, a random road surface model is introduced as the excitation input. Simulation analysis is conducted to compare the air suspension system with the traditional passive suspension system. The results indicate that, compared to the passive suspension system, the air suspension system integrated with Model Predictive Control(MPC) significantly reduces key performance indicators, including suspension deflection, wheel dynamic load, and sprung mass vertical acceleration. This indicates that the suspension with model predictive control can effectively suppress vehicle vibrations, thereby enhancing ride comfort and driving stability. The results of this study provide an important basis for the optimal design of air suspension systems and have practical application value for improving the suspension performance of the vehicle.
Yin, Zhi
This paper examines the temperature distribution during pipe cutting and the impact of the heat-affected zone on the mechanical microstructure and properties of steel pipes. Utilizing testing equipment such as K-type thermocouples, a MESTL-WELD thermocouple spot welding machine, and a DC5516H 16-channel temperature data logger, temperature tests were conducted on Φ 1016 × 17.5 mm X70M spiral seam submerged arc welded steel pipes and Φ 1016 × 21 mm X70M straight-seam submerged arc welded steel pipes. The results indicate that the maximum test temperatures during cutting were 953.8 °C and 1216.6 °C, respectively, with the duration of temperatures exceeding 400 °C at each test point not exceeding 30 seconds. By fitting the relationship curve between the peak temperatures of each test point and the cutting distance using the ExpDec3 model, it was found that the cutting distance corresponding to a temperature of 580 °C was 12 mm. Furthermore, mechanical microstructure and property tests were performed on the pipe body at different positions of the HAZ. Except for an anomaly in the yield strength of the rod-shaped tensile specimens of the Φ 1016 × 21 mm X70M welded pipe body, no other abnormalities were detected. Macroscopic metallographic examination revealed that the axial length of the HAZ at the end of the cut pipe did not exceed 7 mm. Microhardness testing showed significant fluctuations in the microhardness of the pipe body at the end of the cut pipe, while the microhardness of the pipe body beyond 10 mm from the end gradually returned to normal.
Xu, YanBai, QiangFeng, ZhenjunChang, YonggangLi, LiangPeng, Shibi
The rotary storage mechanism is a critical component responsible for transferring cylindrical units. To accurately simulate the nonlinear dynamics characteristics of the rotary storage mechanism, a dynamics model incorporating uncertain parameters is established based on the Lagrange method. Utilizing an optimization approach, uncertain parameters of the rotary storage mechanism are identified based on test data. The Stellar Oscillation Optimization (SOO) algorithm is employed, which balances exploration and exploitation by simulating the periodic expansion and contraction of stars to achieve optimal solutions. The results show that the output of the identified dynamics model under two operating conditions closely matches the test data, validating the accuracy of the model and the effectiveness of the identification process. This provides strong support for subsequent reliability analysis and fault diagnosis studies of the rotary storage mechanism.
Li, AngChen, GuangsongHuang, PengLi, Hanning
The propeller-driven Bernoulli adsorption device (PBD) has both propulsion and adsorption functions, being suitable for dual-mode underwater robots. Currently, there have been studies on the adsorption performance of PBD on the flat surface. However, the surface morphology of underwater engineering structures is different, and PBD’s adsorption performance on irregular walls still remains unknown. In this letter, based on the potential application scenarios of underwater dual-mode robots, we established four types of irregular wall models to investigate PBD’s adsorption performance on irregular walls. Through CFD simulations and experiments, the adsorption state was analyzed, and the adsorption performance was quantitatively studied.
Liu, SiyueHua, ZhongYang, Canjun
To further enhance the performance of the drive unit motor, a novel three-segment non-uniform Halbach array magnetic pole structure is proposed, which is applied to an external rotor permanent magnet motor with magnetic pole optimization. First, the overall motor design is carried out according to the requirements, determining the fundamental parameters of the motor. Then, four common magnetic pole structures—conventional arc-shaped, three-segment, Halbach array, and three-segment non-uniform Halbach array—are analyzed. A finite element analysis model of the motor is established for electromagnetic analysis, comparing the air-gap flux density, torque, and torque ripple of the four magnetic pole structures. Finally, optimized parameters for the stator and rotor tooth shapes are determined, and an optimization model is established. The NSGA-II algorithm is employed to optimize the stator and rotor tooth shapes. After optimization, the motor maintains its torque output while reducing torque ripple by 50%, effectively improving its performance.
Zhao, ChangleYang, Liu
This paper investigated the small deformation control of a large vertical vacuum vessel, a critical component in aerospace testing with stringent deformation limits under specific test conditions. Building on engineering experience and economic considerations, we designed oversized and multi-array external reinforcement rings tailored to the vessel’s spatial geometry to enhance its stiffness and stability. A novel integrated structural design was proposed, which mechanically couples the vacuum vessel with the concrete foundation via embedded components, specifically, by configuring optimized embedded parts at the vessel’s base and external reinforcement ring bottom, and then welding and binding these parts to the foundation’s embedded elements. This design significantly boosted the vertical vessel’s overall structural strength, rigidity, and stability. Ansys Workbench was used to simulate and analyze the vacuum vessel under different experimental conditions, and finite element simulations of the vessel under diverse experimental conditions validated that the integrated design achieves low stress and minimal deformation, compliant with test requirements. Post-installation deformation measurements further confirmed good agreement between experimental data and simulation results, verifying the model’s accuracy. The proposed fixed support structure addresses the limitations of traditional support systems for small-deformation applications and offers a new design paradigm for vertical vessel supports in high-precision engineering scenarios.
Bo, YangShizeng, LvXiao, HaoJie, Gong
Based on the principle of the bimetallic effect of the electrothermal microdrive, polymer SU-eight glue is used as the functional material, nickel metal is used as the structural material, and copper metal is used as the sacrificial layer to make the electric heating microdrive. We process and manufacture them based on specific MEMS processes such as lithography, mask plating, and magnetron sputtering, and perform basic characterization, observation, and electrical signal analysis on the samples. The results show that the overall electrothermal micro-driver device is complete, the electrode and resistance wire structure is complete, and the I-V signal is normal.
Xue, YunhaoTan, XiaolanJiang, Xin
This paper studies the protective performance of polyurea-coated steel pipes and aramid fiber-wound steel pipes under the multi-physical field load of internal explosion by combining experiments with numerical simulation. The experimental results show that applying aramid fiber winding has a limited effect on improving the anti-explosion performance of steel pipes, while polyurea-coated steel pipes exhibit better anti-explosion performance under the coupled load of shock waves and fragments. Simulation analysis reveals the protective mechanism of composite structures in terms of energy absorption and stress distribution, providing a theoretical basis for the optimal design of blast-resistant vessels.
Tian, XiangpengWang, TaoBian, XiaobingHuang, Guangyan