Application of Computational-Experimental Methods for Designing Optimized Semitrailer Axle Supports

Valladares Hernando, David (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Carrera Alegre, Marco (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Castejón Herrer, Luis (Universidad de Zaragoza) ; Martín Lafuente, Carlos

Resumen: Computational and experimental methods were applied to the design and optimization of a semitrailer axle support subjected to fatigue loads. Numerical results based on the finite element method (FEM) were correlated with extensometric tests to assess the accuracy of the computational method. This paper is focused on the “minimum radius manoeuvre.” This situation represents the highly critical load case occurring in a semitrailer operation where the tractor vehicle pulls the semitrailer’s kingpin at approximately 90° with respect to its longitudinal axis, and high stress and strain phenomena take place in the axle supports’ structure. Loads and boundary conditions that correspond to this load case were first adjusted by means of experimental tests and could be later applied to each semitrailer axle support in the numerical model. In this analysis, the stress-strain elastic-plastic curves of the base material, the welding, and the HAZ have been incorporated to the numerical models. Fatigue ¿-¿ curves combined with the maximum Von Mises equivalent stresses obtained in the computational analysis provided a maximum number of cycles that the semitrailer axle support could reach in case of the minimum radius manoeuvre being applied to the vehicle in a repeated manner. The initial design could then be optimized to improve its fatigue life.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1155/2014/483028

Año: 2015

Publicado en: Advances in Mechanical Engineering 7, 2 (2015), 483028 [19 pp.]
ISSN: 1687-8132

Factor impacto JCR: 0.64 (2015)

Categ. JCR: THERMODYNAMICS rank: 48 / 57 = 0.842 (2015) - Q4 - T3
Categ. JCR: ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL rank: 104 / 131 = 0.794 (2015) - Q4 - T3

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.26 - Mechanical Engineering (Q3)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MINECO/TRA2012-38826-C02-02

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Ingen.e Infraestr.Transp. (Dpto. Ingeniería Mecánica)
Área (Departamento): Área Ingeniería Mecánica (Dpto. Ingeniería Mecánica)
Área (Departamento): Proy. investigacion HJA (Dpto. Ingeniería Mecánica)