Rayleigh-Ritz Analysis of Vibrating Plates Based on a Class of Eigenfunctions

In the Rayleigh-Ritz condensation method the solution of the equation of motion is approximated by a linear combination of shape-functions selected among appropriate sets. Extensive literature dealing with the choice of appropriate basis of shape functions exists, the selection depending on the particular boundary conditions of the structure considered. This paper is aimed at investigating the possibility of adopting a set of eigenfunctions evaluated from a simple stucture as a general basis for the analysis of arbitrary-shaped plates. The results are compared to those available in the literature and using standard finite element analysis.

Fluid Added Mass Effect in the Modal Response of a Pump-Turbine Impeller

In this paper, the reduction in the natural frequencies of a pump-turbine impeller prototype when submerged in water has been investigated. The impeller, with a diameter of 2.870m belongs to a pump-turbine unit with a power of around 100MW. To analyze the influence of the added mass, both experimental tests and numerical simulations have been carried out. The experiment has been performed in air and in water. From the frequency response functions the modal characteristics such as natural frequencies and mode shapes have been obtained. A numerical simulation using FEM (Finite Elements Model) was done using the same boundary conditions as in the experiment (impeller in air and surrounded by a mass of water). The modal behaviour has also been calculated. The numerical results were compared with the available experimental results. The comparison shows a good agreement in the natural frequency values both in air and in water. The reduction in frequency due to the added mass effect of surrounding fluid has been calculated. The physics of this phenomenon due to the fluid structure interaction has been investigated from the analysis of the mode-shapes.

Automatic Condition Monitoring and Early Fault Detection of Gearbox

Condition based maintenance (CBM) improves decision-making performances for a maintenance program through machinery condition monitoring. Therefore, it is a key step to trace machinery health condition for CBM. In this paper, a novel method is proposed to establish a health evaluation index named automatic evaluation index (AEI) and its corresponding dynamic threshold using Wavelet Packet Transform (WPT) and Hidden Markolv Model (HMM). In this process, WPT is used to decompose signal into detail signals and exhibits prominent gear fault features. In addition, HMM employed here is to recognize two concerned states of gear in the whole life validation, including normal gear state and early gear fault state. It is also important to build a dynamic threshold to differentiate the two states automatically. The proposed dynamic threshold not only renews by itself according to the history values of AEI but also easily and automatically detects occurrence of gear early fault. Finally, a set of whole life time data ending in gear failure is used to verify the proposed method effectively. Further, some related parameters included in this method are discussed and the obtained results show that condition monitoring performance of the proposed method is excellent in detection of gear failure.

The Effect of Thermo-Hydrodynamics on Manual Automotive Transmissions Gear Rattle

Manual transmission gear rattle is the result of repetitive impacts of gear meshing teeth within their backlash. This NVH phenomenon is a major industrial concern and can occur under various loaded or unloaded conditions. It fundamentally differs from other transient NVH phenomena, such as clonk or thud, which are due to impulsive actions. However, they all have their lowest common denominator in the action of contact/impact forces through lubricated contacts. Various forms of rattle have, therefore, been defined: idle rattle, drive rattle, creep rattle and over-run rattle. This paper presents a dynamic transmission model for creep rattle conditions (engaged gear at low engine RPM). The model takes into account the lubricated impact force between a gear teeth pair during a meshing cycle as well as the friction between their flanks. Hertzian contact conditions are applied to the gear pair along the torque path. Additionally, isoviscous hydrodynamic regime of lubrication is assumed for unselected (loose gear pairs) with lightly loaded impact conditions. The highly non-linear impacts induce a range of system response frequencies. These include engine order harmonics, harmonics of meshing frequency and natural frequencies related to contact stiffness. The last of these are dependent on the contact geometry and lubricant rheology. The analysis includes lubricant viscosity variation due to generated contact pressures as well as temperature. For loose gears, subject to oscillations on their retaining bearings, bearing friction is also considered.

Periodic Steady State Response and Fatigue Analysis of a Nonlinear City Bus Model

Dynamic response related to fatigue prediction of an urban bus is investigated. First, a quite complete model subjected to road excitation is employed in order to extract sufficiently reliable and accurate information in a fast way. The bus model is set up by applying the finite element method, resulting to an excessive number of degrees of freedom. In addition, the bus suspension units involve nonlinear characterstics. A step towards alleviating this difficulty is the application of an appropriate coordinate transformation, causing a drastic reduction in the dimension of the final set of the equations of motion. This allows the application of a systematic numerical methodology leading to direct determination of periodic steady state response of nonlinear models subjected to periodic excitation. Next, typical results were obtained for excitation resulting from selected urban road profiles. These profiles have either a known form or known statistical properties, expressed by an appropriate spatial power spectral density function. In all cases examined, the emphasis was put on investigating ride response. The main attention was focused on identifying areas of the bus suspension and frame subsystems where high stress levels are developed. This information is based on the idea of a nonlinear transfer function and provides the basis for applying suitable criteria in order to perform analyses leading to prediction of fatigue failure.

Wave Propagation in Two-Dimensional Nonlinear Periodic Lattices

This paper investigates wave propagation in two-dimensional nonlinear periodic structures subject to point harmonic forcing. The infinite lattice is modeled as a springmass system consisting of linear and cubic-nonlinear stiffness. The effects of nonlinearity on harmonic wave propagation are analytically predicted using a novel perturbation approach. Response is characterized by group velocity contours (derived from phase-constant contours) functionally dependent on excitation amplitude and the nonlinear stiffness coefficients. Within the pass band there is a frequency band termed the “caustic band” where the response is characterized by the appearance of low amplitude regions or “dead zones.” For a two-dimensional lattice having asymmetric nonlinearity, it is shown that these caustic bands are dependent on the excitation amplitude, unlike in corresponding linear models. The analytical predictions obtained are verified via comparisons to responses generated using a time-domain simulation of a finite two-dimensional nonlinear lattice. Lastly, the study demonstrates amplitude-dependent wave beaming in two-dimensional nonlinear periodic structures.

New Insight Into Energy Harvesting via Axially-Loaded Beams

Driven by the study of Leland and Wright [1], this manuscript delves into the qualitative understanding of energy harvesting using axially-loaded beams. Using a simple nonlinear electromechanical model and the method of multiple scales, we study the general nonlinear physics of energy harvesting from a piezoelectric beam subjected to static axial loading and traversal dynamic excitation. We obtain analytical expressions for the steady-state response amplitude, the voltage drop across a resistive load, and the output power. We utilize these expression to study the effect of the axial loading on the overall nonlinear behavior of the harvester. It is demonstrated that, in addition to the ability of tuning the harvester to the excitation frequency via axial load variations, the axial load aids in i) increasing the electric damping in the system thereby enhancing the energy transfer from the beam to the electric load, ii) amplifying the effect of the external excitation on the structure, and hence, increases the steady-state response amplitude and output voltage, and iii) increasing the bandwidth of the harvester by enhancing the effective nonlinearity of the system.

Vibration Signature Analysis of a Rotor Bearing System Using Response Surface Method

The vibration response of a rotor bearing system is extremely important in industries and is challenged by their highly non-linear and complex properties. This paper focuses on performance prediction using response surface method (RSM), which is essential to the design of high performance rotor bearing system. Response surface method is utilized to analysis the effects of design and operating parameters on the vibration response of a rotor-bearing system. A test rig of high speed rotor supported on rolling bearings is used. Vibration response of the healthy ball bearing and ball bearings with various faults are obtained and analyzed. Distributed defects are considered as surface waviness of the bearing components. Effects of internal radial clearance and surface waviness of the bearing components and their interaction are analyzed using design of experiment (DOE) and RSM.

Transfer Function Modeling of Distributed Piezoelectric Vibration Energy Harvesters

Extensive research has been conducted on vibration energy harvesting utilizing a distributed piezoelectric beam structure. A fundamental issue in the design of these harvesters is the understanding of the response of the beam to arbitrary external excitations (boundary excitations in most models). The modal analysis method has been the primary tool for evaluating the system response. However, a change in the model boundary conditions requires a reevaluation of the eigenfunctions in the series and information of higher-order dynamics may be lost in the truncation. In this paper, a frequency domain modeling approach based in the system transfer functions is proposed. The transfer function of a distributed parameter system contains all of the information required to predict the system spectrum, the system response under any initial and external disturbances, and the stability of the system response. The methodology proposed in this paper is valid for both self-adjoint and non-self-adjoint systems, and is useful for numerical computer coding and energy harvester design investigations. Examples will be discussed to demonstrate the effectiveness of this approach for designs of vibration energy harvesters.

Dynamic Analysis of Ball Bearings Due to Clearance Effect

In this paper, the nonlinear dynamic behavior of ball bearings due to radial internal clearance and rotor speed has been analyzed. The approach presented in this paper accounts for the contact between rolling elements and inner/outer races. The equations of motion of a ball bearing are formulated in generalized coordinates, using Lagrange’s equation considering the vibration characteristics of the individual constitute such as inner race, outer race, rolling elements. The effects of speed of rotor in which rolling element bearings shows periodic, quasi-periodic and chaotic behavior are analyzed. The results also show the intermittent chaotic behavior in the dynamic response is seen to be strongly dependent on the speed of the rotor. The results are obtained in the form of frequency responses. The validity of the proposed model verified by comparison of frequency components of the system response with those obtained from experiments. The peak-to-peak frequency response of the system for each speed is obtained. The current study provides a powerful tool design and health monitoring of machine systems.