Dynamics of universal joints, its failures and some propositions for practically improving its performance and life expectancy

A universal joint also known as universal coupling, U joint, Cardan joint, Hardy-Spicer joint, or Hooke??s joint is a joint or coupling in a rigid rod that allows the rod to ??bend?? in any direction, and is commonly used in shafts that transmit rotary motion. It consists of a pair of hinges located close together, oriented at 90° to each other, connected by a cross shaft. The Cardan joint suffers from one major problem: even when the input drive shaft rotates at a constant speed, the output drive shaft rotates at a variable speed, thus causing vibration and wear. The variation in the speed of the driven shaft depends on the configuration of the joint. Such configuration can be specified by three variables. The universal (Cardan) joints are associated with power transmission systems. They are commonly used when there needs to be angular deviations in the rotating shafts. It is the purpose of this research to study the dynamics of the universal joints and to propose some practical methods for improving their performance. The task is performed by initially deriving the motion equations associated to the universal joints. That is followed by elaborating on the oscillatory behavior in the rotational speed and the torque that transmits through the intermediary shaft. The forces in the joint bearings are calculated by using an analytical method that is also supported by the numerical modeling. Such models are also used in order to calculate the rhythm and the amount of the excess loads on the joint. This is suggested as a systematic procedure in the search for the causes of the failures in these popular bearings. With the same purpose in mind some defected bearings with deformed sections were selected for the laboratory examinations. By analyzing the loading behavior and the surface conditions of the defected bearings and by comparison with the known fatigue theories attempts are made in order to dig into the causes for the failures in these joints and their bearing surfaces. With the aim of improving the performance and the life expectancy of these popular elements of the machineries, some practical recommendations are also suggested.     

Cross section recondensation method via generalized energy condensation theory

The standard multigroup method used in whole-core reactor analysis relies on energy condensed (coarse-group) cross sections generated from single lattice cell calculations, typically with specular reflective boundary conditions. Because these boundary conditions are an approximation and not representative of the core environment for that lattice, an error is introduced in the core solution (both eigenvalue and flux). As current and next generation reactors trend toward increasing assembly and core heterogeneity, this error becomes more significant. The method presented here corrects for this error by generating updated coarse-group cross sections on-the-fly within whole-core reactor calculations without resorting to additional cell calculations. In this paper, the fine-group core flux is unfolded by making use of the recently published Generalized Condensation Theory and the cross sections are recondensed at the whole-core level. By iteratively performing this recondensation, an improved core solution is found in which the core-environment has been fully taken into account. This recondensation method is both easy to implement and computationally very efficient because it requires precomputation and storage of only the energy integrals and fine-group cross sections. In this work, the theoretical basis and development of cross section recondensation is presented, and the method is verified with several sample problems.     

A Study on the Formation of Intermetallics During the Heat Treatment of Explosively Welded Al-Ti Multilayers

Metallic–intermetallic laminate composites are promising materials for many applications, namely, in the aerospace industry. Ti/TiAl₃ laminates are one of the interesting laminate composites, which are mostly used in aerospace applications. In this work, commercially pure aluminum and titanium sheets were explosively joined. The multilayer samples were annealed between 1 and 260 hours at 903 K (630 °C) in ambient atmosphere, and the formation and growth of the intermetallic compound at the Ti/Al interface were monitored. Microstructural investigations were carried out using optical and scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy-dispersive spectroscopy and the X-ray diffraction technique. The microhardness profile of the layers was also determined. The thickness and type of Al-Ti intermetallics were determined. It was found that the only intermetallic phase observed in the interfaces was TiAl₃. It was also shown that two mechanisms for TiAl₃ growth exist: reaction and diffusion controlled. The growth exponent was equal to 0.94 for the reaction-controlled mechanism (first step) and 0.31 for the diffusion-controlled mechanism (second step). These values were in good agreement with theoretical values (1 and 0.5 for the first and second steps, respectively). Based on the results of this research, a kinetic model for the formation and growth of TiAl₃ intermetallic phase was proposed.     

Stochastic hybrid numerical method for transient analysis of stress field in functionally graded thick hollow cylinders subjected to shock loading

This investigation aims to study the random stresses in a functionally graded (FG) thick hollow cylinder with uncertain material properties subjected to mechanical shock loading using a hybrid numerical method. The mechanical properties are considered to vary across thickness of FG cylinder as a nonlinear power function of radius. The stresses are obtained by solving Navier equation and using Galerkin finite element and Newmark finite difference methods. The Monte Carlo simulation is used to generate the random mechanical properties for the problem. The failure probabilities and time history analysis of stresses are determined for various coefficient of variation considering various grading patterns of mechanical properties. The presented hybrid numerical method is effective, with high capability for stochastic analysis of dynamic and transient analysis of FG structures with various boundary conditions.     

Thermal vibration analysis of embedded graphene oxide powder-reinforced nanocomposite plates

In this research, thermal vibration analysis of a graphene oxide powder-reinforced (GOPR) nanocomposite embedded plate is carried out once the plate is exposed to different types of thermal...     

Application of Chebyshev–Ritz method for static stability and vibration analysis of nonlocal microstructure-dependent nanostructures

Engineering with Computers - This research develops a nonlocal couple stress theory to investigate static stability and free vibration characteristics of functionally graded (FG) nanobeams. The...     

Integration of VR with BIM to facilitate real-time creation of bill of quantities during the design phase: A proof of concept study

As building practices change, procedures that seemed indispensable at one point can be abandoned for others, one example of which is the bill of quantities (B/Q). Research into the extant literature attributes the declining use of B/Qs to a multitude of reasons, such as its complexity, the potentially long time required to produce it, the growth in popularity of non-traditional procurement systems, and the challenge of using the information within the document in a construction schedule. With these issues in mind, building information modeling (BIM) and virtual reality (VR) are combined and proposed as a potential solution that allows inclusion of the client into the design process. Following a literature review and precedent study, an experiment was carried out using this new process to simulate a client’s design decisions on window and interior furnishings. The choices made by the client using VR automatically updated a B/Q schedule built in Revit and allowed them to have a firm understanding of project costs. Besides giving the client more confidence in a pleasing final outcome, the technology also ensured an up-to-date, accurate, and easily understandable B/Q. The proposed method features great potential savings in cost and time and gives the B/Q a newfound importance in future construction processes. The research case presented in this paper is a stepping stone in exploring new opportunities offered by VR and BIM and how they could improve the reliability and accuracy of traditional procurement within construction, specifically within the B/Q document.