Evaluation of Mechanical Performance of a New Disc Spring-Cable Counter Pressure Shock Absorber

Abstract

Mechanical performance evaluation of a new disc spring-cable counter pressure shock absorber is focused on in this study. The proposed shock absorber is always in a compressive working state with energy dissipation capacity under both tension and compression loadings. The design formulas of its axial bearing capacity, vertical stiffness, deformation energy of the shock absorber were derived, and the corresponding specific design process was provided in detail. Experimental and numerical investigations of the mechanical performance were conducted under static and dynamic loadings. The parameters influencing the laws of the mechanical performance of the shock absorber, including loading frequency, pre-compression deformation and loading amplitude, were investigated. The rationality of the proposed shock absorber was firstly verified through comparative analysis using experimental, numerical and theoretical calculations. The shock absorber with a friction coefficient of 0.005 between disc springs, and a friction coefficient of 0.3 between the disc spring and cover plate has the smallest error between experiment and theory for the flattening force. The bearing capacity of the shock absorber exhibits a linear relationship with the loading displacement in static loading. In dynamic loading, however, the bearing capacity shows a trend of slow growth followed by rapid growth. The energy dissipation capacity of the shock absorber shows an increase with the increase of loading displacement. The minimum equivalent damping ratio of all of the dynamic test cases is 7%, with a maximum up to 15.3%. Under the same loading frequency, the equivalent stiffness and equivalent damping ratio have a linear amplification trend with the increase of pre-compression deformation, and the maximum increase of equivalent stiffness is equal to 41.37%. Under the same loading frequency and pre-compression deformation, the energy consumption capacity can be improved by increasing the loading amplitude.