Parameter Sensitivity Analysis and Probabilistic Optimal Design for the Main-Shaft Device of a Mine Hoist

Abstract

As a key component of a mine hoist system, the main-shaft device bears most of the bending moment and torque. Thus, it is important to quantify the performance of the main-shaft device and ensure the reliability of the device. The paper aims to investigate the impact of uncertain structural parameters on the reliability of the main-shaft device. The probabilistic optimal design is performed based on the parameter sensitivity results. First, the design of experiments is adopted to realize the stochastic response analysis of the main-shaft device. Second, the moment-based saddlepoint approximation method is used to evaluate the strength reliability of the device considering uncertain parameters. Next, the reliability-based sensitivity is derived to investigate the parametric significance of random input variables. Finally, the probabilistic optimal design involving the reliability sensitivity is conducted. The results of the sensitivity indicate that the torque and the contact length of left bearing have relatively greater impact on the structural reliability than other variables of the main-shaft device.