Thermo-mechanical strong coupling analysis on braking device of pipe belt conveyor

Abstract

In this study, the formula to calculate the impact factor of coupling (ξ) was proposed, considering the thermo-mechanical coupling problem of friction pairs for braking device during braking. First, a correlation between independent physical field parameters was provided by analyzing the interaction parameters of stress and temperature field. Next, the thermal analysis and thermo-mechanical strong coupling analysis were completed for friction pairs using heat transfer module and structural mechanics module of COMSOL multiphysics software on the basis of the actual operating situation of a pipe belt conveyor. The distribution and variation characteristics of the temperature and stress fields were studied with comparative analysis for braking friction pairs during braking. The mathematical expression on the impact factor of coupling (ξ) depending on braking time (t) was established. Finally, the model with thermo-mechanical strong coupling analysis was verified and compared with the thermal analysis model in terms of the measured surface temperature during braking. Simulation results revealed that the impact factor of coupling (ξ) decreased with braking time (t). However, the change rate of function initially decreased and then increased with time. An inflection point existed at t = 1.5396 s in the function ξ of t. In comparison with the small fluctuation of the simulations with thermal analysis model, the simulations with thermo-mechanical strong coupling analysis model were in good agreement with the trend of experimental results, and all the maximum relative errors were less than 4 %. Thus, the simulation with thermo-mechanical strong coupling analysis was more reliable than thermal analysis. This work could provide valuable insights in solving complex multiphysics coupling analysis.