Modelling elastomer couplings in impact subjected drive trains
Motivation
Elastomer couplings are used to selectively adjust resonance frequencies of drive trains to minimize resonances. In order to select the ideal coupling for an application, computer-aided prediction of the system’s resonances is required. In most cases this prediction is achieved with the aid of elastic multi-body simulation (EMBS). EMBS offers the possibility to determine critical dynamic operating points in time or frequency domain, which result from interactions between components of the drive train. However, elastomer couplings, unlike other commonly used components, exhibit highly nonlinear behaviour. They are subject to a large number of material effects, some of which influence the material behaviour nonlinearly via frequency- and amplitude-dependent properties independently of one another. Other effects also interact with one another in a multiply coupled manner. As a result, unlike for other (metallic) components typically used in mechanical engineering, no calculation models exist today that represents the structural-dynamic material behaviour of elastomer couplings accurately enough in the EMBS. Neglecting these effects in standardized modelling approaches results in prediction errors in stiffness and damping, which have repeatedly led to component failures in the past.
Research objectives
The objective of the FVA research project “685 III: Antriebsstöße" is to close the gap between the prediction accuracy of elastomer couplings and other (metallic) components. To this end, a validated calculation module for EMBS simulation is developed. The module enables the prediction of the transmission behaviour of elastomer couplings in interaction with other components subjected to highly dynamic processes like torque impacts. The project is divided into three steps:
- Development of a test rig to investigate the interaction coupling ↔ system
- Improvement of existing coupling models to integrate
- non-linear material properties,
- the non-linear geometry, and
- the vibration behaviour.
- Validation by comparison of test rig and module