Composite mechanics and energy method based stiffness prediction model for composite leaf springs

Yang, Shengcai; Shi, Wenxiao; Chen, Zhiyong; Qian, Chen; Yang, Changhai; Hang, Liuliu

doi:10.1080/15397734.2018.1559738

Cited by 14 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…The design of spring body structure is one of the most important problems in the design theory of composite leaf spring, as the body structure primarily determines the weight, the stress distribution state, the shape of the mold cavity, and the ply scheme framework of the spring, and hence it directly affects the performance and the manufacturing cost of the composite leaf spring. Extensive efforts have been made on the structural design and optimization of the composite leaf spring body using genetic algorithm (GA) and FE approaches [22,25,[28][29][30][31][32][33]. Specifically, a GA was used to optimize the dimensions of a glass fiber-reinforced epoxy composite leaf spring with variable width, variable thickness, and equal cross-section.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure Design of GFRP Composite Leaf Spring: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

et al. 2021

Polymers

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Due to the high load-bearing capacity and light weight, composite leaf spring with variable width and variable thickness has been increasingly used in the automobile industry to replace the conventional steel leaf spring with a heavy weight. The optimum structural design of composite leaf spring is particularly favorable for the weight reduction. In this study, an effective algorithm is developed for structural optimization of composite leaf spring. The mechanical performance of composite leaf spring with designed dimensions is characterized using a combined experimental and computational approach. Specifically, the composite leaf spring with variable width and variable thickness was prepared using the filament winding process, and the three-dimensional finite element (FE) model of the designed composite leaf spring is developed. The experimental sample and FE model of composite leaf spring are tested under the three-point bending method. From experimental and simulation results, it is shown that the bending stiffness of the designed leaf spring meets the design requirement in the automotive industry, while the results of stress calculation along all directions meet the requirements of material strength requirement. The developed algorithm contributes to the design method for optimizing the stiffness and strength performance of the composite leaf spring.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure Design of GFRP Composite Leaf Spring: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

et al. 2021

Polymers

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“…In recent decades, design, test, and optimization of composite leaf springs have received a significant amount of interest (Rajendran and Vijayarangan 2001;Hou et al 2007;Kumar and Vijayarangan 2007b;Rajesh et al 2016;Yang et al 2019). Sancaktar and Gratton (1999) attempted to design and manufacture a composite leaf spring for a solar vehicle in which weight reduction is an essential factor.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dynamic behaviors of composite leaf springs with viscoelastic cores

Jolaiy

Yousefi

Mashhadi

et al. 2021

Mechanics Based Design of Structures and Machines

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A leaf spring is a simple form of spring commonly used for the suspension in wheeled vehicles. Due to their high strength to weight ratio, high stiffness, and high impact energy absorption, fiber-reinforced composite leaf springs gain considerable interest recently as a potential alternative to conventional leaf springs with relatively high weight. In the present study, a novel composite leaf spring consists of two composite face layers, and a soft and flexible viscoelastic core is proposed. Employing viscoelastic materials in structures reduces undesirable vibrations leading to fatigue and damage of structures. A numerical method is used to design and analyze composite leaf springs with a viscoelastic core using the Abaqus software package. Results are compared with those from well-known analytical methods, finite element methods, and experiments. Results show that the proposed novel composite leaf spring can withstand the stresses caused by static and impact forces, reduce post-impact vibrations, and prevent undesirable system vibrations. The viscoelastic layer increases the strain energy capacity of proposed composite leaf springs compared to conventional composite leaf springs and enhances the composite leaf spring performance against bump impact.

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“…On this basis, Shi et al considered the neutral layer displacement coefficient of the composite spring body in the theoretical model [23]. Yang et al verified the effectiveness of the energy method to predict the stiffness of a composite leaf spring in the model [24]. However, these theoretical models to calculate the stiffness of composite leaf springs are generally based on the lamination scheme for integral calculation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stiffness Prediction and Analysis of Composite Leaf Springs

et al. 2021

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Composite leaf springs represent a key application of composite materials in the field of automotive lightweight materials. Stiffness, as a critical parameter of composite leaf springs, is closely related to the handling stability and ride comfort of automobiles. Therefore, this paper proposes an explicit theoretical model, which can consider the anisotropy of composite materials and detailed structure of the leaf spring, to predict the stiffness based on the law of energy conservation. The obtained results are verified against the results of the finite element method and bench test of basalt/epoxy samples. Moreover, the influence of the relevant design parameters on the stiffness is analyzed to provide guidance for the stiffness matching of composite leaf springs. The thickness of the composite leaf spring considerably influences its stiffness. As a key parameter representing the bearing capacity, the strength is closely related to the reliability of leaf springs. Based on the Tasi-Wu strength failure criterion, the influence of the relevant design parameters on the strength ratio of a composite leaf spring is analyzed under the constraint of stiffness. An increase in the width of the composite leaf spring enhances its bearing capacity when the stiffness is required to be within a certain range.INDEX TERMS Automotive lightweight, composite leaf spring, stiffness prediction, finite element method, theoretical model.

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Composite mechanics and energy method based stiffness prediction model for composite leaf springs

Cited by 14 publications

References 16 publications

Structure Design of GFRP Composite Leaf Spring: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

Structure Design of GFRP Composite Leaf Spring: An Experimental and Finite Element Analysis

Dynamic behaviors of composite leaf springs with viscoelastic cores

Stiffness Prediction and Analysis of Composite Leaf Springs

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