Numerical and Experimental Determination of the Wind Speed Value Causing Catastrophe of the Scissor Lift

Abstract

The current work is devoted to the numerical determination of the wind speed value, which can cause the overturning of the mobile elevating work platform of the scissor lift type. In the first step of the analysis, the scaled model of the real vehicle is prepared. In the second step, the model is used in the aerodynamic tunnel to determine the aerodynamic force values and moment, which act on the vehicle. The three different configurations of the work platform are considered, namely: (a) The work platform raised to the maximum height with an additional bridge extended, (b) the work platform raised to the maximum height, and (c) the work platform half raised. In each position, the direction of the wind is changed from the range from 0° to 180° with an increment equal to 15°. In the next step of the analysis, the CFD simulations are carried out. The ANSYS Fluent R22 software is used. As a model of turbulent airflow, the standard k-ε with standard wall function is adopted. The obtained experimental results are used to verify the numerical model. A very good agreement between the results of the experiment and the results of numerical simulations is obtained. As the main result of the numerical study, the values of the tipping moment and corresponding wind speed that cause the overturning of the analyzed real scissor lift are determined. It occurred that the lowest value of the wind speed is obtained for the first variant of the vehicle configuration V1crt = 22.315 m/s for the angle of the wind speed direction β = 30° and the highest one for the third variant V3crt = 34.534 m/s and β = 15°, without any persons on the work platform. The presence of human beings on the work platform is also considered.

Estimation of the Wind Load Required to Cause the Overturning of a Gantry Crane, Comparing Different Structures of the Main Horizontal Girder

“…The obtained results are confronted with appropriate standards. It should be noted that this work is a continuation of the problems presented in the previous papers [38,39].…”

“…This model of turbulent flow ensures relatively accurate precision when predicting aerodynamic forces under the assumption of ideal rigidity of the investigated models of structures. Moreover, this model has been successfully used in different works [29,38,39,42,43].…”

“…The dome of the eastern gas tank and a section of the pipeline were damaged. An example of a gantry crane accident with a box girder, which was destroyed due to exceptionally high wind, is a large gantry crane at the Damen ship repair yard in Schiedam, near Rotterdam, The Netherlands, in 2018 [38]. According to media information, the crane was properly secured, but one side of the crane began moving, causing a twist that broke the girder away from its supports.…”

Experimental and Numerical Studies on a Single Coherent Blade of a Vertical Axis Carousel Wind Rotor

“…Aerodynamic forces and wind speed measurements were recorded using a DaqBook card 8 on a PC 9. Similar problems, including research in a wind tunnel, were described in publications [25][26][27][28][29][30][31]. In turn, the authors of publication [32] conducted experimental studies in a wind tunnel to analyze the dynamic response of a horizontal axis wind turbine depending on the number of blades.…”

Integrated Project-Based Learning: Designing and Testing a Small-Scale Mobile Work Platform Lift

“…The design and development of mobile work platform lifts involve considerations of structural integrity, stability, lifting mechanisms, control systems, and safety features. The structural design must be capable of supporting the weight of workers, tools, and equipment while maintaining stability and withstanding external forces, such as wind or vibrations (AUGUSTYN et al, 2023). The lifting mechanisms may include hydraulic, pneumatic, or electric systems, each with its own advantages and limitations.…”