The Finite Element Analysis And Optimization Researches For The Jib Of Reach Stacker

ABSTRACT:As a new type of special lifting equipment used in ports, container reach stacker is mainly used in loading, unloading, stacking and horizontal transporting operations of containers. It possesses the advantages of high flexibility and transportation efficiency. Jib structure is the core working device of reach stacker and bears the load directly. Its strength determines the maximum lifted load and the safety of whole equipment. The jib structure will stretch, shrink, go up and down frequently. The complex working conditions increase the design difficulties of jib structure. High safety factors are widely selected in the design of jib in our country according to practical experiences. This increases the dead-weight of equipment and makes the jib heavily. In order to solve the heavily problem of jib structure, WX45T reach stacker is utilized as object and researches are conducted on the principle of light weight design. The stacker is researched and developed independently by China Railway Wu Xin Heavy Industry Co. Ltd. The main research results are as follows:1. The model of virtual prototype for reach stacker was established with Solidworks. The simulation analysis of typical working conditions of two kinds of controlled model was conducted by using software of RecurDyn. The characteristics of bearing load of jib structure under dynamics conditions and the most dangerous working conditions are obtained. This provides evidences for the dynamics simulation of jib structure.2. The finite element analysis on the jib structure of reach stacker was analyzed by the ANSYS software in the most dangerous working condition. Calculation results show that the strength, stiffness, modal frequency and buckling stability of jib structure can meet the demand of design. The maximum stress is far below than that of the allowable stress of materials. Large surplus of the strength of materials exists and the applied ratio of the performances of materials is low. There are big spaces in the optimal design of reach stacker. 3. The research methods of the structural optimization were proposed according to the big surplus problem of the strength of jib structure.(1) The mathematical model of boom luffing system for three hinge points of jib structure was built. The particle swarm optimization algorithm with Matlab was used to optimize the hinge point location. The reasonable hinge point of the jib structure is obtained and the loading condition of jib is improved.(2) The model of section parameters is established to optimize the corresponding parameters. The dead weight of jib structure after optimization can decrease1005kg, which is the9.54per cent of the whole weight. This directly lowers the production cost of reach stacker. It can also reduce the consumption of oil, decrease the emission and the low carbon, environmental protection purpose are achieved.4. The commissioning tests of WX45T type prototype show that the simulation model is reliable and its calculation results are accurate.