Sensitivity Analysis Of Wear Reliability Of Self-lubricating Thrust Washers

Thrust washer,a common component in mechanical systems,is widely used for reciprocating rotary motion in aerospace,automotive,marine and other fields.Its major functions are locating and preventing direct contact between components,reducing component displacement and abrasion,and improving system stability.Abrasion is the main reason for an ineffective thrust washer,of which the function will get degenerated or lost,and it could even have serious impact on mechanical system.This paper studies the issues of the abrasion and reliability of the thrust washer.The research subject here,is the self-lubricating thrust washer,and the abrasion experiments and finite element simulation analysis are employed as the research methods in this study.The paper is of great significance to improve the abrasion reliability of thrust washer and provide precautions for its utility.The main works carried out for this paper are as follows:First,after the analyses of the actual operating conditions of the self-lubricating thrust washer,the swing angle,swing frequency,friction coefficient,radial load,and lateral load were determined as the main factors affecting the abrasion loss.The experimental plan was made through method of orthogonal experiment.After the experiment,abrasion loss of the thickness of the washer was measured.By analyzing the measurement of the thickness,the surface profile of the washer during the experiment,and the abrasion mechanism,one can determine the abrasion type during the washer abrasion.Secondly,according to the experimental conditions of the washer,a finite element simulation model was established.Combining the model with the Archard model,we made simulations according to the experiments to establish a mathematical model reflecting the washer abrasion amount and the numbers of abrasion.According to the model,we predicted and calculated the amount of washer abrasion under different working conditions.After the comparative analysis of the predicted value and the experimental value of abrasion,we found that the relative error is small.Finally,we established the prediction model of abrasion loss with classical response surface method,and made a comparative analysis of the predicted value and the experimental results.We also established the limit state equation of abrasion of self-lubricating thrust washer,and along with the sensitivity theory and calculation of reliability analysis software(NESSUS),we obtained the analysis results of reliability sensitivity,which have the statistical characteristics of random variables.Then,we studied the influence of the statistical characteristics of random variables on the abrasion reliability of self-lubricating thrust washers.