Utilization of Coupled Simulation in the Fatigue Loads Prediction of a Hydraulically Driven Log Crane
Abstract Welded structures, such as hydraulically driven booms, are disposed to fatigue damage. Design against fatigue requires information on the fatigue resistance of a structure’s critical details and the fatigue loads that act on each detail. The present paper introduces a method based on dynamic simulation for determining the fatigue loads in a hydraulically driven log crane. The detailed simulation model was built up in the MBS-software environment in which the flexible mechanism model and the equations describing the hydraulic system were combined. The complete simulation model was verified by comparing measurements to numerical results. This comparison shows that there is a clear correspondence between the simulated and measured results. It was thus shown that it is possible to create a simulation model which can be used realistically for determining stresses in fatigue analysis. The model was employed in the study of the fatigue loads, which are formed when the crane is being loaded.