Electrical Discharges in Oil-Lubricated Rolling Contacts and Their Detection Using Electrostatic Sensing Technique

The reliability of rolling element bearings has been substantially undermined by the presence of parasitic and stray currents. Electrical discharges can occur between the raceway and the rolling elements and it has been previously shown that these discharges at relatively high current density levels can result in fluting and corrugation damages. Recent publications have shown that for a bearing operating at specific mechanical conditions (load, temperature, speed, and slip), electrical discharges at low current densities (<1 mA/mm2) may substantially reduce bearing life due to the formation of white etching cracks (WECs) in bearing components, often in junction with lubricants. To date, limited studies have been conducted to understand the electrical discharges at relatively low current densities (<1 mA/mm2), partially due to the lack of robust techniques for in-situ quantification of discharges. This study, using voltage measurement and electrostatic sensors, investigates discharges in an oil-lubricated steel-steel rolling contact on a TE74 twin-roller machine under a wide range of electrical and mechanical conditions. The results show that the discharges events between the rollers are influenced by temperature, load, and speed due to changes in the lubricant film thickness and contact area, and the sensors are effective in detecting, characterizing and quantifying the discharges. Hence, these sensors can be effectively used to study the influence of discharges on WEC formation.

Improvement of the coiling stress calculation model for a mandrel-sleeve-coil

The steel rolling process employs a coiling-uncoiling process in which a steel sheet is wound and unwound in a coil shape using a coiler to efficiently produce a long steel sheet with a constant thickness. As front and rear tension is required when the steel sheet enters and exits the rolling mill, the coiler introduces tension in the steel sheet through the control of the rotational speed. As the coil is produced, coiling tension accumulates, and pressure is applied to the inside of the coil. Finite element analysis and stress calculation analysis were derived from previous studies to prevent such pressure increases in the sleeves and coils. However, the radial and circumferential stresses at arbitrary positions inside the coil cannot be accurately determined by considering without the stresses’ difference in the thickness direction based on the assumption that the coil’s thickness is thin. In this study, an analytical model that can accurately calculate the sleeve and coil stress during elastic deformation was established by improving the internal circumferential stress generated when the steel sheet is bent into a coil and the radial stress equation associated with the beam bending theory. In addition, by comparing the finite element analysis model results reflecting the same coiling condition, this model’s validity was verified by confirming the consistency of the results.

Fast and Accurate Position Determination of Multimodal Couplings of Steel Rolling Machinery and Equipment Combined with Multimedia Optimized Particle Filters

During the overhaul and maintenance of the transmission system of the modern rolling mill, a very common problem is the positioning of the motor and the reducer or speed increaser. The operation of the equipment and the service life of the equipment will be significantly affected by the accuracy of the multimodal coupling position determination. Therefore, precise positioning and rapid positioning must be achieved. This article intends to analyze how this type of equipment achieves rapid and accurate positioning and what factors will affect the location determination process.

CONSTRUCTION OF A DISCRETE ELEMENT MODEL OF BUCKWHEAT SEEDS AND CALIBRATION OF PARAMETERS

In view of the lack of seeds contact parameters that can be used as a reference for the design of key mechanical components such as buckwheat planting, harvesting, and processing, this study combines simulation optimization design experiments and physical experiments to calibrate the parameters of simulated discrete element of buckwheat seeds. The non-spherical particle model of buckwheat seeds was established using the automatic filling method, and the simulation accumulating test and physical accumulating test were carried out using the bottomless conical cylinder lifting method; the repose angle of buckwheat seeds was taken as the response value, and the initial parameters were screened for significance based on the Plackett-Burman test; and a second-order regression model of the error value for the repose angle and the significance parameter was established based on the steepest climb test and Box-Behnken test. On this basis, the minimum error value of the repose angle was used as the goal to optimize the significance parameter, the optimal combination of contact parameters was obtained, and parameter validation tests were carried out. The significance screening test showed that the buckwheat-buckwheat static friction coefficient, the buckwheat-stainless steel rolling friction coefficient, and the buckwheat-stainless steel restitution coefficient had significant effects on the repose angle of buckwheat (P<0.05). The optimization test showed that the buckwheat-buckwheat static friction coefficient was 0.510, the buckwheat-stainless steel rolling friction coefficient was 0.053, and the buckwheat-stainless steel restitution coefficient was 0.492. The validation test showed that the repose angle of buckwheat seeds under such parameter was 25.39°, and the error with the repose angle of the physical test was 0.55%, which indicated that the optimal parameter combination was reliable. This study could provide a seed model and simulation contact parameters for the research and development of buckwheat sowing, threshing and hulling machinery.