Investigation of cavity filling in profile ring rolling process for T-shape ring

In this paper, key parameters affecting the cavity filling in single and double T-shape profile rings are comprehensively investigated via numerical and experimental analysis. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed in Abaqus\Explicit to assess the influence of crucial ring rolling process parameters, including feed speed, main roll rotational velocity, the existence and the absence of axial rolls on the cavity filling of single and T-shape rings and the main roll torque. Besides, a ring rolling machine was built to conduct practical experiments and validate the numerical evaluation, while for the first time, the role of the axial roll and the main roll torque on the quality of the cavity filling is experimentally evaluated. Power requirements and the final ring profile geometry were obtained by the simulation method, and the results were confirmed by the experiments. The results showed that axial rollers significantly reduced the cavity filling rate, and in contrast, the effect of mandrel feed speed and the main roll rotational velocity was much lower. Also, the axial forces were considerably less than the radial forces. However, the rolling operation was done in both radial and axial directions. The existence of axial rolls had an intensive effect on the process’ required power, as a result the main roll torque increased more than three times in case of applying axial rolls, compared with not considering them. Severe effects of axial rollers on increasing force and decreasing cavity filling rate can be attributed to frictional forces between the ring and axial rolls, restricted ring motion, which has to be compensated by a higher torque of the main roll. When the axial rolls are used, the material flow in the ring’s height direction is restricted. Therefore, the material cannot move easily to form the profile. All experimental and simulation results, including mandrel force, cavity filling, and ring profile geometry, were in good agreement, and in all cases, the simulation error was less than 10%.

Locomotion of a Cylindrical Rolling Robot with a Shape Changing Outer Surface

A cylindrical rolling robot is developed that generates roll torque by changing the shape of its flexible, elliptical outer surface whenever one of four elliptical axes rotates past an inclination called trigger angle. The robot is equipped with a sensing/control system by which it measures angular position and angular velocity, and computes error with respect to a desired step angular velocity profile. When shape change is triggered, the newly assumed shape of the outer surface is determined according to the computed error. A series of trial rolls is conducted using various trigger angles, and energy consumed by the actuation motor per unit roll distance is measured. Results show that, for each of three desired velocity profiles investigated, there exists a range of trigger angles that results in relatively low energy consumption per unit roll distance, and when the robot operates within this optimal trigger angle range, it undergoes minimal actuation burdening and inadvertent braking, both of which are inherent to the mechanics of rolling robots that use shape change to generate roll torque. A mathematical model of motion is developed and applied in a simulation program that can be used to predict and further understand behavior of the robot.

Design and experimental validation of control algorithm for vehicle hydraulic active stabilizer bar system

This paper presents a novel active roll control algorithm for vehicle hydraulic active stabilizer bar system. The mechanical structure and control scheme of hydraulic active stabilizer bar system is detailed. The anti-roll torque controller is designed with “Proportional-Integral-Differential (PID) + feedforward” algorithm to calculate the total anti-roll torque. A lateral acceleration gain and roll rate damping are added into “PID + feedforward” controller, which can improve vehicle roll dynamic response. The torque distributor is introduced based on fuzzy–PID algorithm to distribute the anti-roll torque of front and rear stabilizer bar dynamically, which can improve vehicle yaw dynamics response. The actuator controller is used for realizing the closed-loop control of the actuators displacement and generating the accurate anti-roll torque. The hardware-in-the-loop simulation platform is established based on AutoBox and active stabilizer bar actuators. The hardware-in-the-loop experiment is carried out under typical maneuvers. Experimental results show that the proposed control algorithm improves the vehicle roll and yaw dynamics response, which can enhance the vehicle roll stability, yaw stability, and ride comfort.

Flies compensate for unilateral wing damage through modular adjustments of wing and body kinematics

Using high-speed videography, we investigated how fruit flies compensate for unilateral wing damage, in which loss of area on one wing compromises both weight support and roll torque equilibrium. Our results show that flies control for unilateral damage by rolling their body towards the damaged wing and by adjusting the kinematics of both the intact and damaged wings. To compensate for the reduction in vertical lift force due to damage, flies elevate wingbeat frequency. Because this rise in frequency increases the flapping velocity of both wings, it has the undesired consequence of further increasing roll torque. To compensate for this effect, flies increase the stroke amplitude and advance the timing of pronation and supination of the damaged wing, while making the opposite adjustments on the intact wing. The resulting increase in force on the damaged wing and decrease in force on the intact wing function to maintain zero net roll torque. However, the bilaterally asymmetrical pattern of wing motion generates a finite lateral force, which flies balance by maintaining a constant body roll angle. Based on these results and additional experiments using a dynamically scaled robotic fly, we propose a simple bioinspired control algorithm for asymmetric wing damage.

Analysis of snake rolling force and torque with changes of thickness depending on unequal roll radii based on pure aluminum experiments

An analytical model, in which unequal radii are replaced with an equivalent radius, is creatively proposed to predict the rolling force and roll torque in general case of snake rolling. With the model, the effects of roll radius ratio, roll speed ratio, offset distance between rolls, reduction and friction coefficient on rolling forces in hot snake rolling of aluminum alloy are obtained. Also, the thicknesses of slab are investigated in different zones, which firstly propose the changes of thickness during snake rolling. Owing to the good agreement with the results measured in experiments and calculated by finite element method and other traditional models, those calculated by the proposed model are verified. The proposed model can be used to predict more accurate theoretical results for snake rolling force and torque.