Mechanical Performance and Fatigue Life Analysis of Wave Springs

The analysis of the mechanical performance and fatigue life of wave springs involves multiple aspects. The main contents are as follows:

1. Mechanical Performance Analysis

1.1 Elastic Properties

• Elastic Modulus: The elastic modulus of a wave spring depends on the material and is typically determined through stress-strain curves.

• Stiffness: Stiffness refers to the deformation of the spring under force, calculated using the formula $�=\frac{�}{�}$k=δF, where $�$F is the force and $�$δ is the deformation.

1.2 Stress Distribution

• Stress Concentration: Stress concentration is prone to occur at the peaks and troughs of the wave spring, which needs to be evaluated using finite element analysis (FEA).

• Mean Stress and Stress Amplitude: Both mean stress and stress amplitude must be considered in fatigue analysis.

1.3 Deformation Characteristics

• Linear and Nonlinear Behavior: Wave springs exhibit linear behavior under small deformations but may show nonlinear behavior under large deformations, which needs to be determined through experiments or simulations.

2. Fatigue Life Analysis

2.1 Fatigue Mechanism

• Cyclic Loading: Wave springs are susceptible to fatigue failure under cyclic loading, typically manifested as crack initiation and propagation.

• Fatigue Limit: The maximum stress amplitude at which the material can endure infinite cycles without failure.

2.2 Fatigue Life Prediction

• S-N Curve: The relationship between stress amplitude and the number of cycles to failure is obtained through experiments and used to predict fatigue life.

• Miner’s Linear Cumulative Damage Theory: Used for fatigue life prediction under variable amplitude loading, expressed as $�=\sum \frac{{�}_{�}}{{�}_{�}}$D=∑Nini, where $�$D is cumulative damage, ${�}_{�}$ni is the actual number of cycles, and ${�}_{�}$Ni is the number of cycles to failure.

2.3 Influencing Factors

• Material Properties: Fatigue strength, toughness, and surface quality of the material affect fatigue life.

• Surface Treatment: Surface treatments such as shot peening and carburizing can improve fatigue life.

• Environmental Factors: Environmental conditions such as corrosion and temperature also impact fatigue life.

3. Experiments and Simulations

3.1 Experimental Methods

• Static Testing: Measures elastic modulus, stiffness, and stress distribution.

• Fatigue Testing: Determines fatigue life and S-N curves through cyclic loading.

3.2 Simulation Methods

• Finite Element Analysis (FEA): Used for simulating stress distribution and deformation characteristics.

• Fatigue Simulation: Combines FEA and fatigue theory to predict fatigue life.