Applied Sciences

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27 pages, 28719 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Mechanical Study of a Single-Cylinder High-Pressure Steam Engine with a Corliss Valve Gear Using Finite Element Method

by José Ignacio Rojas-Sola and Santiago Sánchez-García

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 4782; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094782 - 25 Apr 2025

Viewed by 97

This investigation analyzes the design integrity from a mechanical engineering perspective of a single-cylinder high-pressure steam engine with a Corliss valve gear designed by Arnold Throp. This concerns a double-acting steam engine that incorporates a steam distribution system using a Corliss valve gear, [...] Read more.

This investigation analyzes the design integrity from a mechanical engineering perspective of a single-cylinder high-pressure steam engine with a Corliss valve gear designed by Arnold Throp. This concerns a double-acting steam engine that incorporates a steam distribution system using a Corliss valve gear, whose blueprints were published in the Model Engineer magazine in 1982. This is a complex historical invention given the high number of components (120) that constitute it, and for which no information exists regarding its operating conditions. Once the 3D CAD model of the same was obtained, and given that no physical model exists to subject to testing, a linear static analysis was performed at two critical positions (top dead center and bottom dead center), determining the maximum gauge pressure at the steam inlet (working pressure), such that the minimum safety factor is within an optimal range with values between 2 and 4. Said linear static analysis was performed using the stress analysis module of Autodesk Inventor Professional 2024, applying the finite element method. The results obtained confirm that the optimal range of working pressures is between 4.1 and 7.8 MPa. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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18 pages, 5081 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Coupling Error Compensation Approach Concerning Constrained Space Coordinate Precision of a Heavy-Load Longitudinal and Transversal Swing Table

by Manxian Liu, Rui Bao, Shuo Li, Liang Ji, Suozhuang Li, Xiaoqiang Yan and Wei Li

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(9), 4693; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15094693 - 24 Apr 2025

Viewed by 195

Abstract

In this paper, an accurate error compensation method based on geometric parameter correction and process optimization is proposed for the problem of coupling error in a heavy-load longitudinal and transversal swing table (HLTST) under space constraints, which makes it difficult to control the [...] Read more.

In this paper, an accurate error compensation method based on geometric parameter correction and process optimization is proposed for the problem of coupling error in a heavy-load longitudinal and transversal swing table (HLTST) under space constraints, which makes it difficult to control the position efficiently and accurately. The key geometric parameters of pitch and roll layers are determined according to the machining process and assembly relationship, and the kinematic model is modified to effectively reduce the impact of contour error on the system’s accuracy. A coupling error model is established and its transmission mechanism is analyzed to develop a positioning error compensation strategy. Numerical simulation is employed to examine the distribution law, sensitivity, and volatility of independent error and coupling error. This aids in optimizing the design of the table’s machining process by balancing machining accuracy and economy. After the identification of the error parameters, the error compensation model is verified using the uniform design experimentation. The experimental results demonstrate 96.94% and 65.63% reductions in absolute average errors for the pitch and roll angles, respectively, especially when the maximum positioning error under the maximum load condition is controlled within ±5%, which significantly enhances motion accuracy and robustness under complex working conditions. This provides theoretical support and practical guidance for real-world engineering applications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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27 pages, 28995 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Study of the Engineering Design of a Single-Cylinder High-Pressure Steam Engine with a Corliss Valve Gear

by José Ignacio Rojas-Sola and Santiago Sánchez-García

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 3587; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073587 - 25 Mar 2025

Viewed by 452

Abstract

This paper presents an engineering design-based investigation of a historical invention: a single-cylinder horizontal high-pressure steam engine with a Corliss valve gear designed by Arnold Throp. The research, grounded in engineering drawing, has enabled an understanding of the operation of this invention based [...] Read more.

This paper presents an engineering design-based investigation of a historical invention: a single-cylinder horizontal high-pressure steam engine with a Corliss valve gear designed by Arnold Throp. The research, grounded in engineering drawing, has enabled an understanding of the operation of this invention based on a 3D CAD model derived solely from original plans published in the Model Engineer magazine in 1982 and reproduced by Julius de Waal in 2018. Contributing to the field of industrial archeology, our novel research utilizes CAD, engineering drawing, and mechanical engineering principles to revitalize historical inventions. Our methodology allows for a detailed analysis of the design and function of these significant technological advancements, ensuring their legacy is preserved. However, challenges were encountered during the geometric modeling process due to missing dimensions for certain components and errors in others. To address these issues, dimensional, geometric, and kinematic constraints (degrees of freedom) had to be applied to ensure that the 3D CAD model was coherent and functional, and an interference analysis also had to be conducted. Ultimately, symmetry was discovered in the governor’s structure and the arrangement of the four valves within the cylinder block, particularly in the mechanism that operates the inlet valves. This symmetry is essential to ensure that forces and movements are distributed evenly during the steam exchange within the cylinder, allowing for more balanced work, reduced vibrations, and the optimization of the overall efficiency of the invention. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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20 pages, 5904 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on the Characteristics of Deformation and Axial Force Changes During Drilling of Thin-Walled AF1410 High-Strength Steel

by Yupu Zhang, Shutao Huang, Chengwei Liu, Ruyu Li, Yongshe Sun and Lifu Xu

Appl. Sci. 2025, 15(7), 3481; https://doi.org/10.3390/app15073481 - 22 Mar 2025

Viewed by 229

Abstract

Axial force and deformation during drilling significantly impact the hole quality of thin-walled high-strength steel components. This study analyzed the drilling process of thin-walled AF1410 steel, focusing on axial force, deformation, drill cap formation, and hole exit edge characteristics. The effects of cutting [...] Read more.

Axial force and deformation during drilling significantly impact the hole quality of thin-walled high-strength steel components. This study analyzed the drilling process of thin-walled AF1410 steel, focusing on axial force, deformation, drill cap formation, and hole exit edge characteristics. The effects of cutting speed (12.6–37.7 m/min) and feed rate (0.01–0.1 mm/r) were also examined. Initially, the steel plate undergoes elastic, outward bulging deformation. Axial force, driven by elastic resistance, rises from 114.9 N to 322.1 N as feed rate increases from 0.025 mm/r to 0.1 mm/r, with minimal influence from cutting speed. As drilling progresses, axial force increases slowly. Near the hole exit, plastic deformation occurs beneath the drill bit, causing material to yield and form a drill cap. This results in a sharp rise in axial force, with maximum values increasing from 314.2 N to 525.3 N at higher cutting speeds and from 314.2 N to 840.1 N at higher feed rates. The formation characteristics of the drill cap directly affect hole edge defects, with larger thickness and width leading to more pronounced burrs. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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27 pages, 45134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Technical Feasibility of a Two-Cylinder Entablature Steam Engine with a Parallel Motion Crosshead: An Analysis from Mechanical Engineering

by José Ignacio Rojas-Sola and Juan Carlos Barranco-Molina

Appl. Sci. 2024, 14(15), 6597; https://doi.org/10.3390/app14156597 - 28 Jul 2024

Viewed by 1489

Abstract

In this research, we present the results of analyzing the technical feasibility of an old invention by Henry Muncaster from the perspective of mechanical engineering, specifically focusing on the resistance of materials. The invention is a two-cylinder steam engine with a parallel motion [...] Read more.

In this research, we present the results of analyzing the technical feasibility of an old invention by Henry Muncaster from the perspective of mechanical engineering, specifically focusing on the resistance of materials. The invention is a two-cylinder steam engine with a parallel motion crosshead, for which plans were published in the Model Engineer magazine in 1957. This complex device, composed of 76 elements and lacking descriptive information, has been the subject of a recent article that illustrated its design through the engineering drawing discipline and a 3D CAD model. To provide reliable information and conduct a comprehensive study of its technical feasibility, an extensive linear static analysis was performed. This analysis considered two critical positions of the piston inside the cylinder: upper dead center and lower dead center. We determined the optimal range of working pressures necessary to achieve a safety factor within the optimal design range of two to four. The results include von Mises stresses, displacements, and safety factor distributions, confirming that the optimal working pressure range for steam intake is between 1.885 and 3.550 MPa. This ensures that the safety factor values remain between 2.01 and 3.78. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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19 pages, 10471 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Robust Input Shapers for Acceleration-Limit Actuators

by Chang-Lae Kim and Yoon-Gyung Sung

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(22), 12499; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132212499 - 20 Nov 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1272

Abstract

In this study, robust input shapers consisting of only three impulses are proposed for reducing the residual deflection of flexible systems with acceleration-limit actuators, while maintaining the robust control performance associated with system parameter uncertainties. The unequal acceleration and braking delays of such [...] Read more.

In this study, robust input shapers consisting of only three impulses are proposed for reducing the residual deflection of flexible systems with acceleration-limit actuators, while maintaining the robust control performance associated with system parameter uncertainties. The unequal acceleration and braking delays of such actuators can produce large residual oscillations owing to the distortion of shaped commands in undamped flexible systems during rest-to-rest operations. Thus, two types of robust input shapers are analytically developed using a phase vector approach with the adoption of the ramp-step function to approximate the dynamics of acceleration-limit actuators and with the utilization of conventional robust shapers. The proposed robust input shapers are numerically evaluated with respect to the command completeness effect, and the residual deflection and parameter uncertainties are experimentally validated using a mini bridge crane. The proposed robust shapers exhibit a higher robustness performance than classical robust input shapers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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18 pages, 3000 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Development and Validation of a System for Game Control Based on a Force Plate

by Zoran Vrhovski, Goran Benkek, Krunoslav Husak and Ivan Sekovanić

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(21), 11753; https://doi.org/10.3390/app132111753 - 27 Oct 2023

Viewed by 1372

Abstract

A force plate is a device that measures the ground reaction force caused by a shift in the human body’s center of mass (CoM). Using a controlled change in the human body’s CoM, the human body’s center of pressure (CoP) is shifted in [...] Read more.

A force plate is a device that measures the ground reaction force caused by a shift in the human body’s center of mass (CoM). Using a controlled change in the human body’s CoM, the human body’s center of pressure (CoP) is shifted in a 2D plane, along with an acceleration of the CoM along the plane perpendicular to the force plate, which allows for a generation of reference values for game control. In this paper, the development and validation of a system for game control based on a force plate are described. The game control system consists of a force plate, an electronic board used for measuring and PC communication via USB, and a PC application for data acquisition, system calibration, and game control. Based on the measured values of the player’s CoP and the CoM acceleration along a plane perpendicular to the force plate, the game control system simulates pressing the UP, DOWN, RIGHT, LEFT, and SPACE keyboard keys or moving the mouse and clicking the left mouse button, which allows players to control simple games. A mathematical model has been developed for the game control system which includes running system calibration procedures in the system for each individual player. The mechatronic game control system is described in detail, and experiments were run on said system for the purpose of system validation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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22 pages, 7225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of the Design of Henry Muncaster’s Two-Cylinder Compound Vertical Steam Engine with Speed Control

by José Ignacio Rojas-Sola and José Francisco Gutiérrez-Antúnez

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(16), 9150; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13169150 - 11 Aug 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3046

Abstract

This article offers an analysis, from the mechanical engineering viewpoint, of an invention by Henry Muncaster from 1912: the two-cylinder compound vertical steam engine with speed control. This is an invention with a large number of components (106) that was used as an [...] Read more.

This article offers an analysis, from the mechanical engineering viewpoint, of an invention by Henry Muncaster from 1912: the two-cylinder compound vertical steam engine with speed control. This is an invention with a large number of components (106) that was used as an engine in boats and railways. The ultimate objective of this investigation was to determine the operating conditions (maximum pressures of water vapor in the admission of high- and low-pressure cylinders) according to the criteria of resistance of materials since there is no information about this. Therefore, two critical operating conditions were simulated that resemble the start-up of the machine (flywheel locked as the most unfavorable situation) in order to determine those operating conditions that ensure both its safety and optimal operation. For this, a static linear analysis based on the finite element method (FEM) of the 3D CAD model was carried out under real operating conditions, according to the criteria of resistance of materials, using the Autodesk Inventor Nastran 2023 software. The results of the static linear analysis (von Mises stress, displacement and safety factor) confirmed the maximum values of the vapor pressure in the admission of the cylinders: 0.3 MPa on the high-pressure piston plunger and 0.15 MPa on the low-pressure piston plunger. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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19 pages, 4856 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Continuous Machining Strategy for Five-Axis Machine Tool: Five-Axis Linkage to Four-Axis Linkage

by Yesong Wang, Liang Ji, Jiashang Dong, Manxian Liu and Jiang Liu

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 7038; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13127038 - 12 Jun 2023

Viewed by 3654

Abstract

The article presents a novel strategy for enhancing the efficiency of machines that are used for complex structure machining. It proposes a low-cost five-axis four-linkage milling system as an alternative to the more expensive five-axis five-linkage system. Kinematic analysis of the machine tool [...] Read more.

The article presents a novel strategy for enhancing the efficiency of machines that are used for complex structure machining. It proposes a low-cost five-axis four-linkage milling system as an alternative to the more expensive five-axis five-linkage system. Kinematic analysis of the machine tool is conducted to establish a correlation between the tool location data and the displacement of kinematic axes. An interpolation algorithm is then devised to determine a four-axis linkage milling strategy. The theoretical errors of the interpolation trajectory are observed to be reduced following the transformation. The research employs impeller processing as a case study, wherein the five-axis linkage machining path is translated into a more efficient five-axis four-linkage path using the interpolation algorithm. The practical application of this novel milling strategy confirms its effectiveness in processing the integral impeller within acceptable efficiency parameters. The results provide a theoretical foundation for the practical application of the low-cost five-axis four-linkage machining strategy in high-precision five-axis five-linkage machine tools. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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27 pages, 12319 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Research on Mechanism Design and Kinematic Characteristics of Self-Propelled Photovoltaic Cleaning Robot

by Jing Yang, Xiaolong Zhao, Yingjie Gao, Rui Guo and Jingyi Zhao

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(12), 6967; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13126967 - 9 Jun 2023

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3104

Abstract

A hydraulic drive-based self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot was developed to tackle the challenges of harsh environmental conditions, difficult roads, and incomplete cleaning of dust particles on the photovoltaic panel surface in photovoltaic power plants. The robot has the characteristics of the crawler [...] Read more.

A hydraulic drive-based self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot was developed to tackle the challenges of harsh environmental conditions, difficult roads, and incomplete cleaning of dust particles on the photovoltaic panel surface in photovoltaic power plants. The robot has the characteristics of the crawler wheel drive, rear-wheel-independent turning and three-point-independent suspension design, which makes it adhere to the walking requirements of complex environmental terrains, more flexible in turning and automatically levelling so that the stability of the boom mechanism during walking can be ensured. The kinematics model of the upper arm structure equipped with the end cleaning device was built, and the optimized Circle chaotic map and nonlinear weight factor were introduced to enhance the search ability and convergence speed of the sparrow algorithm. Furthermore, the boom running track was optimized in combination with the seven-order non-uniform B-spline curve. Through optimization, the running time of the boom was reduced by 18.7%, and the cleaning efficiency of photovoltaic panel surface was increased. The effectiveness of self-propelled photovoltaic panel cleaning robot cleaning and the reliability of time-optimal trajectory planning were confirmed through simulation and experiment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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17 pages, 2244 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Reliability Prediction and FMEA of Loading and Unloading Truss Robot for CNC Punch

by Kaiyue Zhang, Zhixin Jia, Renpeng Bian, Ketai He and Zhicheng Jia

Appl. Sci. 2023, 13(8), 4951; https://doi.org/10.3390/app13084951 - 14 Apr 2023

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2287

Abstract

Loading and unloading truss robot for computer numerical control (CNC) punch is widely used in the production of sheet metal parts, as its reliability level is directly related to the quality of sheet metal parts. Especially for the automatic sheet metal production line, [...] Read more.

Loading and unloading truss robot for computer numerical control (CNC) punch is widely used in the production of sheet metal parts, as its reliability level is directly related to the quality of sheet metal parts. Especially for the automatic sheet metal production line, it is urgent to predict the reliability of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch. In this paper, a new method for the reliability prediction of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is proposed. The method uses the component counting method to predict the failure rate and mean time between failures (MTBF) of the electrical control system. Then, according to the MTBF value of the electrical control system, the MTBF value and failure rate of the mechanical system and pneumatic system are calculated by expert scoring method based on fuzzy theory. The MTBF value and failure rate of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch are estimated, and the weak link of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is obtained. Finally, through the collected fault maintenance data records, the failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) of the loading and unloading truss robot for CNC punch is carried out, and the reliability prediction method proposed in this paper is validated by the fault location analysis results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Machine Automation: System Design, Analysis and Control)

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