Dynamics of a four-bar mechanism with clearance and springs - Modeling and experimental analysis

Abstract

This paper presents a study of the dynamic behavior of a planar four-bar mechanism with clearance. A spring is added to improve the dynamic response of the mechanism with clearance. Simulations and experimental tests are carried out to show the improvement of the dynamic behavior using this simple yet effective solution. The simulation is performed under MATLAB and ADAMS. An experimental set-up is designed and built to achieve the experimental validations. The presented results show that the added spring improved the dynamic behavior of the mechanism by keeping a continuous contact between the journal and the sleeve despite the presence of the clearance. The effect of the spring on the input torque is also investigated. It is shown that the spring increases the maximum value of the torque. An optimization is performed to determine the best parameters of the spring that reduce the effect of the clearance while minimizing the increase of the input torque. The optimized system is tested at different speeds to show the effect of the speed on the dynamic behavior of the optimized system.