Heavy mine dump truck front suspension virtual model and modeling method

Abstract

This invention provides a virtual model and modeling method for the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck. The virtual model includes an axle assembly, a steering hydraulic cylinder, a steering knuckle, a wheel hub unit, a wheel assembly, a longitudinal upper thrust rod, a longitudinal lower thrust rod, a lateral thrust rod, and a gas spring. The gas spring simulates the elastic element of the front suspension. One end of the longitudinal upper thrust rod is connected to the frame via a ball joint, and the other end is connected to the axle assembly bushing. One end of the longitudinal lower thrust rod is connected to the frame via a ball joint, and the other end is connected to the axle assembly bushing. The steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the steering knuckle via a ball joint, and the steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the axle assembly via a Hooke's joint. The steering knuckle is connected to the axle assembly via a revolute joint, and the steering knuckle is connected to the wheel hub unit via a revolute joint. This invention facilitates component-level durability testing and shortens the development cycle.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of vehicle design technology, specifically relating to a virtual model and modeling method for the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck. Background Technology

[0002] In the automotive product development system, reliability and fatigue durability verification are core aspects of ensuring vehicle safe operation. Mining dump trucks, as special-purpose vehicles for transportation in mining areas, face even higher demands on verification work due to the unique nature of their operating scenarios. With the advancement of the national green mining development strategy, the industry has formed a clear direction for technological upgrades: increasing tonnage to improve transportation efficiency, utilizing new energy sources to meet environmental requirements, and reducing labor costs through automation. Simultaneously, they must address the complex working conditions of different mining areas (such as rugged roads and continuous heavy-load operations).

[0003] Existing technologies primarily rely on "vehicle-level durability road testing" as the core verification method. This involves inferring component reliability from the results of vehicle-level tests. Specifically, it involves conducting real-world road durability tests to determine if the overall vehicle performance meets standards. If the vehicle-level durability test is successful, the reliability of individual components is assumed to meet requirements. The drawbacks are: long development cycles, requiring the vehicle to be assembled before testing can begin; and the potential for component failures to halt the entire vehicle development process. Furthermore, component-level durability verification is entirely dependent on the entire vehicle, lacking process control over the individual strength of components. For example, it's impossible to identify potential risks during component production, potentially leading to significantly increased rework costs if vehicle-level tests fail later.

[0004] Therefore, how to design a virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck to facilitate component-level durability testing and shorten the development cycle has become a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a virtual model and modeling method for the front suspension of a heavy mining dump truck, so as to solve the above-mentioned technical problems in the prior art.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution:

[0007] A virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck includes an axle assembly, a steering hydraulic cylinder, a steering knuckle, a wheel hub unit, a wheel assembly, a longitudinal upper thrust rod, a longitudinal lower thrust rod, a lateral thrust rod, and a gas spring. The steering knuckle is connected to both ends of the axle assembly. The wheel hub unit is connected to the steering knuckle, and the wheel assembly is mounted on the wheel hub unit. The wheel assembly is supported on a virtual suspension test bench. The gas spring, the longitudinal upper thrust rod, and the longitudinal lower thrust rod are mounted on both ends of the axle assembly. The steering knuckle is connected to the steering cylinder on the side furthest from the wheel hub unit. The system includes a hydraulic cylinder; a lateral thrust rod positioned between the axle assembly and the frame; a gas spring simulating the elastic element of the front suspension; one end of the longitudinal thrust rod connected to a ball joint on the frame, and the other end connected to a bushing of the axle assembly; one end of the longitudinal downward thrust rod connected to a ball joint on the frame, and the other end connected to a bushing of the axle assembly; a steering hydraulic cylinder connected to a ball joint on the steering knuckle, and the steering hydraulic cylinder connected to the axle assembly via a Hooke joint; a steering knuckle connected to the axle assembly via a revolute joint, and a steering knuckle connected to the wheel hub unit via a revolute joint.

[0008] Preferably, the spring constant of the gas spring is adjustable.

[0009] Preferably, the spring constant of the gas spring is adjusted by adjusting the oil pressure.

[0010] Preferably, the upper and lower ends of the gas spring are connected to the vehicle frame and the axle assembly via bushings, respectively.

[0011] Preferably, one end of the lateral thrust rod is connected to the frame bushing.

[0012] Preferably, the other end of the lateral thrust rod is connected to the axle assembly bushing.

[0013] A modeling method for the virtual model of the front suspension of the heavy-duty mining dump truck described above includes the following steps:

[0014] Extracting data from vehicle models in mapping software;

[0015] Import the front suspension design hardpoint data into the newly created Adams / Car template;

[0016] Establish rigid components;

[0017] Establish the outlines of each component;

[0018] Add elastic and damping elements;

[0019] Add a connection pair;

[0020] Establish input and output communicators;

[0021] Load extraction point establishment;

[0022] Establish the front suspension assembly.

[0023] Preferably, the drafting software is CAD software.

[0024] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows:

[0025] The virtual model and modeling method for the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck of the present invention can output the load at the hard point position of the components by constructing a virtual model of the front suspension. This can be directly used for component-level durability analysis, thereby facilitating the durability test of the components. This solves the problem of relying on whole vehicle testing and being unable to control the strength of components in advance in the prior art, and makes up for the lack of component strength control in the prior art. Moreover, it eliminates the need to wait for the whole vehicle to be assembled before back-calculating the reliability of the components, thereby shortening the development cycle. Attached Figure Description

[0026] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly described below, and the specific embodiments of the present invention will be further described in detail with reference to the drawings, wherein...

[0027] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a gas spring provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the steering knuckle, the axle assembly, and the wheel hub unit, provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the longitudinal upper thrust rod and the longitudinal lower thrust rod provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of a transverse thrust rod provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the steering hydraulic cylinder and the axle assembly provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of lateral force to a virtual model of the front suspension, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 8 A schematic diagram of longitudinal force applied to a virtual model of the front suspension according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the application of vertical force to a virtual model of the front suspension, as provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 10 A flowchart of the modeling method provided in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Marked in the attached diagram:

[0038] 11. Axle assembly; 21. Upper longitudinal thrust rod; 22. Lower longitudinal thrust rod.

[0039] 31. Lateral thrust rod; 41. Gas spring; 51. Steering knuckle.

[0040] 61. Steering hydraulic cylinder; 71. Wheel hub unit; 81. Wheel assembly.

[0041] 91. Virtual suspension test bench; 92. Bushing; 93. Rotary joint.

[0042] 94. Ball joint; 95. Hooke joint. Detailed Implementation

[0043] Various exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the invention.

[0044] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit the invention or its application or use.

[0045] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0046] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0047] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "top," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," "counterclockwise," "axial," "radial," and "circumferential" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are used only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0048] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0049] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," "linking," and "fixing," etc., should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral part; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; they can refer to the internal communication of two components or the interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0050] like Figures 1 to 9As shown, this embodiment of the invention provides a virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck, which includes an axle assembly 11, a steering hydraulic cylinder 61, a steering knuckle 51, a wheel hub unit 71, a wheel assembly 81, a longitudinal upper thrust rod 21, a longitudinal lower thrust rod 22, a lateral thrust rod 31, and a gas spring 41. The steering knuckle is connected to both ends of the axle assembly, and the wheel hub unit 71 is connected to the steering knuckle. The wheel assembly is mounted on the wheel hub unit, and the wheel assembly is supported on a virtual suspension test bench 91. The gas spring 41, the longitudinal upper thrust rod 21, and the longitudinal lower thrust rod 22 are mounted on both ends of the axle assembly. The steering knuckle is located away from the... The steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to one side of the wheel hub unit; the lateral thrust rod 31 is disposed between the axle assembly and the frame; the gas spring 41 is used to simulate the elastic element of the front suspension; one end of the longitudinal thrust rod is connected to the frame ball joint, and the other end of the longitudinal thrust rod is connected to the axle assembly bushing; one end of the longitudinal thrust rod is connected to the frame ball joint, and the other end of the longitudinal thrust rod is connected to the axle assembly bushing; the steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the steering knuckle ball joint, and the steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the axle assembly 11 via a Hooke pair; the steering knuckle is connected to the axle assembly via a revolute joint 93, and the steering knuckle is connected to the wheel hub unit via a revolute joint.

[0051] Specifically, the spring constant of the gas spring 41 is adjustable.

[0052] Preferably, the spring constant of the gas spring 41 can be adjusted by adjusting the hydraulic pressure. The spring constant of the gas spring can be set according to the heavy load requirements of the mining dump truck. The buffering effect under different loads can be achieved by adjusting the hydraulic pressure, so as to effectively offset the impact from the rugged road surface in the mining area.

[0053] Specifically, the longitudinal thrust rod 21 resists the driving force, while the longitudinal downward thrust rod 22 resists the longitudinal braking force. Both are connected to the frame and axle assembly via a ball joint and bushing connection, which effectively meets the force transmission requirements during heavy-load starting and braking. The ball joint structure ensures flexible rotation of the thrust rod, while the bushing reduces vibration transmission and prevents damage to components due to high-frequency vibration. The steering hydraulic cylinder achieves steering function through a ball joint connection with the steering knuckle and a Hooke's joint connection with the axle assembly. The ball joint connection ensures multi-angle rotation during steering, while the Hooke's joint connection limits displacement in non-steering directions, ensuring precise steering operation. This is crucial for the agile steering of mining dump trucks on narrow mining roads.

[0054] Furthermore, the upper and lower ends of the gas spring 41 are connected to the vehicle frame and the axle assembly respectively via bushings 92.

[0055] Specifically, one end of the lateral thrust rod 31 is connected to the frame bushing, and the other end is connected to the axle assembly bushing. With this design, since the main function of the lateral thrust rod is to resist lateral forces, the bushing connection between the lateral thrust rod and the frame and axle assembly allows for the adaptation to lateral displacement of the vehicle during cornering or tilting, avoiding the risk of suspension structure fracture due to lateral stress concentration. The bushing material selection can also consider the temperature and dust conditions of the mining environment to ensure long-term stability.

[0056] In this invention, by connecting the steering knuckle 51 to the axle assembly 11 via a revolute joint 93, the kinematic connection between the steering component and the axle carrier is clarified; by connecting the wheel hub unit to the steering knuckle via a revolute joint, the assembly logic between the wheel rotating component and the steering component is clarified; by connecting one end of the longitudinal thrust rod to the frame ball joint and the other end to the axle assembly bushing, and by using the same connection method for the longitudinal thrust rod, the connection rules for the components resisting longitudinal reciprocating forces are defined; by connecting the lateral thrust rod to both the frame and the axle assembly via bushings, the assembly form for the components resisting lateral forces is clarified; by connecting the steering hydraulic cylinder to the steering knuckle ball joint and to the axle assembly Hooke joint, the connection logic for the components realizing the steering function is clarified; and by connecting the gas spring to the axle assembly via a bushing, the assembly relationship between the core elastic element and the suspension carrier is defined.

[0057] like Figure 10 As shown, this embodiment of the invention also provides a modeling method for the virtual model of the front suspension of the heavy-duty mining dump truck described above, which includes the following steps:

[0058] Extract data from the physical vehicle model or front suspension model in the drafting software;

[0059] Import the front suspension design hardpoint data into the newly created Adams / Car template;

[0060] Establish rigid components;

[0061] Establish the outlines of each component;

[0062] Add elastic and damping elements;

[0063] Add a connection pair;

[0064] Establish input and output communicators;

[0065] Load extraction point establishment;

[0066] Establish the front suspension assembly.

[0067] Specifically, the drafting software is CAD software.

[0068] The virtual model and modeling method for the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck provided in this invention can output the load at the hard point location of components by constructing a virtual model of the front suspension. This can be directly used for component-level durability analysis, thereby facilitating durability testing of components. This solves the problem of relying on whole vehicle testing and being unable to control component strength in advance in the prior art, and makes up for the lack of component strength control in the prior art. Moreover, it eliminates the need to wait for the whole vehicle to be assembled before back-calculating the reliability of components, thereby shortening the development cycle.

[0069] The virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck of this invention can adapt to the lateral, longitudinal, and vertical force conditions that heavy-duty mining dump trucks may face in actual operating scenarios, such as... Figures 7 to 9 As shown, this invention possesses the ability to simulate the stress and motion states of the suspension under loads from different directions. By constructing a virtual model of the front suspension and accurately extracting hard-point loads from components based on wheel center load input, this load can be directly used for component-level durability testing. This helps suppliers achieve process control during component production and verification stages, eliminating the need to wait for the entire vehicle assembly to reverse-engineer component reliability. This invention constructs a virtual model entirely based on the physical state of the front suspension, utilizing components such as air springs, longitudinal / lateral thrust rods, and various connecting pairs (i.e., revolute joints, ball joints, bushings, etc.) to recreate the true working principle of the front suspension. This ensures a high degree of consistency between the virtual model and the physical structure and stress characteristics, avoiding simulation deviations caused by model simplification and improving the accuracy of component load calculation and motion simulation. Therefore, this invention employs a technical logic based on physical state modeling and hard-point load extraction, which is significantly different from the vehicle-to-physical reverse-engineering logic of existing technologies.

[0070] The present invention has the following technical effects:

[0071] (1) Providing accurate data for component-level verification and shortening the development cycle: The virtual front suspension constructed in this invention is a non-independent suspension structure, and its elastic element adopts a gas spring. Through this model, three key data can be accurately output: First, the load at the hard point position of the component, which can be directly used for component-level durability analysis, solving the problem of relying on whole vehicle testing and being unable to control the strength of components in advance in the existing technology; Second, the suspension motion trajectory, which can predict the motion state of the suspension under complex working conditions and avoid the risk of collision or interference in physical testing; Third, the tire positioning parameter characteristics, which provide data support for tire selection and vehicle handling optimization. These data can help suppliers carry out component verification in advance and significantly shorten the overall development cycle of heavy mining dump trucks.

[0072] (2) Supports flexible adjustment of suspension characteristics to meet adaptive development needs:

[0073] Unlike existing technologies that are "fixed and difficult to modify," this invention allows for flexible adjustment of suspension characteristics by changing the suspension hardpoints. For example, to address the differences in road surface hardness in different mining areas, the position of the connection hardpoint between the longitudinal thrust rod and the axle assembly can be adjusted to optimize the suspension's damping effect; to meet different load requirements, the hardpoints can be adjusted to accommodate air springs of varying stiffness. This adjustability allows the model to quickly adapt to diverse development needs without requiring the reconstruction of a completely new model, thus improving the reusability of the technology and development efficiency.

[0074] (3) Provide standardized modeling methods to provide theoretical support for similar development in the industry:

[0075] This invention not only provides the structural and connection relationships of the virtual model (such as the rotary joint connection between the steering knuckle and the axle assembly, and the bushing connection between the lateral thrust rod and the frame), but also clarifies the complete modeling process under Adams / Car software (from CAD hardpoint extraction to loading verification). This method is standardized and reproducible, providing a direct reference for the virtual modeling of the front suspension of other heavy commercial vehicles (such as medium and heavy trucks). It helps the industry avoid the technical pain points of "simplified models with large deviations from the actual objects," and promotes the standardized application of multibody dynamics virtual prototyping technology in the commercial vehicle field.

[0076] (4) Possesses the potential for cross-vehicle expansion, broadening the scope of technology application:

[0077] While maintaining the core technological logic, this invention can be extended from heavy-duty mining dump trucks to medium and heavy-duty trucks and other commercial vehicles by "changing hard points + adjusting spring stiffness". For example, to meet the lightweight requirements of medium and heavy-duty trucks in urban logistics, the spacing between hard points of some components can be reduced and the spring stiffness can be lowered to adapt to their load and road conditions; to meet the comfort requirements of long-distance commercial vehicles, the bushing and connecting pair parameters can be optimized to reduce vibration transmission. Specifically, the application expansion of this invention is not a simple technology transfer, but a targeted adaptation based on hard point adjustment and parameter optimization. For medium and heavy-duty trucks and other commercial vehicles, the technology can be implemented through the following paths: First, change the position of suspension hard points and adjust the connection coordinates of each component according to the wheelbase and frame structure of different models to ensure that the suspension matches the overall vehicle layout; second, optimize the spring stiffness to reduce the elastic coefficient of the gas springs to balance comfort and load-bearing capacity, targeting the load requirements of medium and heavy-duty trucks (such as lower load capacity than mining dump trucks); third, adjust the connecting pair parameters, for example, to reduce vibration noise by optimizing the damping coefficient of the bushings for the road conditions of urban commercial vehicles. This expansion path retains the core technical logic of the present invention while adapting to different usage scenarios of commercial vehicles, further expanding the application scope and commercial value of the present invention.

[0078] While specific embodiments of the invention have been described in detail by way of examples, those skilled in the art should understand that the examples are for illustrative purposes only and not intended to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art should understand that modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heavy duty mining dump truck front suspension virtual model, characterized by, It includes an axle assembly, a steering hydraulic cylinder, a steering knuckle, a wheel hub unit, a wheel assembly, a longitudinal upper thrust rod, a longitudinal lower thrust rod, a lateral thrust rod, and a gas spring. The steering knuckle is connected to both ends of the axle assembly. The wheel hub unit is connected to the steering knuckle, and the wheel assembly is mounted on the wheel hub unit. The wheel assembly is supported on a virtual suspension test bench. The gas spring, the longitudinal upper thrust rod, and the longitudinal lower thrust rod are mounted on both ends of the axle assembly. The steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the side of the steering knuckle away from the wheel hub unit. The lateral thrust rod... A thrust rod is positioned between the axle assembly and the frame; the gas spring simulates the elastic element of the front suspension; one end of the longitudinal thrust rod is connected to the frame ball joint, and the other end is connected to the axle assembly bushing; one end of the longitudinal downward thrust rod is connected to the frame ball joint, and the other end is connected to the axle assembly bushing; the steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the steering knuckle ball joint, and the steering hydraulic cylinder is connected to the axle assembly via a Hooke joint; the steering knuckle is connected to the axle assembly via a revolute joint, and the steering knuckle is connected to the wheel hub unit via a revolute joint.

2. The heavy duty mining dump truck front suspension virtual model of claim 1, wherein, The spring constant of the gas spring is adjustable.

3. The heavy duty mining dump truck front suspension virtual model of claim 2, wherein, The spring constant of the gas spring is adjusted by adjusting the oil pressure.

4. The virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck according to claim 1, characterized in that, The upper and lower ends of the gas spring are connected to the vehicle frame and the axle assembly respectively via bushings.

5. The virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that, One end of the lateral thrust rod is connected to the frame bushing.

6. The virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck according to claim 5, characterized in that, The other end of the lateral thrust rod is connected to the axle assembly bushing.

7. A modeling method for a virtual model of the front suspension of a heavy-duty mining dump truck as described in claim 1, characterized in that, It includes the following steps: Extracting data from vehicle models in mapping software; Import the front suspension design hardpoint data into the newly created Adams / Car template; Establish rigid components; Establish the outlines of each component; Add elastic and damping elements; Add a connection pair; Establish input and output communicators; Load extraction point establishment; Establish the front suspension assembly.

8. The modeling method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The drafting software is CAD software.

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