Mechanism Characterization and Experimental Research on Dynamic Stiffness Performance Degradation of Air Springs

doi:10.3901/JME.260263

Abstract

Abstract: A degradation mechanism model of air spring performance based on material deterioration and thermodynamic coupling is proposed, incorporating design parameters, material properties, and degradation mechanisms. Precise physical interpretations and mathematical formulations of model parameters are provided to facilitate accurate prediction of air spring dynamic characteristics across varying degradation levels. Fatigue tests and indicator diagram tests were conducted. The results reveal that under all operating conditions, prediction errors for dynamic characteristics remained below 2.19%, thereby validating the proposed theoretical model. Additionally, the impact of key design parameters on dynamic stiffness degradation in air springs is examined, expanding the framework for evaluating air spring dynamic behavior. Furthermore, a nonlinear degradation factor (NDF) was formulated to quantitatively assess the amplitude-dependent stiffness degradation characteristics. This metric enables in-depth interpretation of the evolution of dynamic stiffness under varying loading cycles and excitation amplitudes, and provides a theoretical basis for the forward design and full life-cycle optimization of air spring dynamic performance.

Key words: air spring, performance degradation, dynamic characteristics, fatigue test

CLC Number:

U461

WU Mingyu, WANG Yafei, CHEN Junjie, ZHONG Hong. Mechanism Characterization and Experimental Research on Dynamic Stiffness Performance Degradation of Air Springs[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(15): 397-406.

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URL: http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/10.3901/JME.260263

http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I15/397

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