Hysteresis Response Loops in Stationary Vibrator Regimes for Elastomeric Insulators

Abstract

In order to raise the hysteresis loops in stationary dynamic regimes in the case of elastomeric insulators, specialized dynamic stands are used that may obtain both the necessary harmonic excitation by force as well as the modification of the angular arrangement discreetly variable from zero to 90 degrees. In this context, for the evaluation of the elastomeric insulators, a dynamic stand with an inertial vibrator was used, the frequency of which can be changed by continuous adjustment within the range of values from 2 Hz to 60 Hz. Forces and displacements can be measured with the appropriate sensors, and based on the recording of signals, the characteristics of rigidity, damping and the raise of hysteresis loops could be determined for three significant dynamic regimes: ante-resonance and post-resonance. Research on the dynamic stand, patented in Romania, has highlighted the fact that the parametric evaluation can be performed based on the lifting of the hysteretic loops in stationary harmonic regimes. Additionally, there are two situations specifically mentioned, one in which the significant inertial effect for the F-x loops leads to their positioning in quadrants II and IV, and the case of Q-x loops, where the inertial effect does not exist, and their positioning is only in quadrants I and III. From the analysis of the two cases, the most advantageous evaluation method for the test can be chosen. This article provides the calculation relationships established for the dynamic model with linear viscoelastic behaviour. The requirements of Voight–Kelvin modeling with a single degree of freedom is fully justified and ensured by the conditions of geometric and mass symmetry in the construction of the stand. The verification of the numerical results with the experimental ones was performed with the hysteresis loops corresponding to the previously defined three significant dynamic regimes, as well as according to the three positions of the elastomeric insulators for compression, compression-shear and shear.