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nelson.carvalho@ist.utl.pt
Seco de Tecnologia Mecnica, Instituto Superior Tcnico, Avenida Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisboa,
Portugal
Abstract
The objective of the present work, conducted in partnership with J.Deus Corporation, was the
study of the mechanical response of Porsche 997 intercooler. This objective was achieved
following two methodologies; the numerical analysis of the intercooler mechanical response and
the design of a test bench, by adapting an existing press machine, to allow the experimental
analysis.
For the computational analysis it was necessary to perform uniaxial tensile tests in order
to characterize the mechanical behavior of the intercooler materials (polyamide and aluminum).
Polyamide strain rate dependence and the influence of brazing in the aluminum alloys
properties were also analyzed.
For the experimental study, a test bench was developed to experiment the intercooler
under uniaxial traction conditions. This test bench was designed to be performed in a press
machine existent in the company.
The numerical simulations of the intercooler behavior under traction conditions allowed
to study stress and strain distributions, to identify the location of the maximum values and to
obtain the force evolution. Due to the time requirements to manufacture the tool parts for the
test bench, the experimental study was not completed. Therefore, it has not been possible to
compare the numerical and the experimental results.
KEY- WORDS: intercooler, aluminum alloy, thermoplastic, numerical simulation, test bench
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environment. A comprehensive study of the The intercooler is fixed to the chassis of the
mechanical behavior of the intercooler car directly through six pins, three in the
materials is presented. This material outbox and three in the inbox, and indirectly
characterization was executed through through the pipes of indoor air circulation
standard uniaxial tensile tests. The (figure 1.2).
intercooler mechanical response will be then
studied using two different methodologies:
experimentally by designing a tool to perform
a test bench, and numerically by means of
the finite element method (FEM) analysis. At
the end of the study, the results obtained by
both methods will be compared to validate
the use of the numerical model. This
Figure 1.2 Pin fixation of the intercooler.
validation will allow to study the intercooler
behavior under more complex and difficult
loading conditions using the numerical The axis of the fixing pin is not vertically
analysis. oriented with the tubes.
Although an intercooler is subjected to
different loading conditions in service, which
might result in more or less complex 2. Material Analysis
deformation modes, the focus of this work is
essentially based on a simple mode of
Standard tensile tests were carried out to
deformation, traction.
characterize the mechanical properties of
materials and these values were then used
for the numerical analysis. With the aim of
1. Intercooler reproducing the numerical simulation as
accurate as possible, the mechanical
characterization of the polymer was carried
An intercooler, represented in figure 1.1, is
out by analyzing the influence of strain rate
used to cool the air compressed by the
on the mechanical behavior of the polymer.
turbocharger before the cylinder engine. The
During operation the box of the intercooler
materials used in intercooler in study are
also experiences different loading speeds. In
restricted to two large families, the polymers
the case of aluminum, it was studied how the
and nonferrous metals (aluminum). The
material properties are influenced by brazing
aluminum components are: two top plates,
and by the time elapsed after this joining
two sides, tubes and fins, while the polymers
process. To address this effect, specimens
are present in the two boxes and rubber
were tested before, one day after and a
gasket.
month after brazing.
2.1 Thermoplastic
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tensile proprieties) [1] at four distinct testing
speeds: 2, 10, 50 and 100 mm / min.
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metal (clad) [2]. The temperatures involved in
the brazing process are superior to an
annealing treatment for either treatable or
non-treatable alloys. The annealing process
may, if the temperature is high enough,
cause recrystallization of the alloy [3].
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3. Numerical Analysis 3.2 Analysis Model
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small local changes in the mesh. As the
tubes have a simple shape, a method was
used, allowing them to remain mostly
hexahedral, which is the desired shape for
this element. The model has 885.626
elements and 281.684 nodes, where the
largest number of elements is in the box.
About 90% of elements have good quality
parameters, namely, skewness, orthogonal Figure 3.5 State of deformation in the box for a
quality and aspect ratio. displacement of 0,2 mm; a) Stress b) Strain.
3.4.1 State of Deformation in the Box for At this step the deformation of the box seems
a Displacement of 0,2 mm to approach the critical conditions obtained
for the polymer in the experimental tensile
Figure 3.5 a) shows the distribution of the tests. At this stage become relevant to
true equivalent stress (von Mises) in the box. analyze the maximum deformation of the
Where, pin 1 appears to be the intercooler other intercooler elements, in order to check
part with the highest value of 127.09 MPa. if the regions that have been analyzed
Regarding the true strain in the box, the actually are those that might fracture.
figure 3.5 b) shows a detail of the distribution
in the surroundings of the critical area. The
most requested element has a maximum
value of 0.0094.
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3.4.3 State of Deformation in Other plastic and are therefore, away from the
Components for a Displacement of 0,7 fracture conditions.
mm
3.4.4 State of Deformation in All
The maximum strain in the top plate reaches Components for a Displacement of 1,2
a value of 0.04 in an element located on the mm
inside of the castle and a maximum true
stress of 130.34 MPa. It appears that this Although the conditions leading to the
state corresponds to a deformation starting in fracture of the box were analyzed, it would be
plastic deformation zone of the material of interesting to investigate how the deformation
the top plate, but far enough from the critical progresses beyond that point.
values of the failure of the material; R = Figure 3.9 a) shows the stress distribution in
0.142 and R = 189.9 MPa. Thus, it can be the box with a maximum stress of 196.11
concluded that these loading conditions are MPa, while figure 3.9 b) shows a detail of pin
far from promoting the destruction of the top 1 with the maximum true strain. It is observed
plate in the connection region of the box. a strain with a value of 0.0486, far exceeding
the strain limit of the polymer.
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In the top plate, figure 3.11, maximum values
were located on the same elements, as in the
case of 0.7 mm of displacement, with values
of 0.0681 for the true strain and 151.96 MPa
for the true stress, sufficiently distant from the
material fracture values obtained in the
tensile tests.
4. Test Bench
Figure 3.11 State of deformation in the top plate for a
displacement of 1,2 mm; a) Stress b) Strain.
As a result of the the numerical simulation, it
was found that the intercooler might reaches
For the set of tubes, these also maintain the failure, when subjected to traction conditions
element that is considered when the in its pins, for a displacement of the
displacement was 0.7 mm. This element now numerical model between 0.7 mm and 1.2
has a true stress of 84.57 MPa and a value of mm. These displacement values indicate that
the true strain of 0.0317, as it can be seen in there cannot be gaps of this magnitude in the
Figures 3.12 a) and 3.12 b), respectively. press and traction tool. However, this
Also in this case significantly lower values mechanism, with the modification of a small
than the failure point of the material of the number of parts, can be used to perform
tubes. other deformation modes involving higher
values, for example in the case of analyzing
de-spiking.
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(figure 2.2) increase with increased testing
speed.
It was verified that, in the case of the [2] R. Mundt, Hoogovens, Koblenz,
polymer, its mechanical behavior depends on Introduction to Brazing of Aluminum
the strain rate. The four parameters analyzed Alloys, Lecture 4601, 1994
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[3] Mel M. Schwartz, Brazing, ASM
nd
International, 2 edition, 2003.
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