Chapter 07.00G Physical Problem For Integration Mechanical Engineering

Chapter 07.
00G
Physical Problem for Integration
Mechanical Engineering
Problem Statement
To make the fulcrum (Figure 1) of a bascule bridge, a long hollow steel shaft called the
trunnion is shrink fit into a steel hub. The resulting steel trunnion-hub assembly is then shrink
fit into the girder of the bridge.
Trunnion
Hub
Girder
Figure 1 Trunnion-Hub-Girder (THG) assembly.
This is done by first immersing the trunnion in a cold medium such as dry-ice/alcohol
mixture. After the trunnion reaches the steady state temperature of the cold medium, the
trunnion outer diameter contracts. The trunnion is taken out of the medium and slid though
the hole of the hub (Figure 2).
When the trunnion heats up, it expands and creates an interference fit with the hub.
In 1995, on one of the bridges in Florida, this assembly procedure did not work as designed.
Before the trunnion could be inserted fully into the hub, the trunnion got stuck. Luckily the
trunnion was taken out before it got stuck permanently. Otherwise, a new trunnion and hub
would needed to be ordered at a cost of $50,000. Coupled with construction delays, the total
loss could have been more than hundred thousand dollars.
Why did the trunnion get stuck? This was because the trunnion had not contracted
enough to slide through the hole. Can you find out why?
A hollow trunnion of outside diameter 12.363 is to be fitted in a hub of inner
diameter 12.358 . The trunnion was put in dry ice/alcohol mixture (temperature of the fluid
07.00G.1
07.00G.2 Chapter 07.00G
- dry ice/alcohol mixture is  108F ) to contract the trunnion so that it can be slid through the
hole of the hub. To slide the trunnion without sticking, a diametrical clearance of at least
0.01 is required between the trunnion and the hub. Assuming the room temperature is
80F , is immersing it in dry-ice/alcohol mixture a correct decision?
Figure 2 Trunnion slided through the hub after contracting

Solution
To calculate the contraction in the diameter of the trunnion, thermal expansion coefficient at
room temperature is used. In that case the reduction, D in the outer diameter of the
trunnion is
D  DT (1)
where
D = outer diameter of the trunnion,
  coefficient of thermal expansion coefficient at room temperature, and
T  change in temperature,
Given
D  12.363
  6.817  10 6 in/in/ F at 80F
T  T fluid  Troom
 108  80
 188F
where
T fluid = temperature of dry-ice/alcohol mixture,
Troom = room temperature,
the reduction in the trunnion outer diameter is given by
 
D  (12.363) 6.47  10 6  188
=  0.01504"
So the trunnion is predicted to reduce in diameter by 0.01504”. But, is this enough reduction
in diameter? As per specifications, he needs the trunnion to contract by
= trunnion outside diameter - hub inner diameter + diametral clearance
= 12.363"12.358"0.01"
= 0.015"
Physical Problem for Integration: Mechanical Engineering 07.00G.3
So according to his calculations, immersing the steel trunnion in dry-ice/alcohol mixture

gives the desired contraction of 0.015” as we predict a contraction of 0.01504 .
But as shown in Figure 3, the thermal expansion coefficient of steel decreases with
temperature and is not constant over the range of temperature the trunnion goes through.
Hence the above formula (Equation 1) would overestimate the thermal contraction.
7.00E-06
Coefficient of Thermal Expancion
6.00E-06
5.00E-06
(in/in/ F)
4.00E-06
o
3.00E-06
2.00E-06
1.00E-06
0.00E+00
-400 -300 -200 -100 0 100 200
o
Temperature ( F)
Figure 3 Varying thermal expansion coefficient as a function of temperature for cast steel.
The contraction in the diameter for the trunnion for which the thermal expansion coefficient
varies as a function of temperature is given by
T fluid
D  D  dT (2)
Troom
Note that Equation (2) reduces to Equation (1) if the coefficient of thermal expansion is
assumed to be constant. In Figure 3, the thermal expansion coefficient of a typical cast steel
is approximated by a second order polynomial 1 as
  1.2278  10 11 T 2  6.1946  10 9 T  6.0150  10 6
108
  1.2278  10 
11
D  12.363 T 2  6.1946  10 9 T  6.015  10 6 dT
80
QUESTIONS
1. Can you now find the contraction in the trunnion OD?
2. Is the magnitude of contraction more than 0.015” as required?
3. If that is not the case, what if the trunnion were immersed in liquid nitrogen (boiling
temperature=  321 F ) ? Will that give enough contraction in the trunnion?
07.00G.4 Chapter 07.00G
4. Rather than regressing the data to a second order polynomial so that one can find the
contraction in the trunnion outer diameter, how would you use trapezoidal rule of
integration for unequal segments? What is the relative difference between the two
results? The data for the thermal expansion coefficients as function of temperature is
given below.
Table 1 Instantaneous thermal expansion coefficient as a function of temperature.

Temperature Instantaneous Thermal Expansion
F  in / in/ F
80 6.47
60 6.36
40 6.24
20 6.12
0 6.00
-20 5.86
-40 5.72
-60 5.58
-80 5.43
-100 5.28
-120 5.09
-140 4.91
-160 4.72
-180 4.52
-200 4.30
-220 4.08
-240 3.83
-260 3.58
-280 3.33
-300 3.07
-320 2.76
-340 2.45
1
The second order polynomial is derived using regression analysis which is another mathematical procedure
where numerical methods are employed. Regression analysis approximates discrete data such as the thermal
expansion coefficient vs. temperature data as a continuous function. This is an excellent example of where one
has to use numerical methods of more than one procedure to solve a real life problem.
Topic INTEGRATION
Sub Topic Physical Problem
Summary A physical problem of finding if the shaft has contracted
enough to be shrink fit into a hollow hub.
Authors Autar Kaw
Date December 7, 2008
Web Site http://numericalmethods.eng.usf.edu

Chapter 07.00G Physical Problem For Integration Mechanical Engineering

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 07.00G Physical Problem For Integration Mechanical Engineering

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Chapter 07.00G Physical Problem For Integration Mechanical Engineering

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Can you now find the contraction in the trunnion OD?

Is the magnitude of contraction more than 0.015" as required?

Chapter 07.

Figure 2 Trunnion slided through the hub after contracting

So according to his calculations, immersing the steel trunnion in dry-ice/alcohol mixture

Table 1 Instantaneous thermal expansion coefficient as a function of temperature.

You might also like