Numerical Study on Characteristics of Stress in Ω-Shaped Tubular Bellows

Abstract

Tubular bellows is a mechanical device for absorbing energy or displacement in structures. It is widely used to deal with vibrations, thermal expansion, and the angular, radial, and axial displacements of components. In the present study, the characteristics of stress in Ω-shaped tubular bellows are studied numerically. An Ω-shaped of tubular bellows available in market is subjected to internal pressure and deflection loads. The stresses are compared with the conventional U-shaped bellows. Elastic analyses of a two-dimensional, axisymmetric model with structural solid elements were carried out. A full convolution of each bellow was modeled. The dimensions of the bellows are as follows: r(sub i) = 64mm, r(sub 0) = 77mn, q = 11.5 mn, and thickness t = 0.45mm. The bellows are made of SUS321 with properties of E = 193 GPa and ν = 0.3. The numerical results show good agreement with analytical results. The distributions of axial stresses are plotted for each bellows. It was concluded that the most destructive stress in bellows was meridional bending stress. The meridional bending stress in Ω-shaped of tubular bellows are lower than the U-shaped ones but higher than in toroidal bellows.