Skip to main content
Log in

Equilibrium equations for 3D critical buckling of helical springs

  • Published:
Applied Mathematics and Mechanics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In most cases, the research on the buckling of a helical spring is based on the column, the spring is equivalent to the column, and the torsion around the axial line is ignored. A three-dimensional (3D) helical spring model is considered in this paper. The equilibrium equations are established by introducing two coordinate systems, the Frenet and the principal axis coordinate systems, to describe the spatial deformation of the center line and the torsion of the cross section of the spring, respectively. By using a small deformation assumption, the variables of the deflection can be expanded into Taylor’s series, and the terms of high orders are ignored. Hence, the equations can be simplified to the functions of the twist angle and the arc length, which can be solved by a numerical method. The reaction loads of the spring caused by the axial load subjected to the center point are also discussed, giving the boundary conditions for the solution to the equilibrium equations. The present work is useful to the research on the behavior of the post-buckling of the compressed helical spring.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Wu, J. K. and Huang, Y. G. The stability of elastic curved bars (in Chinese). Acta Mechanic Sinica, 19(5), 445–454 (1987)

    Google Scholar 

  2. Liu, Y. Z. Stability of a thin elastic helical rod with no circular cross section in relaxed state (in Chinese). Journal of Dynamic and Control, 3(4), 12–16 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  3. Liu, Y. Z. Stability of equilibrium of a helical rod under axial compression (in Chinese). Acta Mechanica Solida Sinica, 26(3), 256–260 (2005)

    Google Scholar 

  4. Miyazaki, Y. and Kondo, K. Analytical solution of spatial elastic and its application to kinking problem. International Journal of Solid and Analysis, 34(24), 3619–3636 (1997)

    MathSciNet  MATH  Google Scholar 

  5. Liu, Y. Z. Nonlinear Mechanics of Thin Elastic Rod-Theoretical Basis of Mechanical Model of DNA (in Chinese), Tsinghua University Press, Beijing, 3–4 (2006)

    Google Scholar 

  6. Meng, D. J. and Liang, K. Differential Geometry (in Chinese), Science Press, Beijing, 14–25 (2002)

    Google Scholar 

  7. Wang, Z. X., Wei, X. Y., and Liu, X. Z. Handbook of Spring Design (in Chinese), Shanghai Scientific and Technological Literature Publishing House Co. Ltd, Shanghai, 176–177 (1986)

    Google Scholar 

  8. Haringx, J. A. On highly compressible helical spring and rubber rods, and their application for vibration-free mountings-I. Philip Research Reports, 39(6), 401–449 (1948)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Bai-lin Zheng  (郑百林).

Additional information

Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 11002101)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wu, Xg., Zheng, Bl., He, Pf. et al. Equilibrium equations for 3D critical buckling of helical springs. Appl. Math. Mech.-Engl. Ed. 33, 1049–1058 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10483-012-1604-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10483-012-1604-x

Key words

Chinese Library Classification

2010 Mathematics Subject Classification

Navigation