RESULTS OF PROCESS SIMULATION OF FEEDING AND DISTRIBUTING LUBRICANT IN THE FIFTH-WHEEL COUPLING OF HAULING TRACTOR WITH SADDLE TRAILER

Abstract

The necessity of increasing the efficiency of the fifth wheel coupling of hauling tractor with saddle trailer has been substantiated. The analysis of the works of foreign scientists investigating the influence of fifth wheel couplings on the efficiency of functioning of road trains has been carried out. The importance of periodically applying the lubricant recommended by the manufacturer to the rubbing surfaces of the base plate and the saddle of the fifth wheel coupling of hauling tractor has been described. The goal of the work is formulated to determine the optimal number of outlets in the seat for supplying the minimum amount of lubricant that ensures full coverage of the seat surface, as well as long-term retention on it. To achieve this goal, a mathematical model and a computer program based on it have been developed. The schemes of representation in the model of the mounting plate of the hauling tractor and the base plate of the saddle trailer, the interface form with the results of modeling the supply and distribution of lubricant over the rubbing surfaces of the fifth wheel coupling, as well as a diagram of the main input and output parameters of the simulation model are given. The time dependences of the coefficient of lubricant coverage of the mounting plate of the fifth wheel coupling seat with different periodicity of lubricant supply through a variable number of outlet openings are obtained. It was found that the increase in the coefficient of coverage of the mounting plate of the fifth wheel coupling with a lubricant over time occurs according to an exponential law. The optimum number of openings for the lubricant supply is 5-7</jats:p