Design and Simulation Analysis of the Top Beam Pillar Socket Structure of Hydraulic Support Based on Bionic Principles

Abstract:As a key force transmission hub of the support system, the top beam socket of the hydraulic support is prone to fatigue failure due to stress concentration under the action of complex mine pressure. Aiming at the stress concentration problem existing in the traditional socket structure, this study proposes a design for the top beam socket of hydraulic supports based on bionic principles. By establishing a parametric model of the ammonite chamber spiral, the geometric configuration of the socket was reconstructed, and the curvature gradient variation was utilized to guide the multi-path diffusion of stress. Combined with finite element simulation, a comparative analysis was conducted on the stress responses of the bionic structure and the traditional socket under three typical working conditions: symmetric bending, bending-torsion combination, and central load concentration. The results show that the stress peak is significantly reduced: by 26.4% under symmetric bending, 7.8% under bending-torsion condition, and 19.0% under central load condition. Meanwhile, the stress distribution is optimized: the volume of the high-stress area (with stress greater than 500 MPa) is reduced by an average of 52%, the strain energy uniformity index (Ue) is increased from 0.10 to 0.40, and the maximum stress gradient in key areas is decreased by 54.9%. This bionic design holds significant engineering value for ensuring the safe mining of coal mines. Keywords: Hydraulic support; Top beam pillar socket; Bionic design; Ammonite spiral; Stress concentration; Finite element analysis