A comprehensive study of the effects of various design variables on the dynamic behavior and vibration characteristics of a front-loading washing machine

This paper presents the findings of a comprehensive study of the effects of various design variables on the dynamic behavior and vibration characteristics of a front-loading washing machine. A multibody dynamics model of the washing machine with a set of 9 key design variables is developed using the commercial multibody simulation software Adams View. The design variables are implemented to enable automated modifications of the dynamics model for certain parameters such as the geometric orientations of the springs and dampers in the washing machine. This dynamics model is employed to perform a series of numerical simulations by considering a range of parametric values for the design variables. Numerical convergence analysis is performed to ensure that the simulation solutions are converged. Using the simulation solutions, the time histories of displacements at select points of the washing machine during operation (from transient till steady-state motion) are analyzed to understand how the natural frequencies of the washing machine are affected by various design variables. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is carried out to determine the design variables that have the strongest impact on the dynamic behavior of the washing machine. Of all the design variables affecting the dynamic behavior of the washer model, the weight balancer mass density and the damping coefficient were found to have the strongest effect.