ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Mech. Eng.
Sec. Solid and Structural Mechanics
Multi-Operating-Condition Adaptability Enhancement: Simulation and Experimental Study on the Roof Beam Structure of Hydraulic Support
Provisionally accepted
- 1School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, China
- 2China University of Mining and Technology - Beijing, Beijing, China
- 3Chinacoal Beijing Coal Mining Machinery Co.,Ltd., Beijing, China
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The mechanical properties of the top beam structure of hydraulic supports directly affect support safety. This study takes the top beam of the ZY14790/15/25D hydraulic support as the research object, which is specifically designed for full-seam mining in one pass of medium-thick coal seams and must cope with extreme working conditions such as high ground stress, intense rock burst, and large roof deformation in deep coal mines. A finite element model was established using ANSYS software to analyze the stress and deformation laws of the top beam under three working conditions (symmetric bending, diagonal torsion, and bending-torsion combination), and the weak areas of the top beam under different working conditions were identified. Aiming at the weak links of the original design scheme under complex multi-working conditions, such as uneven stress distribution, discontinuous force flow transmission, and insufficient local stiffness (these issues are prone to causing fatigue fracture or severe plastic deformation in actual working conditions), an optimization technology centered on "enhancing structural continuity, optimizing the load-bearing efficiency of ribs, and strengthening local load-resistant capacity" was proposed, and four optimization schemes were constructed. Based on the above schemes, a new top beam model was established, and finite element simulation and comparative cyclic loading tests were carried out. The results show that after optimization, the maximum stress of the top beam under the three working conditions is reduced by 31.44%, 19.28%, and 27.20% respectively; the maximum deformation is reduced by 12.91%, 12.26%, and 15.63% respectively. Cyclic loading tests indicate that the original top beam fractured after a total of 16,522 cycles, with the fracture location at the joint between the top plate and the internal stiffening plate; the fatigue life of the optimized top beam is significantly improved. A weld crack appeared and propagated to the base metal at 19,100 cycles, and after standardized repair, it can stably bear the full yield load, meeting the requirements of actual working conditions. This study provides a practical and feasible scheme for the structural optimization of hydraulic support top beams, and has reference value for improving the reliability of coal mining equipment.
Keywords: Fatigue life, FEM, Hydraulic support, Optimization design, Stress equilibrium, Top beam
Received: 09 Jan 2026; Accepted: 03 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Liu, Liu and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Yang Liu
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