Modeling the moving cogwheel load - analysis using ANSYS & Matlab

A moving impulse load generated by a heavy cogwheel (CW) can be used as a testing excitation for bridges. This previously proposed type of dynamic testing offers theoretically short testing times. Laboratory experiments confirmed already its capability of damage indication by repeated testing. This contribution suggests an approach how to solve the cogwheel movement using a Finite Element (FE) solver and Matlab. As the solution is theoretically nonlinear, the necessary limiting conditions for its application are formulated. Then the analysis is applied to simulate the passage of the CW over a simple laboratory model in order to compare it to laboratory experiments