FEM analysis of Storz coupling

Abstract

This paper presents an isothermal model of Storz coupling used in fire hose coupling. The model has the actual geometry of the coupling Fire and Rescue NSW for the nominal diameter of 65 mm (NEN 3374). The simulation was done for a load interval on the coupling (from F=2 kN for an actual value of water pressure, to extreme conditions with F=3 kN and 6 kN when the coupling fails under load). The stress and strain distributions point out the stress concentrators and the maximum values of von Mises stress in order to compare them to the material limit. The coupling is made of aluminum alloy EN AW6082 (AlSi1MgMn), treatment T6 (solution heat treated, quenched and artificially aged). Bottom surface of one half-coupling is fixed and the upper surface of the other half-coupling is loaded with a tensile force, uniformly distributed on surface. The constitutive model of the material is bilinear with Young modulus of 71000 MPa, Poisson ration 0.33, yield limit of 280 MPa, ultimate tensile strength 310 MPa and plastic equivalent strain 0.14.