Experiment # 02

Investigation of load – deflection characteristics of a helical spring

under tension

1. Apparatus

Extension and compression of spring apparatus, Vernier caliper, plunger, weights.

Introduction

2. Spring

A spring is an elastic component that can be used to store mechanical energy.

There are various types of spring e.g.

1. compression spring

2. Tension spring

3. Torsion spring

4. Belleville spring

Here is a brief introduction to these types

2.1. Compression spring

In compression spring the load is applied in such a way that the length of

the spring reduces and it is compressed as a result of compression the

spring stores mechanical energy. The best example of compression spring

is spring used in the ballpoint.

2.2. Tension spring

This type of spring include the spring that are stretched when load is

applied over it, thus undergoes tension.

For example, counter balancing of garage doors.

2.3. Torsion spring

A torsion spring is a type of spring that stores mechanical energy when it

is twisted. It consists of two ends and exerts force on opposite end when

twisted from one end. The magnitude of the force exerted is proportional

to the amount of the twisting of spring.

2.4. Belleville spring

A Belleville spring is a disc like spring in the form of conical disc or

washer used along with washer to bear axial loads.

3. Nomenclature of extension spring

Following is nomenclature of extension spring

1. Tension spring : the other name for the extension spring.

2. Wire diameter: measures of the thickness the wire.

3. Outer diameter: the total diameter of the coil of the spring.

4. Inner diameter: this measure the internal diameter or the diameter of the coil excluding

the thickness of the coil

5. Mean diameter: the mean diameter between the internal diameter and external

diameter.

6. Spring index: it is the ratio between spring’ wire thickness and mean diameter.

7. Length inside hooks: Length of the unloaded spring inside the hooks.
 8. Active coils: the active coils of the spring that make spring functional.

4. Load

load is defined as the force that acts on a body and deform or tends to deform it from its

equilibrium position.

5. Stress

it accounts for the internal resistance of the material to the external loads to maintain the

material in equilibrium, mathematically, it is defined as force per unit area of the body

F
σ=
A

5.1. Types of Stress

Three main types of stress are

1. Normal stress

2. Shear stress

3. Bending stress

5.1.1. Normal Stress

Normal stress is produced in the body when the force acts perpendicular to the surface

area of the body. Depending upon the nature of the normal stress it may be

1. Tensile stress

2. Compressive stress

1. Tensile stress

When an object is subjected to the forces along its axis such that forces are

equal and opposite in directions, it causes increase in length of the object and

decrease in its area. It is known as tensile stress and the object whose length
 has been increased as a result, of the application of the loads is said to be

under tension, as shown in figure.

Figure 1: Tensile stress

2. Compressive stress

An object in the presence of two equal axial forces undergoing into reduction

of length is said to be under compression and thus stress produced in the

object is known as compressive stress as shown in figure.

P P P

Figure 2 : Compressive Stress

5.1.2. Shear Stress

Shear stress is induced in the body when a tangential force acts on given area of

the body, it tends to deform the body and its shape is changed to new

equilibrium condition, as shown in figure.

 D C D D/ C C/

A B A B θ
Figure 3 Figure 4

From above figure the shear stress can be found by using the formula

q=tanθ

5.1.3. Bending Stress

When load is applied perpendicular to the axis of the body it acquires a shape of

a curve producing what is known as bending stress. it can be found by using the

relation

MI
σ=
y

5.2. Material’s behavior to tensile loading

When a tensile load is applied to a material it undergoes change in length and

diameter in case of tension the length of the object increases and its diameter

decreases and vice versa. For compression, if the tensile load is applied beyond

the center of the object there will be both bending and tensile stress produced by

the load in such cases we determine bending stress and tensile stress

individually. By using the principle of superposition we simply add the stress to

get combined effect of the one type of stresses.

 In tensile loading material undergoes reduction in diameter which is usually

very small so we use the Poisson’ ratio to get the change in the diameter of the

specimen with respect to its original diameter.

6. Procedure

The procedure of the experiment is as follow.

1. Measure the external diameter and thickness of both the extension and

compression spring and count numbers of active turns in each.

2. For extension in the spring place the load on the plunger and note down

corresponding reading of the extension on an attached scale.

3. Go on placing loads with interval 5 N and take corresponding readings of

extension for loading the plunger and then for unloading it.

4. Take mean of values for loading and unloading and measure spring constant by

dividing the load by the extension.

5. Similarly, before taking the readings for compression of other spring disjoint the

upper extension spring from lower compression spring for correct values.

6. Following the same procedure above note the compression values for different

loads for loading and unloading.

7. Take mean of the values and work out the spring constant of the spring.

7. Observations and Calculations

External diameter of the extension spring =25.3mm

Thickness of the extension spring = 2.5mm

Internal diameter of the extension spring = 20.3 mm

Mean radius of the extension spring = 11.4 mm

 Active No. of turns = 13

Sr. Load Log(d) Log(s) 1 Extension – in spring Theoretical %error

No. (N) (mm) (mm) d4 deflection
mm-4 64 R3 n
δl=
G d4
Loading Unloading Average (mm)
(mm) (mm) (mm)
1 10 0.27875 0.0767 4.44 4.7 4.05 12.83
4 2 3 4.57
2 15 0.33445 1.87506 0.0459 6.73 6.93 6.1 11.96
4 1 4 6.83
3 20 0.38201 1.74818 0.0296 9.1 9.36 8.1 13.95
7 8 4 9.23
4 25 0.42651 1.66275 0.0196 11.5 11.7 10.11 15
1 8 8 11.6
5 30 0.46538 1.56820 0.0137 13.63 13.63 12.13 12.36
3 2 6 13.63
Table 1

Figure 5: Graph of load – tension for average loading and unloading

 Figure 6: Graph of wire diameter – deflection

Figure 7: Graph of wire diameter – deflection for average loading and unloading
8. Conclusion

From our above discussion it is concluded that the when the spring is under tension

its stiffness is likely to be less for the same load than that of when it was under

tension. Therefore, we reach to conclusion that a spring will be more resistive to

deformation and will try more to persist its original geometry under tension than

under compression

9. Comments

The errors in the readings are may be due to following reasons.

1. We have neglected the weight of the hanger in our observations which have

contributed towards the errors in the readings.

2. Poor calibration, which includes errors in noting down the readings, are also a

cause of error in actual and experimental value.

3. As the spring constant depends upon the temperature so in our experimental room

temperature is different than that of the temperature at which the value of the

spring constant have been determined so this thing also cause error in the

readings.

10. References

[1] Zhang, Z. ., Eckert, J., & Schultz, L. (2003). Difference in compressive and tensile

fracture mechanisms of Zr59Cu20Al10Ni8Ti3 bulk metallic glass. Acta

Materialia, 51(4), 1167–1179. doi:10.1016/s1359-6454(02)00521-

[2] Tang, S. B., Bao, C. Y., & Liu, H. Y. (2017). Brittle fracture of rock under

combined tensile and compressive loading conditions. Canadian

Geotechnical Journal, 54(1), 88–101. doi:10.1139/cgj-2016-0214