Thermomechanical fatigue—damage mechanisms and mechanism-based life prediction methods

An existing extensive database on the isothermal and thermomechanical fatigue behaviour of high-temperature titanium alloy EVII 834 and dispersoid-strengthened aluminum alloy X8019 in SiC particle-reinforced as well as unreinv conditions was used to evaluate both the adaptability of fracture mechanics approaches to TMF and the resulting predictive capabilities of determining material life by crack propagation consideration. Selection of the correct microstructural concepts was emphasised and these concepts were, then adjusted by using data from independent experiments in order to avoid any sort of fitting. It is shown that the cyclic /-integral (δJ_eff concept) is suitable to predict the cyclic lifetime for conditions where the total crack propagation rate is approximately identical to pure fatigue crack growth velocity. In the case that crack propagation is strongly affected by creep, the creep-fatigue damage parameter δ_CF introduced by Riedel can be successfully applied. If environmental effects are very pronounced, the accelerating influence of corrosion on fatigue crack propagation can no longer implicitly be taken into account in the fatigue crack growth law. Instead, a linear combination of the crack growth rate contributions from plain fatigue (determined in vacuum) and from environmental attack is assumed and found to yield a satisfactory prediction, if the relevant corrosion process is taken into account.     

Asymptotic stress intensity factor density profiles for smeared-tip method for cohesive fracture

The paper presents a computational approach and numerical data which facilitate the use of the smeared-tip method for cohesive fracture in large enough structures. In the recently developed K-version of the smeared tip method, the large-size asymptotic profile of the stress intensity factor density along a cohesive crack is considered as a material characteristic, which is uniquely related to the softening stress-displacement law of the cohesive crack. After reviewing the K-version, an accurate and efficient numerical algorithm for the computation of this asymptotic profile is presented. The algorithm is based on solving a singular Abel's integral equation. The profiles corresponding to various typical softening stress-displacement laws of the cohesive crack model are computed, tabulated and plotted. The profiles for a certain range of other typical softening laws can be approximately obtained by interpolation from the tables. Knowing the profile, one can obtain with the smeared-tip method an analytical expression for the large-size solution to fracture problems, including the first two asymptotic terms of the size effect law. Consequently, numerical solutions of the integral equations of the cohesive crack model as well as finite element simulations of the cohesive crack are made superfluous. However, when the fracture process zone is attached to a notch or to the body surface and the cohesive zone ends with a stress jump, the solution is expected to be accurate only for large-enough structures.     

Characterisation of plasticity-induced closure--crack flank contact force versus plastic enclave

This paper presents some results from a totally new and powerful fusion between automated, digital photoelastic techniques and mathematical analysis of a crack experiencing closure. In essence, real-time photoelastic stress field data is acquired and fitted to a Muskhelishvili complex potential model of a loaded crack experiencing closure. The fit entails optimisation of multiple variables via a memetic algorithm, which combines a genetic algorithm and a local search. From observations made in this work, it is proposed that the plastic enclave around a crack tip will shield the crack from the full influence of the applied stress field. Furthermore, the effects of this ‘back stress’ are overcome by the applied tensile load in a way that, often, cannot be readily correlated with crack contact length, wake contact force, or with compliance.     

双头螺栓失效分析

与汽车电机装配在一起的双头螺栓在拧紧后不久便发生断裂。采用扫描电镜、化学分析、金相检验等方法对失效件进行了检测，同时又进行了氢脆试验验证。结果表明，螺栓在进行表面酸洗及电镀时，氢向金属内部扩散和富集，当氢浓度达到一定临界值后，促使氢致裂纹的产生和扩展。在外应力的作用下，即出现氢脆现象导致螺栓断裂。     

用有限元确定起重机裂纹补强板的参数

采用ANSYS有限元分析软件，对因出现裂纹的起重机主梁而添加的补强板进行系列计算，得出修补后主梁裂纹的应力及应力强度因子的变化规律。结果表明，采用参数适当的补强板，可降低起重机主梁裂纹尖端的应力，从而保证起重机的安全。     

A time series approach to fatigue crack propagation

The inherently nonlinear phenomenon of fatigue crack propagation is modeled as a linear random process. To a first approximation, simple, nonstationary time series models are introduced and standard techniques for determining the parameters of autoregressive integrated moving-average processes are applied. Multiplicative time series models are next utilised for the representation of a group of crack history curves. Implementation of the models on the Virkler experimental data set yields satisfactory results. Reliable Gaussian approximations to the distribution of the time required by a crack to reach a specified critical length are obtained, and the usefulness of the approach is demonstrated when updating lifetime predictions after periodic inspections.     

Oscillatory crack tip triangular elements for finite element analysis of interface cracks

In this paper a special crack tip element has been developed in which displacements and stresses have the same behaviour as those of bi‐material interface cracks with open tips. The element degenerates into a traditional triangular quarter point element in cases of homogeneous cracks. An isoparametric co‐ordinate system (ρ, t) is defined in this study, and numerical techniques using these co‐ordinates to evaluate Jacobian matrices, shape function derivatives, and element stiffness matrices are developed. Also, equations calculating the complex stress intensity factor using displacements are obtained in this study. Numerical results are in good agreement with known analytical solutions in two examples. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An investigation of crack closure and the propagation of semi-elliptical fatigue cracks in Q1N (HY80) pressure vessel steel

The results of an experimental investigation of the effect of crack closure on the propagation of semi-elliptical fatigue cracks are presented. Load-shedding fatigue threshold tests were carried out at stress ratios of 0.2, 0.35, 0.5 and 0.7. Crack closure was measured at the surface and depth positions using backface strain gauges, near-tip gauges, and a clip gauge. Differences between the surface and depth growth behaviour are explained by considerations of the effects of the transition from plane stress conditions at the surface to plane strain conditions at the depth. The effects of stress ratios are attributed largely to differences in the crack opening displacement, which result in asperities coming into contact to induce roughness-induced crack closure.     

Fatigue crack growth analysis of welded aluminium RHS T-joints with manipulated residual stress level

The fatigue life of a welded aluminium T‐joint made from beams with rectangular hollow section (RHS) has been predicted using a crack propagation analysis and compared with experimental results from joints with different residual stress levels. To include the effect of the residual stresses, the stress ratio was calculated at the weld toe and, via Walker's equation, introduced into the analysis. How to obtain the Walker exponent has been discussed in detail. The introduction of a stress ratio at the weld toe provides good agreement between the experimentally and analytically found S–N curves. The effect of the residual stress was successfully included in the analysis.     

广州港起重机械裂纹诊断系统的应用及改进

从港口起重机金属结构的故障管理与实践出发，通过对故障原理的分析，在断裂力学的基础上，对存在宏观裂纹构件的使用寿命和巡检周期进行预测，并开发出了港口起重机械金属结构裂纹诊断系统。通过在广州等大港口的推广，方便了维修、管理人员的使用。最后对该系统在应力测试操作中的经验和教训进行了总结。