Cold expansion of holes and resulting fatigue life enhancement and residual stresses in Al 2024 T3 alloy – An experimental study

This paper presents the experimental results of fatigue life enhancement and the residual stresses around the cold expanded holes in Al 2024, a widely used aerospace alloy. Two techniques for cold expansion of holes, namely split-sleeve with taper pin technique and split-sleeve with ball technique were considered for comparison, as the former involves surface contact and the latter has line contact during expansion. The techniques were compared based on the fatigue life enhancement in the expanded holes, the induced and the residual stresses due to expansion. The holes were expanded by 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, and 6% using INSTRON machine in both the techniques. While both the techniques resulted in improvement in fatigue life of the expanded holes, the taper pin technique yielded 200% higher fatigue life improvement than that obtained by ball technique. The induced residual stresses were measured by mounting strain gages of 0.2 mm gage length. These are drawn as a function of induced strain. In both the techniques residual stresses increased with increase in percentage of expansion until 5% and then decreased for 6% expansion. The increase in fatigue life at 5% expansion was 1.88 times and 5.3 times higher than that of the non-expanded holes for ball and tapered method, respectively. The corresponding improvement in taper method was greater than the non-expanded holes. While, it was observed that the residual stresses decreased with respect to the distance from the hole in both the techniques, the ball technique resulted in lower residual stresses than that of taper pin technique.     

RELAXATION OF RESIDUAL STRESSES AT COLD-WORKED FASTENER HOLES DUE TO FATIGUE LOADING

Abstract— Cold-expansion of fastener holes is now commonly used within the aerospace industry to increase the fatigue endurance of airframes. Although a number of methods of cold expansion are possible, the split-sleeve cold-expansion process is the most widely accepted and is frequently used in the repair and manufacture stages of both military and civil aircraft. In the present work, the redistribution of residual hoop stresses due to the application of constant amplitude fatigue loading at 4% cold-expanded holes has been studied. A modified Sachs method was adopted to evaluate the residual stress profiles and a replication technique was used to quantify crack growth. It was found that the decay of the residual hoop stress profile near the bore of the hole was due to the initiation and growth of small fatigue cracks. Cracks were found to initiate both near and below the fatigue limit, but subsequently arrested so stabilising the overall residual stress profile.     

Numerical and experimental investigation of the cold expansion process with split sleeve in titanium alloy TC4

A series of uniaxial fatigue tests were carried out using specimens containing non-cold expanded and cold expanded holes to assess the effect of split sleeve cold expansion on fatigue behavior of titanium alloy TC4. The fracture surfaces of specimens were observed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). 3D finite element models were also used to analyze the residual stress fields around cold expanded holes. Based on the qualitative finite element analysis (FEA), the multi-axial fatigue lives of the non-cold and cold expanded holes have been predicted by Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) method and Wang–Brown (WB) method respectively. The effects of the friction between the split sleeve and the hole’s surface were also considered. The results reveal that crack of cold expanded specimen always initiates near entrance face and the crack propagation speed along transverse direction is faster than along axial direction. The lowest compressive stress occurs at the entrance face where crack is preferentially initiated. The mandrel entrance face is the most sensitive region to friction between the split sleeve outer surface and the hole. After cold expansion, fatigue life of TC4 open hole was increased to 1.7–2.2 times. Compared with the result of SWT theory, the result of WB theory is more conservative and reliable.     

Analytical and numerical modelling of plasticity-induced crack closure in cold-expanded holes

The aim of this research was the development of an analytical model for plasticity-induced fatigue crack closure for cold expanded holes. This paper extends Nowell's plane stress model of plasticity-induced crack closure for a plate with a circular hole and two radial symmetric cracks. The possibility of existence of an initial residual stress field is also taken into account. This model has potential to be applied to other cracked geometries and arbitrary residual stress fields, although the paper is focused on the study of cold-expanded holes. Hole cold-expansion is widely used in aircraft industry, for improving the fatigue performance of rivet holes by delaying fatigue crack propagation. This paper shows that the residual stress field due to cold-expansion has a strong influence on the closure behaviour and therefore on fatigue crack propagation. The analytical model developed, was compared with finite element analyses of plasticity-induced crack closure with and without residual stresses. Finally, the model was used to predict fatigue lives for some experiments recently reported in the literature for fatigue crack propagation from cold-expanded holes. Predicted fatigue lives correlate well with experimental data.     

The effect of cold expansion on fatigue crack growth from open holes at room and high temperature

In this paper a series of residual stress measurements and fatigue crack growth tests have been carried out using aluminium alloy 2650 specimens containing cold expanded and non cold expanded holes. Residual stress measurements have been done after cold expansion and after various loading and temperature conditions. In order to measure an angular variation of residual stresses, X-ray and a new technique called the Garcia–Sachs method have been employed. Results revealed that residual stress relaxation occurred as a result of exposure at 150°C. The magnitude of relaxation was shown to be dependent on the level and the sign of externally applied load. Fatigue crack growth tests have been carried out at 20°C and 150°C for both cold expanded and non-cold expanded conditions. Fatigue crack growth rates in specimens containing cold expanded fastener holes were affected significantly by elevated temperature exposure. Depending on the exposure time and loading conditions the fatigue life improvement was found to be between one and greater than 10 for tests at 20°C.     

Investigation of cold expansion of short edge margin holes with pre‐existing cracks in 2024‐T351 aluminium alloy

The United States Air Force has requirements to inspect and cold expand potentially thousands of fastener holes for an aircraft fleet, and the presence of existing cracks at those fastener holes is expected. Fatigue experiments were performed to investigate the resulting fatigue crack growth life of a fastener hole that contained a representative ‘unknown’ crack at the time of inspection (approximately 0.050 in. in length) at a short edge margin hole that was then cold expanded and compare that to a non‐cold expanded hole and a cold expanded hole with no pre‐existing cracks. The United States Air Force analytical approach used to account for the benefit due to cold expansion was compared to the experimental data and does not consistently provide conservative predictions.     

Effect of residual stresses on fatigue strength of high strength steel sheets with punched holes

The effect of residual stresses on the reverse bending fatigue strength of steel sheets with punched holes was studied for steels with tensile strength grades of 540 MPa and 780 MPa. Tensile and compressive residual stresses were induced around the punched holes. Heat treatment of the specimens with punched holes at 873 K for 1 h decreased the residual stresses around the holes and improved the fatigue strength of the sheets. This result means that the tensile residual stresses induced in the sidewalls of the holes and near the hole edges by punching reduced fatigue strength. The effect of the residual stresses on the fatigue limits of the edges was estimated by the modified Goodman relation using the residual stresses after cyclic loading and the ultimate tensile strength at the fatigue crack initiation sites.     

Finite element method and experimental investigation on the residual stress fields and fatigue performance of cold expansion hole

Cold expansion is an efficient way to improve the fatigue life of an open hole. The residual stress fields of cold expansion holes are vital for key components designing, manufacturing and fatigue properties assessment. In this paper, three finite element models have been established to study the residual stress fields of cold expansion hole, experiments were carried out to measure the residual stress of cold expansion hole and verify simulation results. Three groups of specimens with different cold expansion levels are examined by fatigue test. The fracture surfaces of specimens are observed by scanning electron microscope. The finite element method (FEM) results show, with interference values develop, the maximum values of circumferential residual compressive/tensile stresses increase in “infinite” and “finite” domain, and a higher positive stress values are obtained at the boundary of “finite” domain. The effects of the friction between the mandrel and the hole’s surface and two cold expansion techniques on the distribution of residual stress is local, which only affects the radial residual stress around the maximum value and the circumferential residual stress near the hole’s edge. Crack always initiates near entrance face and the crack propagation speed along transverse direction is faster than that along axial direction.     

Residual stress/strain evolution due to low‐cycle fatigue by removing local material volume and optical interferometric data

Three experimental methods, based on optical interferometric measurements of deformation response to local material removing, have been implemented for residual stresses determination. Two first techniques are employed to characterize initial residual stress values and their evolution near welded joints of aluminium plates under low‐cycle fatigue. The hole‐drilling method gives high‐accurate dependencies between residual stress components and number of cycles. The second approach comprises cracks modelling by narrow notches to describe residual stress distributions in more wide spatial range near the weld. The results demonstrate residual stress evolution is of complex character and cannot be uniquely qualified as a gradual relaxation. Besides, the secondary hole drilling method is developed and used as a fast and reliable tool to quantify the redistribution of residual strains near cold‐expanded holes due to low‐cycle fatigue. Dependencies of circumferential residual strains along the secondary hole edge versus number of cycles are constructed.     

Edge distance effects on residual stress distribution around a cold expanded hole in Al 2024 alloy

Cold expansion process is a well-known technique for improving the fatigue life of aerospace structures by introducing a compressive residual stress around the fastener holes. However, there are concerns about the residual stress distribution around those holes which are located near the free edges of structure. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of edge distance ratio (e/D) on the residual stress distribution around a cold expanded hole in Al 2024 alloy. A two-dimensional finite element simulation was carried out with various degrees of cold expansion and various values of e/D. It was found that for edge distance ratios less than e/D = 3, there are considerable effects on the residual stress profile. Also, the dependency of residual stress distribution on the degree of expansion was reduced significantly for small e/Ds. The results revealed that the bulging of the plate free edge increases with reduction of e/D but in worse cases the maximum bulging at the plate free edge was lower than 3% of the hole radius. The weight function method was then used for determining stress intensity factors for a crack emanating from a cold expanded hole.     

CRACK GROWTH ARRESTING PROPERTY OF A HOLE AND BRINELL-TYPE DIMPLE

Abstract— Fatigue tests of sheet specimens having a central crack were carried out to study the effects of holes and dimples on the arrest of fatigue crack propagation. Two holes were drilled at some distance from, and at either side of, a crack tip, and the dimple of a certain diameter was introduced by pressing steel balls in the specimen at a crack tip. Results showed that the two holes produced an increase in crack propagation life (about 3 times) when the holes were drilled at an appropriate distance. On the other hand, the effect of a dimple on the fatigue strength was remarkably large, i.e. in the greatest case a 2.2 times increase in the fatigue endurance limit of cracked specimens and about a 50 times increase in the crack propagation life, at stresses above the fatigue limit. The main reason for the remarkable recovery of fatigue strength was the residual compressive stresses produced by the dimple. To evaluate the effect of residual compressive stresses on the da/dN vs. δK relation, a simple model is proposed. By using this model, the effect of residual stresses on crack propagation can be estimated quantitatively. Furthermore, the fatigue life of dimpled specimens was estimated based on the model.     

An experimental study of fatigue crack initiation and growth from coldworked holes

The behavior of specimens with holes that were coldworked by radial expansion was studied. The initiation and growth of fatigue cracks was observed for a remote cyclic loading that generated stresses at the hole edge slightly above the yield stress. Coldworking affected the growth rate, not the initiation. Strains near the hole were measured with the moiré technique and used to predict the initiation of cracks in the noncoldworked specimens with reasonable accuracy. Stress intensity factors computed with a linear elastic superposition procedure compared favorably with those measured by crack growth and displacement techniques for cracks longer than 1 mm.     

The effect of hole shape on the extent of fatigue life improvement by cold expansions

The cold expansion of circular holes is known to improve resistance to fatigue. In this study the effect of the cold expansion of a circular hole on fatigue life by means of a quasi-elliptical pin was investigated. Additional evaluations were conducted, including determinations of the effects of crack propagation from the hole. The major life extension was obtained through slower crack growth in the short-crack stage. The decrease in fatigue crack growth in cold-expanded specimens was related to higher crack-opening stresses which are a consequence of the presence of compressive residual stresses arising from cold expansion. In this study, an experimental investigation was carried out to quantify the effect of the cold expansion on the initiation and the propagation of the fatigue crack and was discussed. Fatigue life improvement of the cold-worked hole specimen was explained by determining the hardness results around the cold-worked hole. The results indicate that significant life improvements can be obtained through cold expansion applied with a quasi-elliptical pin in this work with the optimum results being obtained when the pin diameter is 4% larger than the diameter of the specimen hole. Also, a brief examination of the effect of the rivet shape on the fatigue life of a riveted specimen was carried out. To lengthen the fatigue life of a riveted plate which uses countersunk head rivets, the shape of the countersink and the rivet head were improved. The experimental results showed that the fatigue life of the riveted plate was improved where the improved rivet was used.     

Three-dimensional stress distribution around cold expanded holes in aluminium alloys

Aluminium alloy 6082 (HE30) and aluminium-lithium alloys 8090 and 2091 were examined after holes were cut and cold-expanded by means of an oversized mandrel. The extent of cold working was analysed by two techniques, namely neutron diffraction (ND) and the Sachs cutting method (SM). While the former requires neutron diffraction facilities and is a non-destructive measurement technique, the latter is based on the removal of small layers of material from the inside of the expanded hole while recording the apparent change in strain by the removal of the layer. The stress distributions analysed by ND are compared with the method of Sachs and the results are discussed with respect to distances over which the state of stress changes from compression to tension. These changes are significant in explaining the improvement of service life in mechanical fastener holes from the process of cold expansion.

In all alloys examined it was found that the improved fatigue performance was a function of the degree of expansion. All alloys exhibited a maximum in expansion beyond which fatigue life deteriorated. This was due to crack initiation during excessive hole enlargement exceeding the yield strength of the alloys. Crack initiation usually started from inside the hole of the fastener but always perpendicular to the applied load. The initial stages of growth occurred perpendicularly over a short distance but further growth occurred on a plane with normals inclined at about 55–60° to the tensile axis. This behaviour was due to the presence of texture development in the alloys which is beneficial to the resistance of both fatigue crack initiation and propagation.     

芯棒锥面结构对孔冷挤压强化残余应力场的影响

为了在紧固孔周引入均匀的残余压应力,以延长紧固孔构件的疲劳寿命、提高其抗应力腐蚀性能,利用ANSYS有限元软件,建立了轴对称弹塑性有限元模型,对直接芯棒冷挤压强化过程进行了仿真,特别是对芯棒的前锥段曲线结构形式进行了设计与分析,研究了前锥段曲线形式对残余应力场分布的影响.结果表明:孔壁表面的周向残余应力分布复杂且不均匀,比较而言,外凸型正弦曲线型芯棒所产生的残余压应力沿孔壁深度方向分布更加均匀;几种曲线形式的芯棒在上表面近孔边区域均产生了径向残余拉应力,在孔的挤入段产生了轴向残余拉应力,但外凸型正弦曲线型芯棒在上述区域所产生的残余拉应力较小,且分布区域也较小.     

Finite element analyses of deformation around holes near a crack tip and their implications to the J-resistance curve

The initiation phase of ductile crack growth is investigated in a detailed finite element analysis. The process is modelled by the growth and coalescence of a series of holes in front of a blunted crack tip, representing the growth of holes separated from large inclusions. The reductions of each ligament between neighbouring holes due to hole growth are calculated as well as crack-tip opening displacements (CTOD). All the ligaments except the first and last show similar behaviour of reduction, with the reduction curves separated in an equal CTOD increment. The CTOD increment as a function of effective crack extension due to hole growth defines crack-tip opening angle, a measure of crack-growth resistance for a given condition. As the CTOD increment changes substantially due to crack extension in small-scale yielding, crack initiation is defined at the point of deviation from the linear increment of CTOD against J for a stationary crack. The effective crack tip is defined at each hole with the ligament reduction of crack initiation. Therefore, the J -resistance curve may be derived from the hole growth model, and hence the effects of specimen geometry, crack length and specimen size on the R-curve are discussed. The calculations for a hole spacing 10 times of the initial hole diameter are in agreement with the experimental R-curve of 2024-T351 aluminium alloy.     

Residual stress measurements in welded steel beam column connections by scanning acoustic microscopy

Residual stresses which arise from thermal expansion and contraction due to welding may have contributed to the brittle fracture exhibited by welded steel beam-to-column connections during the Northridge Earthquake. These residual stresses have a strong influence on crack initiation and crack propagation in the vicinity of stress concentrations (i.e., unfused backup bar in welded steel beam-to-column connections) and account for changes in the driving force for fracture. They affect material toughness by changing the constraint condition under which fracture occurs. Currently, all methods of dealing with residual stresses are hampered by the lack of a consistent means of measuring the magnitudes and distribution of these stresses. This paper describes a new acoustic microscopy technique that allows the mapping of residual stresses in welded connections with high spatial resolution. The technique is based on the sensitivity of polarized acoustic modes to local elastic anisotropy induced by stress. The technique furthermore allows the mapping of residual stresses in a tomographic way by changing the frequencies of the acoustic waves. The results reveal that the magnitude of the residual stresses is influenced by the local microstructure of the steel and the weld metal. Ductile microstructures within the weld and the heat affected zone release residual stresses by yielding, whereas brittle microstructures retain residual stresses.     

FATIGUE OF THICK-SECTION COLD-EXPANDED HOLES WITH AND WITHOUT CRACKS

Abstract— Fatigue tests under spectrum loading were conducted to evaluate hole cold-expansion in thick-section open-hole aluminium alloy specimens, some of which contained residual fatigue cracks before cold expansion. Cold expansion resulted in an increase in life by a factor of about 7. Small residual fatigue cracks did not inhibit the effectiveness of the cold-expansion process, indicating that it may not be essential to remove such cracks prior to hole cold-expansion. The increase in life is primarily associated with a reduced crack propagation rate compared with that for cracks from non-cold-expanded holes. Cold-expanded hole fractures displayed a marked disparity in crack depths adjacent to the two faces of the specimens. Considerable differences were evident in crack depths and fatigue crack areas at failure between cold-expanded and non-cold-expanded hole specimens. These findings have ramifications in the damage tolerance assessment of aircraft structures.     

Fatigue growth of multiple-cracks near a row of fastener-holes in a fuselage lap-joint

The fatigue growth of multiple cracks, of arbitrary lengths, emanating from a row of fastener holes in a bonded, riveted, lap joint in a pressurized aircraft fuselage is studied. The effects of residual stresses due to a rivet misfit, and of plastic deformation near the hole, are included. A Schwartz-Neumann alternating method which uses the analytical solution for a row of multiple colinear cracks in an infinite sheet (the crack-faces being subject to arbitrary tractions), is developed to analyze this MSD problem on a personal computer. It is found that for a range of crack lengths, a phenomena wherein the shorter cracks may grow faster than longer cracks may exist.     

Simulation of residual stresses at holes in tempered glass: a parametric study

This work presents a full 3D numerical study of the residual stresses in tempered (toughened) glass near holes using Narayanaswamy’s model for the tempering process. It is the objective of the paper to elucidate the influence on the minimal residual compressive stresses at holes from variations in: the far-field stress, plate thickness, hole diameter and the interaction between holes and edges and corners. The work presents novel results for the sensitivity of the residual stresses to geometric features and provides a design tool for estimating residual stresses at holes for different geometries. An example of how to extrapolate the results in terms of far-field stresses is given.