Effects of residual stress and shape of web plate on the fatigue life of railway wheels

Railway wheels have been one of the most critical components in a railway vehicle. Fatigue design of railway wheel is one of the most important factors. Damages on the wheel can be divided into three types, such as the contact fatigue of the tread, the thermal fatigue of the rim due to braking and the mechanical fatigue of the web plate. The railway wheel has the initial residual stress formed during the manufacturing process, and this residual stress changes due to the thermal stress induced by braking. In this study, we evaluated residual stress of web plate by heat treatment due to the manufacturing process and changes of residual stress by braking using finite element analysis. The cyclic stress history for fatigue analysis is determined by applying finite element method. The fatigue strength evaluations of the web plate are performed to investigate the effect of the residual stress.     

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.     

Fatigue life enhancement of aluminium joints through mechanical and thermal prestressing

This paper presents some simple and flexible methods to enhance the fatigue life of welded aluminium components. Besides enhancing the fatigue life, the proposed methods can easily be implemented into manufacturing processes. The key element of the methods is to change residual stresses from tension to compression at locations vulnerable to fatigue. This is accomplished by mechanical prestressing using elastic pre-deformation or by thermal prestressing using induction heating. The specimens tested are welded aluminium rectangular hollow section T-joints. Prior to fatigue testing, welding FE-simulations were carried out to verify the magnitude and pattern of the residual stress fields (through process modeling). Fatigue testing was later carried out on four different batches. One batch was produced using elastically pre-deformed chords, two batches were treated by means of thermal prestressing (induction heating), and one batch was “as welded” representing a “reference case”. Based on statistical evaluation of S–N data, the introduction of superimposed compressive stress fields results in a significantly improved fatigue life. Among the different batches, induction heating turned out to be the most promising method with a fatigue strength improvement factor of 1.5 on stress, compared to “as welded” components.     

Frequency-domain fatigue life estimation with mean stress correction

Two frequency-domain fatigue life calculation methods are presented which take into account the impact of the mean stress effect. The emphasis is set on the algorithm for fatigue life assessment of the method proposed by the authors. It is supplemented with a mean stress effect correction. Correction method is based on the direct transformation of the zero mean stress Power Spectral Density (PSD) due to mean stress. The method is verified on the basis of own results for the S355JR steel. The authors analyze five models for the designation of the probability density function used in the calculation process. The results are presented in the form of probability distributions after PSD transformation and the calculated fatigue life is being compared with the experimental life in fatigue comparison graphs. An analysis of the choice of a mean stress correction model is also widely discussed and a fatigue life estimation is also performed. The method proposed by the authors is being compared with the Kihl–Sarkani method for mean stress correction in frequency domain.     

A modified model for the estimation of fatigue life derived from random vibration theory

When a component is subjected to variable-amplitude loading, if the fundamental stress–life cycle relationship and an accumulation rule are given, then the fatigue damage or fatigue life of the component can be calculated and/or estimated. In the present paper, random vibration theory is incorporated into the analysis of the above problem. Several formulas are thus derived. Experimental work is then carried out to verify the derived formulas. Comparison is made among the results calculated based on different formulas, different accumulation rules and different random loading. It is concluded that the derived formulas do provide us with quick prediction of the fatigue damage or fatigue life when a component is subjected to variable-amplitude loading that has a certain random nature.     

The relative effects of residual stresses and weld toe geometry on fatigue life of weldments

The weld toe is one of the most probable fatigue crack initiation sites in welded components. In this paper, the relative influences of residual stresses and weld toe geometry on the fatigue life of cruciform welds was studied. Fatigue strength of cruciform welds produced using Low Transformation Temperature (LTT) filler material has been compared to that of welds produced with a conventional filler material. LTT welds had higher fatigue strength than conventional welds. A moderate decrease in residual stress of about 15% at the 300 MPa stress level had the same effect on fatigue strength as increasing the weld toe radius by approximately 85% from 1.4 mm to 2.6 mm. It was concluded that residual stress had a relatively larger influence than the weld toe geometry on fatigue strength.     

The fatigue life prediction for structure with surface scratch considering cutting residual stress,initial plasticity damage and fatigue damage

In this paper, a continuum damage mechanics based fatigue model is used to evaluate the effect of surface scratches resulting from accidental scrapes on the fatigue life of structures. First, a dynamic analysis is conducted to simulate scratch generation. Second, the initial damage field caused by plastic deformation in the scraping process is calculated. Third, for structures with scratches under fatigue loading, Chaudonneret’s damage model for multiaxial fatigue is applied and the finite element implementation is presented. At last, this method is applied to life calculation for scratched specimens and for a scratched fixed plate. The theoretical calculation tallies with the experimental results.     

Influence of pulse sequence and edge material effect on fatigue life of Al2024-T351 specimens treated by laser shock processing

Laser shock processing (LSP) is being considered as a competitive alternative technology to classical treatments for improving fatigue, corrosion cracking and wear resistance of metallic materials. The purpose of this paper is to present a fully 3D finite element model for predicting the residual stresses that result from the LSP of aluminum alloy Al2024-T351 samples of interest for aeronautic industry in order to optimize the laser treatment to increase the fatigue life of the material. In order to correlate the simulation results with experimental data, three different laser shock processing strategies (pulse sequences) were performed on fatigue specimens and their fatigue life were compared. The starting points of cracks were identified by means of optical and scanning electron microscope examinations and a correlation with the maximum tensile stress regions predicted by the numerical model has been established.     

Machine and component residual life estimation through the application of neural networks

This paper concerns the use of neural networks for predicting the residual life of machines and components. In addition, the advantage of using condition-monitoring data to enhance the predictive capability of these neural networks was also investigated. A number of neural network variations were trained and tested with the data of two different reliability-related datasets. The first dataset represents the renewal case where the failed unit is repaired and restored to a good-as-new condition. Data were collected in the laboratory by subjecting a series of similar test pieces to fatigue loading with a hydraulic actuator. The average prediction error of the various neural networks being compared varied from 431 to 841 s on this dataset, where test pieces had a characteristic life of 8971 s. The second dataset were collected from a group of pumps used to circulate a water and magnetite solution within a plant. The data therefore originated from a repaired system affected by reliability degradation. When optimized, the multi-layer perceptron neural networks trained with the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm and the general regression neural network produced a sum-of-squares error within 11.1% of each other for the renewal dataset. The small number of inputs and poorly mapped input space on the second dataset meant that much larger errors were recorded on some of the test data. The potential for using neural networks for residual life prediction and the advantage of incorporating condition-based data into the model was nevertheless proven for both examples.     

Influence of the mechanical properties of CoNiCrAlY under-coating on the high temperature fatigue life of YSZ thermal-barrier-coating system

Yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thermal-barrier-coatings (TBC) have been used for insulating and protecting the components from high temperature. However, the mechanical properties of the coatings are not well known, because the characterization of thin coatings is difficult. Consequently, how should we choose the mechanical properties, which is very important, is unsolved problem. In this paper, the effects of the mechanical properties of under-coatings, CoNiCrAlY, on the fatigue life of YSZ coating system were examined. First, the strength of three types of CoNiCrAlY coatings were examined by lateral compression of circular tube free-standing coating. The residual stresses of CoNiCrAlY coatings were also measured by X-ray diffraction method. Furthermore, the adhesive strengths of CoNiCrAlY coatings were measured by indentation method. Subsequently to the systematic understanding of mechanical properties of the CoNiCrAlY coatings, fatigue tests were carried out for the TBC systems at both room temperature and 893 K. The results indicated an improvement of the fatigue life because of the restriction of crack initiation into the substrate. It was found that the under-coating with proper mechanical properties could significantly extend the fatigue life of the TBC system.     

Numerical and experimental analysis of residual stresses for fatigue crack growth

In this paper computational and experimental results are presented concerning residual stress effects on fatigue crack growth in a Compact Tension Shear (CTS) specimen under cyclic mode I loading. For a crack of constant length it is found that hardly any compressive residual stresses or crack closure effects are generated along the crack surfaces behind the crack tip through the considered cyclic mode I loading with a load ratio of R=0.1. Only if fatigue crack growth is modelled during the simulation of the cyclic loading process these well-known effects are found. On the other hand it is shown that they have hardly any influence on the residual stresses ahead of the crack tip and thus on further fatigue crack growth. For all cases considered the computational finite element results agree well with the experimental findings obtained through X-ray diffraction techniques.     

A two parameter driving force for fatigue crack growth analysis

A model for fatigue crack growth (FCG) analysis based on the elastic–plastic crack tip stress–strain history was proposed. The fatigue crack growth was predicted by simulating the stress–strain response in the material volume adjacent to the crack tip and estimating the accumulated fatigue damage. The fatigue crack growth was regarded as a process of successive crack re-initiation in the crack tip region. The model was developed to predict the effect of the mean stress including the influence of the applied compressive stress. A fatigue crack growth expression was derived using both the plane strain and plane stress state assumption. It was found that the FCG was controlled by a two parameter driving force in the form of: . The driving force was derived on the basis of the local stresses and strains at the crack tip using the Smith–Watson–Topper (SWT) fatigue damage parameter: D=σ_maxΔε/2.The effect of the internal (residual) stress induced by the reversed cyclic plasticity was accounted for the subsequent analysis. Experimental fatigue crack growth data sets for two aluminum alloys (7075-T6 and 2024-T351) and one steel alloy (4340) were used for the verification of the model.     

Fatigue life prediction based on crack closure for 6156 Al-alloy laser welded joints under variable amplitude loading

A fatigue prediction approach is proposed using fracture mechanics for laser beam welded Al-alloy joints under stationary variable amplitude loading. The proposed approach was based on the constant crack open stress intensity factor in each loading block for stationary variable amplitude loading. The influence of welding residual stress on fatigue life under stationary variable amplitude was taken into account by the change of crack open stress intensity factor in each loading block. The residual stress relaxation coefficient β = 0.5 was proposed to consider the residual stress relaxation for the laser beam welded Al-alloy joints during the fatigue crack growth process. Fatigue life prediction results showed that a very good agreement between experimental and estimated results was obtained.     

Effect of laser shock processing on fatigue crack growth of duplex stainless steel

Duplex stainless steels have wide application in different fields like the ship, petrochemical and chemical industries that is due to their high strength and excellent toughness properties as well as their high corrosion resistance. In this work an investigation is performed to evaluate the effect of laser shock processing on some mechanical properties of 2205 duplex stainless steel. Laser shock processing (LSP) or laser shock peening is a new technique for strengthening metals. This process induces a compressive residual stress field which increases fatigue crack initiation life and reduces fatigue crack growth rate. A convergent lens is used to deliver 2.5 J, 8 ns laser pulses by a Q-switched Nd:YAG laser, operating at 10 Hz with infrared (1064 nm) radiation. The pulses are focused to a diameter of 1.5 mm. Effect of pulse density in the residual stress field is evaluated. Residual stress distribution as a function of depth is determined by the contour method. It is observed that the higher the pulse density the greater the compressive residual stress. Pulse densities of 900, 1600 and 2500 pul/cm² are used. Pre-cracked compact tension specimens were subjected to LSP process and then tested under cyclic loading with R = 0.1. Fatigue crack growth rate is determined and the effect of LSP process parameters is evaluated. In addition fracture toughness is determined in specimens with and without LSP treatment. It is observed that LSP reduces fatigue crack growth and increases fracture toughness if this steel.     

Research on fatigue behavior and residual stress of large-scale cruciform welding joint with groove

Fatigue fracture behavior of the 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove was investigated. The fatigue test results indicated that fatigue strength of 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove can reach fatigue level of 80 MPa (FAT80). Fatigue crack source of the failure specimen initiated from weld toe. Meanwhile, the microcrack was also found in the fusion zones of the fatigue failure specimen, which was caused by weld quality and weld metal integrity resulting from the multi-pass welds. Two-dimensional map of the longitudinal residual stress of 30 mm thick Q460C-Z steel cruciform welded joint with groove was obtained by using the contour method. The stress nephogram of Two-dimensional map indicated that longitudinal residual stress in the welding center is the largest.     

Studies on fatigue life enhancement of pre-fatigued spring steel specimens using laser shock peening

SAE 9260 spring steel specimens after enduring 50% of their mean fatigue life were subjected to laser shock peening using an in-house developed 2.5 J/7 ns pulsed Neodymium-doped Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (Nd:YAG) laser for studying their fatigue life enhancement. In the investigated range of process parameters, laser shock peening resulted in the extension of fatigue life of these partly fatigue damaged specimens by more than 15 times. Contributing factors for the enhanced fatigue life of laser peened specimens are: about 400 μm thick compressed surface layer with magnitude of surface stress in the range of −600 to −700 MPa, about 20% increase in surface hardness and unaltered surface finish. For laser peening of ground steel surface, an adhesive-backed black polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tape has been found to be a superior sacrificial coating than conventionally used black paint. The effect of repeated laser peening treatment was studied to repair locally surface melted regions and the treatment has been found to be effective in re-establishing desired compressive stress pattern on the erstwhile tensile-stressed surface.     

Effect of laser shock processing on the fatigue crack initiation and propagation of 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy

The aim of this paper was to identify the effect of laser shock peening (LSP) on the fatigue crack initiation and propagation of 7050-T7451 aluminum alloy. The laser shocked specimen in which residual compressive stress is mechanically produced into the surface showed a very high dislocation density within the grains. This was evident throughout the LSP region. The spacing among the fatigue striations in the LSP region was narrow, which indicated that LSP had an obvious inhibitory action to fatigue crack initiation and growth. In contrast, the region without LSP exhibited an extremely low dislocation density. And LSP improved 7050-T7451 alloy specimens’ fatigue intensity.     

Influence of feed rate on surface integrity and fatigue performance of machined surfaces

This study investigates the influence of the feed rate on the surface integrity and fatigue performance of machined surfaces. The results demonstrate that a higher feed rate increases crack initiation life and crack propagation life. A higher feed rate induces more compressive residual stresses and a more softened layer. The feed rate influences crack initiation life up to 45% and crack propagation life up to 149%. Consequently, the feed rate affects fatigue life up to 132%. The fatigue tests substantiate that the feed rate influences fatigue life significantly and that the effect increases significantly if the loading is reduced.     

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.     

Mechanical integrity of thin inorganic coatings on polymer substrates under quasi-static, thermal and fatigue loadings

The interplay between residual stress state, cohesive and adhesive properties of coatings on substrates is reviewed in this article. Attention is paid to thin inorganic coatings on polymers, characterized by a very high hygro-thermo-mechanical contrast between the brittle and stiff coating and the compliant and soft substrate. An approach to determine the intrinsic, thermal and hygroscopic contributions to the coating residual stress is detailed. The critical strain for coating failure, coating toughness and coating/substrate interface shear strength are derived from the analysis of progressive coating cracking under strain. Electro-fragmentation and electro-fatigue tests in situ in a microscope are described. These methods enable reproducing the thermo-mechanical loads present during processing and service life, hence identifying and modeling the critical conditions for failure. Several case studies relevant to food and pharmaceutical packaging, flexible electronics and thin film photovoltaic devices are discussed to illustrate the benefits and limits of the present methods and models.