FATIGUE LIFE OF AN AUTOFRETTAGED THICK-WALLED PRESSURE VESSEL WITH AN EXTERNAL GROOVE

Abstract— Fatigue tests that simulate an autofrettaged thick-walled pressure vessel with an external groove under pulsating internal pressure loading conditions were performed using specimens taken from an autofrettaged thick-walled pressure vessel. Load-controlled simulation fatigue tests using rectangular, elliptic, and shot peened elliptic grooved specimens were performed for three different autofrettage levels of 50, 75, and 100% overstrains. In order to estimate the fatigue life of the thick-walled pressure vessel subjected to pulsating internal pressure, the local strain approach was considered to assess the crack formation life. A cyclic stress-strain relation and fatigue damage models determined from strain-controlled low cycle fatigue tests were employed to estimate the fatigue life of the autofrettaged thick-walled pressure vessel. Larger local stresses and strains were obtained from the Neuber's rule compared to the linear rule and these led to conservative fatigue life estimations. Estimated fatigue lives were obtained within factors of 2 to 4, compared to the experimental fatigue lives determined from the simulation fatigue tests.     

Einige Gesichtspunkte für die Auswahl von Stählen in der chemischen Höchstdrucktechnik

Some Aspects of Selecting Materials in the Chemical High Pressure Technology . Steels for chemical industry in the pressure range between 2000 and 3000 bar must have high yield strengths in order to be able to bear the static internal pressure. Even with high yield strengths the wall thickness is so high that steels must be selected which can be thoroughly and evenly quenched and tempered. They should be insensitive to tempering embrittlement. For components stressed by static internal pressure the safety against bursting and the bursting behaviour play a major rǒle. In addition to that, under pulsating pressures, the fatigue characteristics of a component are of importance. Steels with the high fatigue strengths necessary in high pressure application are notch sensitive. It is shown which measures are to be taken from the metallurgical side and in fabrication to increase their fatigue strength. Results of fatigue tests on high pressure tubes with different surface treatment are given. The fatigue strength can be improved by improving tube manufacturing, mechanically or electrochemically smoothening the inner tube surface, nitriding or autofrettage. For special purposes it is sometimes necessary to use steels whose strength is too low for high pressure applications. One must then apply a strength calculation conceding partial plastic deformation. This is illustrated for an age hardening austentitic steel.     

Fatigue behaviour of an autofrettaged high-pressure vessel for the food industry

The autofrettage technique is commonly used to produce compressive tangential residual stresses near the bore of high-pressure vessels. These compression stresses improve the fatigue life of the vessel during the loading–unloading high-pressure cycles. The present paper presents the fatigue design of an autofrettaged thick-walled vessel for the food industry, working at an internal pressure of 500 MPa. A finite element analysis has been performed in order to obtain the residual stresses after the autofrettage at an internal pressure of 925 MPa. The material of the vessel was a 15-5PH stainless steel hardened by precipitation, which shows a strong Bauschinger effect. For FE simulations, the material has been modelled considering an elastic–perfectly plastic behaviour for the loading phase and a Ramberg–Osgood behaviour for the unloading phase, with its coefficients depending on the previous equivalent plastic strain reached during the loading process. The simulation procedure is explained in detail. Finally, the fatigue life of the vessel was obtained using the residual stresses obtained in the previous simulations stage.     

Improved design of threaded connections by autofrettage in aluminium compounds for cyclic high pressure loading: design calculations and experimental verification

Threaded connections in an aluminium valve body under high internal pulsating pressure are investigated. A static straining process called autofrettage leads to an improved fatigue behaviour of the aluminium component, while normally the threaded connections are unloaded during this autofrettage. But by unloading the thread during autofrettage, the first loaded thread flank becomes the weakest point of this valve component. This effect is analysed with nonlinear finite element simulations, the FKM guideline for fatigue assessment and by experimental testing. The analytical and experimental parts match very well. It can be shown that a well‐designed autofrettage without unloading the threaded connection is helpful for the aluminium thread and extends its fatigue lifetime, as residual compressive stresses and an equalized stress distribution over the thread flanks can be achieved. Finally, different materials were chosen for the plug or screw, and this material influence for cyclic loading is shortly analysed.     

Effect of Temperature on the Tensile Strength and Failure Modes of Angle Ply Aramid Fibre (KRP) Tubes Under Hoop Loading

A comprehensive study was undertaken to characterise Kevlar reinforced plastic (KRP) angle ply filament wound tubes at different temperatures. Quasi-static burst tests were performed on tubes of 25°, 55° and 75° winding angle. The tubes were burst under internal radial pressure with minimum end constraints. An experimental rig and two conditioning tanks were designed and built to test the specimens at three temperatures; –46°C (low temperature) and +20°C (room temperature) and +70°C (high temperature). For each test the internal pressure and the strains in both circumferential and longitudinal directions were recorded on suitable digital processing equipment.For a particular batch of tubes tested at three different temperatures, an increase in ultimate hoop strain and a decrease in hoop modulus of the 55° tubes with increasing temperatures was recorded; the temperature effect was less pronounced on the corresponding properties of 25° and 75° tubes. The use of a non-structural thin liner during the tests led to a higher ultimate strength of 55° tubes but had negligible effect on the behaviour of 25° and 75° tubes. The 75° tubes failed in a catastrophic fibre fracture under all test conditions. The mode of failure of 55° changed from weeping at 70°C to fibre fracture at –46°C. The 25° tubes failed by weeping with matrix cracking. The matrix cracking was particularly severe when a liner was used.     

Effect of Temperature on the Tensile Strength and Failure Modes of Angle Ply CFRP Tubes under Hoop Loading

A comprehensive study was undertaken to characterise carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) tubes at different temperatures. Quasi-static burst tests were performed on tubes of 25°, 55° and 75° winding angle. The tubes were burst under internal radial pressure with minimum end constraints. An experimental rig and two conditioning tanks were designed and built to test the specimens at three temperatures; -46°C (low temperature), +20°C (room temperature) and +70°C (high temperature). For each test the internal pressure and the strains in both circumferential and longitudinal directions were recorded using a digital processing equipment.For a particular batch of tubes, tested at three different temperatures, a decrease in hoop strength and modulus of the 55° tubes with increasing temperature was recorded; the effect was less pronounced on the properties of 25° and 75° tubes. The use of a non-structural liner during the tests led to higher ultimate strength and strain of 55° tubes but had negligible effects on the behaviour of 75° tubes. The use of a liner in 25° tubes altered the mode of failure, resulting in a very large tube deformation with no noticeable increase in burst pressure. Micrographic analysis was also undertaken to study the failure mechanisms during pressurisation of lined and unlined tubes.     

Book Reviews

The results of astudy of the multi-axial creep rupture of thick-walled tubes at 600°C are presented here as asequel to aprevious report on the characteristic creep behaviour of the same type 316austenitic steel under purely tensile stress conditions.

It is demonstrated that simply devised and inexpensive direct double-shear creep rupture tests can be used to identify the correct creep rupture multi-axial stress criterion appropriate to pure shear-dominated conditions for the steel being studied. It is also shown that the introduction of this criterion into the reference stress method of creep analysis enables acceptable predictions of the creep lifetimes of thick-walled tubes under torsional stress to be made.

In addition, anumber of preliminary supporting test results on thick-walled tubes under internal pressure and under pure bending are briefly reported and the results discussed with respect to the central theme of the study.     

Temperature and Rate Effects on GRP Tubes Under Tensile Hoop Loading

A comprehensive study was undertaken to characterise glass fibre reinforced plastic (GRP) tubes at different temperatures and strain rates. The tests were performed on tubes of 25°, 55° and 75° winding angle. The tubes were burst under internal radial pressure with minimum end constraints. Two separate rigs were used, one for the static and the other for the dynamic tests. The tests were carried out at three temperatures; –46°C (low temperature), +20°C (room temperature) and +70°C (high temperature). For each test the internal pressure and the strains in both circumferential and longitudinal directions were recorded on suitable digital processing equipment. For a particular batch of tubes tested at three different temperatures, there is in general a decrease in hoop strength with increasing temperature during quasi-static tests. The use of a non-structural liner during such tests led to an increase in ultimate hoop strain of 55° tubes, especially at high temperature. The corresponding increase in ultimate hoop strain was markedly less in the case of 75° and almost negligible in the case of 25° tubes. Testing the tubes at high strain rates resulted in substantial increases in burst strength and ultimate hoop strain as compared with the quasi-static and low strain rate values. The mode of failure of 75° tube is a catastrophic fibre breakage under all test conditions. The mode of failure of 55° tube is a combination of weeping and fibre failure. The 25° tubes are characterised by matrix failure, which is very severe at high strain rates.     

Design rules for autofrettage of an aluminium valve body

The following paper is intended to improve the fatigue behaviour of a complex aluminium valve geometry under high internal cyclic pressure loading. The autofrettage process helps to increase the fatigue durability and a simple, but efficient design method for this process is deployed. Based on non‐linear material's behaviour, finite element simulations of the crack‐free geometry help to determine the minimum and maximum autofrettage pressure to be used, without iterative crack simulations, which would require higher computational effort. Material tests under inverse plastifications were performed in order to determine the correct material model. The derived design method was validated with simplified specimens subjected to different autofrettage pressure levels and subsequent cyclic fatigue tests.     

Numerical determination and experimental verification of the optimum autofrettage pressure for a complex aluminium high‐pressure valve to foster crack closure

The determination of the optimum autofrettage pressure enables a clear improvement of the fatigue life for an internally highly pressurized component. The autofrettage process induces residual compressive stress after the release of a single static overload pressure, leading to plastic deformation at the inner wall whereas the outer part is only elastically stressed. This autofrettage pressure is clearly above the subsequent pulsating operating pressure range. Due to the complex geometry of the aluminium valve body, a detailed elastic–plastic finite element analysis is used to determine the critical area and the optimum autofrettage pressure. Based on an experimental stress–strain curve, three important load steps are simulated in a non‐linear way. The FKM guideline is used to assess fatigue life and crack initiation with detailed subsequent experimental verification. Even if small cracks occur, residual compressive stresses prohibit crack growth (nonpropagating crack), which can be analytically verified by fracture mechanical considerations (crack closure effect).     

Thermal and mechanical fatigue analysis of CFRP laminates

[0°/90°]_s and [±45°]_s CFRP laminated plates were analysed using a finite element formulation for their fatigue behaviour. A fatigue criterion which is based on the laminate interlaminar stresses and the basic lamina fatigue parameters was used. Thermal effects were included in the formulation. In particular, initial thermal stresses resulting from the curing of the laminate were also included in the analysis. The results showed that both laminates had predicted S-N behaviour similar to that from experiments of past investigators. Also, the fatigue behaviour for the [±45°]_s laminate between room temperature and the curing temperature were found to be the same. However, in the case of the [0°/90°]_s laminate the fatigue strength at high temperatures was found to be lower than that at low temperatures.     

EFFECT OF LOW-TEMPERATURE ON THE FATIGUE PROPERTIES OF TWO HSLA (HIGH STRENGTH LOW ALLOY) PIPELINE STEELS

Abstract In order to understand the fatigue behaviour of HSLA pipeline steels under lowtemperature Arctic environments, a study has been undertaken to evaluate the influence of low-temperature on the high cycle fatigue behaviour of two candidate steels, namely (i) Cb Mo "Acicular Ferrite" steel developed by Climax-Ipsco and (ii) high-Cb HSLA steel developed by the Molybdenum Corporation of America. Results indicate that both the steels have reasonably good fatigue properties and that their fracture morphology and fatigue-induced dislocation substructures are quite complex. Design data based on room temperature fatigue properties would be adequate for the low-temperature application of these steels.     

THE FATIGUE LIFE OF THICK-WALLED AUTOFRETTAGED CYLINDERS WITH CLOSED ENDS

Abstract— It is well known that the fatigue strength of a thick-walled cylinder is enhanced by autofrettage. However, this does not appear to have been explained from fracture mechanics. The present paper shows that two uncertainties arise when this is attempted. Firstly, the distribution of residual stress resulting from the autofrettage pressure must be estimated and secondly a realistic stress intensity factors for subsequent fatigue cracking must be defined. A number of available stress intensity solutions are modified with the author's predictions to the residual stress following an elastic-plastic autofrettage pressure in a closed cylinder of hardening material. A comparison with experiment has enabled the various approaches to be appraised. It is shown that a modified stress intensity factor of Bowie and Freese is most consistent with the propagation fatigue life observed in autofrettaged cylinders provided their solution is adapted to account for the propagation of a semi-elliptical crack front in the presence of residual stress. Other K ₁ estimates appear to lead to dangerously optimistic predictions particularly within the range of fluctuating pressure where failure occurs between 10⁵ and 10⁶ cycles. The contribution to fatigue failure from initiation cycles is expressed as a power function of the observed life for cyclic pressures in the region of the fatigue limit.     

A fatigue life prediction model for Chopped Strand Mat GRP at elevated temperatures

Experimental and analytical investigations for the low cycle‐fatigue life prediction of Glass‐Reinforced Polymer (GRP) in Chopped Strand Mat (CSM) form are studied. Based on the theories of modulus degradation and residual strength degradation, a novel model is proposed for the prediction of progressive stiffness loss in terms of tension–tension fatigue load and the number of cycles. The proposed model involves various loadings and environmental variables, which makes the reliable predictions suitable for structural analysts. Experiments were carried out at room and elevated temperatures to evaluate the validity of the proposed prediction model for the characterisation of temperature‐dependent behaviour in fatigue. Predictions using the proposed model are in good agreement with the experiments that justify the use of the model to determine the extent of low‐cycle fatigue damage accumulation in GRP–CSM at room and elevated temperatures.     

Acoustic fatigue and damping technology in FRP composites

There is considerable interest in the use of composite materials in aerospace structures. One important area is to develop a stiff, lightweight composite material with a highly damped, high-temperature polymer matrix material. This paper concerns the application of such material, in the form used in thin skin panels of aircraft, and investigates of its fatigue properties at both room and high temperature. Flexural fatigue tests have been carried out at two different temperatures and harmonic three-dimensional finite-element (FE) analyses were performed in order to understand the dynamic behaviour of plates. Random acoustic excitation tests using a progressive wave tube, up to an overall sound pressure level of 162 dB, at room temperature and high temperatures were also performed in order to investigate the dynamic behaviour of panels made of the materials. Parameter studies were carried out in order to examine various methods for including damping in the structure, and conclusions have been drawn concerning optimal incorporation of a highly damped matrix material into a high-performance structure.     

低温环境下桥梁钢Q345qD疲劳裂纹扩展行为研究

为了明确在寒冷地区服役桥梁钢的疲劳裂纹扩展行为,以16 mm厚桥梁钢Q345qD为研究对象,完成了室温和低温下的夏比冲击韧性试验、疲劳裂纹扩展速率试验和疲劳裂纹扩展门槛值试验。结果表明,夏比冲击功和试样断口剪切断面率随温度的降低而减少;在应力比0.1、0.2和0.5条件下,疲劳裂纹扩展速率均随温度降低而变缓,该桥梁钢的疲劳韧-脆转变温度点在-60℃以下;在室温~-60℃,其裂纹扩展速率均对应力比的变化不敏感;应力比0.1条件下的疲劳裂纹扩展门槛值随温度的降低有略微增大的趋势。该批次桥梁钢表现出了良好的抵抗低温疲劳裂纹扩展性能,防止低温脆性破坏成为疲劳设计的重点;试验数据能为钢结构桥梁的进一步抗低温疲劳和防低温冷脆断裂设计提供参考。     

Die Scheiteldruckprüfung korrosionsbeanspruchter Hoch- und Höchstdruckrohre zur Untersuchung des Bauteil-Rißwachstumsverhaltens unter Modus II-Schwingungsrißkorrosion

External Crown Fatigue Loading of High and Ultrahigh Pressure Tubes Subjected to Corrosion – a Highly Informative Test Predicting the Crack Growth Behaviour of Tubular Components under Mode II Corrosion Fatigue Conditions Stressing high and ultrahigh pressure tubes by external static or fatigue loads has been qualified as a convenient method to simulate the load case “internal pulsating pressure” by analysing the stress state of thick walled tubes when loaded by internal pressure and external crown loads, respectively. The results of different analytical calculations were compared with that of a Finite-Element-Computation demonstrating, for tubes with nominal pressures in the range of 325–3600 bar, an excellent correspondence. Tests with 86 tube cuttings of steel X 6 CrNiMoTi 17 12 2 (W.-No. 1.4571; ASTM UNS S 31635; BS 320531) showed the following results: In air, pulsating pressures of 325 bar (corresponding to the maximum allowable operating pressures) are sustained indefinitely. Under mode II-corrosion fatigue in 0,1 N H₂SO₄ (30°C) failure occures after 3,8 · 10⁷ mode cycles. A twentyfold H₂SO₄ concentration will lower the number of cycles to fracture to one tenth of this value without leaving mode II. Under mode II corrosion fatigue crack growth will propagate faster in radial direction than in air, so that leak-before-break under internal pressure will be likely. Crack growth rates in radial direction increased with increasing acid concentration so that the probability for leak-before-break will further increase. Highest priority for the surveillance strategy of components loaded in mode II CF has, however, the prove that crack initiation in this environment is commencing much earlier than in air, and definitely earlier than found for compact specimens tested in a mode II pulsating fatigue or rotating bending test.     

The influence of subzero temperatures on fatigue behavior of composite sandwich structures

The fatigue lives and failure modes of foam core carbon/epoxy and glass/epoxy composite sandwich beams in 4-point bending were characterized from room temperature (22 °C) down to −60 °C. Similar previous investigations had focused on elevated temperatures only, but the low temperature fatigue behavior must be understood so that these materials may be evaluated for possible use in the hull structures of ships, which operate in cold regions. Core shear was found to be the dominant fatigue failure mode for the test specimens over the entire temperature range from 22 °C down to −60 °C. Significant increases in the useful fatigue life with brittle type core shear failure were observed at low temperatures by comparison with the corresponding room temperature behavior. Fatigue failure at the low temperatures was catastrophic and without any significant early warning, but the corresponding failures at room temperature were preceded by relatively slow but steadily increasing losses of stiffness. Two different approaches were used to investigate stiffness reductions during fatigue tests, and both approaches led to the same conclusions. Experimental observations regarding the location of fatigue crack initiation were confirmed by static finite element analyses for both materials.     

THE ENGINEERING FATIGUE PROPERTIES OF WROUGHT COPPER*†

The paper presents a comprehensive review, supplemented by original data, of the engineering fatigue behaviour of copper. Variations in manufacturing route and softening treatments are shown to have little effect on the fatigue of annealed copper but the high cycle fatigue strength is increased by cold work. The high strain fatigue behaviour is defined in terms of the plastic strain range and the cyclic stress-strain characteristics are documented. Fatigue behaviour in bending and torsion is defined by data and related to that in tension by simple design rules. Notches are found to reduce the laboratory measured fatigue strength of copper by ～ 30% and the effect of surface finish, surface distortion and surface residual stress is defined in the literature. Fatigue crack growth is defined in terms of stress intensity factor range ΔK by an upperbound law and, together with the conditions for non-growth (ΔK₀), shown to relate to the equivalent conditions for steels via the ratio of the respective elastic moduli. The effect of environment on the fatigue of copper has received scant attention in the literature, such results as exist suggesting little if any reduction in strength to be brought about by gaseous or aqueous environments. The most dramatic change is the improvement of about an order of magnitude which results when tests in vacuum are compared with equivalent tests in air. Results of fatigue tests on copper in ammoniacal environments are conspicuously absent from the literature. As the test temperature is reduced below room temperature there is a predictable increase in high cycle fatigue strength, a reduction in fatigue strength occurring above room temperature. High strain fatigue test results presented in terms of plastic strain range appear insensitive to temperature although at very low strain rates and high temperatures a reduction in fatigue strength occurs. A linear life fraction cumulative damage creep-fatigue law appears sometimes to be non-conservative but much more testing is needed to evaluate fatigue damage summation laws generally for copper. Numerical data are given in support of all the aspects of the engineering fatigue behaviour reviewed in the paper.     

Effects of external operating environments on fatigue of heat‐exchanger copper tubes

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effects of surface defects (eg, notches) and external environment conditions (eg, operating temperature, the number of re‐weldings) on the static strength and fatigue of C1220T‐O copper tubes used in the heat exchangers of air conditioners. Instead of using standardized specimens, as is done in general rotary bending fatigue tests, special specimens were fabricated in this study by inserting metal plugs on both ends of the copper tubes to perform fatigue tests on the actual tube product, and then the fatigue characteristics were evaluated using stress‐life (S‐N) curves. Regarding the welding conditions (maximum 1000°C and 10 seconds), the grain size grew (grain size number decreased), and the hardness decreased as the number of re‐weldings increased. The effects of the operating temperatures on the fatigue life were examined at a room temperature of 25°C and a heat exchanger operating temperature of 125°C, resulting in the same fatigue limit (70.21 MPa) at both room and operating temperatures. However, the fatigue limit of 37.46 MPa measured in the notched specimens (radius of 3 mm, depth of 0.2 mm) was lower than that obtained from those without notches. The material constant (1.07) used in the Peterson equation was then computed from the fatigue notch factor (1.87 = 70.21/37.46), and the stress concentration factor (2.18) of the notched tube specimens was obtained from the structural analysis. This material constant can be used to predict a decrease in the fatigue limit over varying notch sizes in copper tubes (C1220T‐O).