A Study on Fatigue Crack Growth Parameters for Fatigue Life Assessment based on Fracture Mechanics

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-67
Author(s):  
Hyeon-Su Kim ◽  
Tae-Jong Park ◽  
Dong-Ju Lee ◽  
Sang-Beom Shin ◽  
Myung-Hyun Kim
Author(s):  
Rizwan A. Khan ◽  
Suhail Ahmad

The design of welded structures for the fatigue limit state is normally carried out by means of either linear or bilinear S-N curves, which have been found adequate to predict crack initiation only. To properly assess the effects of the design, fabrication, inspection, and repair strategy for structure degradation due to crack growth, fracture mechanics (FM) models need to be applied. In this paper, alternative S-N and FM formulations of fatigue are investigated. The probabilistic fracture mechanics approach predicts the fatigue life of welded steel structures in the presence of cracks under random spectrum loading. It is based on a recently proposed bi-linear relationship to model fatigue crack growth. Uncertainty modeling, especially on fatigue crack growth parameters, is undertaken with the aid of recently published data in support of the bilinear crack growth relationship. Results pertaining to the fatigue reliability and fatigue crack size evolution are presented using the Monte Carlo simulation technique and the emphasis is placed on a comparison between the linear and bilinear crack growth models. Variations in the system configuration, service life, and coefficients of crack growth laws have been studied on the parametric basis


Author(s):  
Adrian Loghin ◽  
Shakhrukh Ismonov

Abstract Assessing the crack propagation life of components is a critical aspect in evaluating the overall structural integrity of a mechanical structure that poses a risk of failure. Engineers often rely on industry standards and fatigue crack growth tools such as NASGRO [1] and AFGROW [2] to perform life assessment for different structural components. A good understanding of material damage tolerant capabilities, and the component’s loading mission during service conditions are required along with the availability of generic fracture mechanics models implemented in the lifing tools. Three-dimensional (3D) linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) finite element modeling (FEM) is also a viable alternative to simulate crack propagation in a component. This method allows capturing detailed geometry of the component and representative loading conditions which can be crucial to accurately simulate the three dimensionality of the propagating crack shape and further determine the associated loading cycles. In comparison to a generic model, the disadvantage of the 3D FEM is the extended runtime. One feasible way to benefit from 3D modeling is to employ it to understand the crack front evolution and growth path for the representative loading condition. Mode I stress intensity factors (KI) along the predetermined crack growth path can be generated for use in fatigue crack growth tools such as NASGRO. In the current study, such a 3D FEM lifing process is presented using a classical bolt-nut assembly, components that are commonly used in engineering design. First, KI solutions for a fixed crack aspect ratio a/c = 1 are benchmarked against a similar solution available in NASGRO. Next, a predefined set of crack shapes and sizes are simulated using 3D FEA. A machine learning model Gaussian Process (GP) was trained to predict the KI solutions of the 3D model, which in turn was used in the crack propagation simulation to accelerate the life assessment process. Verification of the implemented procedure is done by correlating the crack growth curves predicted from GP to the results obtained directly from 3D FE crack propagation method.


2000 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. O. Soboyejo ◽  
A. B. O. Soboyejo ◽  
W. Shen

Abstract This paper presents the results of a combined experimental and analytical study of the probabilistic nature of fatigue crack growth in Ti-6Al-4V. A simple experimental fracture mechanics is presented for obtaining statistical fatigue crack growth parameters from one or two fatigue tests. The experimental studies of long fatigue crack growth show that the variabilities in the long fatigue crack growth rate and the Paris coefficient are well described by the log-normal distribution. The variabilities in the Paris exponent are also shown to be well characterized by a Weibull distribution. The measured statistical distributions are incorporated into a probabilistic fracture mechanics framework for the estimation of material reliability. The implications of the results are also discussed for the probabilistic analysis of fatigue crack growth in engineering components and structures.


Author(s):  
Kazuki Takashima ◽  
Timothy P. Halford ◽  
Yakichi Higo

We have developed a new type of mechanical testing machine for micro-sized specimens, which can apply a small static or cyclic load, and have investigated fracture and fatigue crack growth behavior of micro-sized specimens. Cantilever beam type specimens (10 μm × 10 μm × 50 μm), with notches were prepared from thin films of a Ni-P amorphous alloy by focused ion beam machining. Fatigue and fracture toughness tests were carried out in air at room temperature using the mechanical testing machine. Fatigue and fracture testing was completed successfully for micro-sized cantilever specimens. Once fatigue crack growth occurs, rapid sample failure was observed in these micro-sized specimens. This indicates that the fatigue life of micro-sized specimens is mainly dominated by crack initiation. This also suggests that even a micro-sized surface flaw can be a fatigue crack initiation site which will shorten the fatigue life of micro-sized specimens. As a result of fracture toughness tests, plane strain criteria for small scale yielding were not achieved for this amorphous alloy. Plane stress and plane strain dominated regions were clearly observed on the fracture surfaces and their sizes were consistent with those estimated by fracture mechanics calculations. This suggests that fracture mechanics is still valid for such micro-sized specimens.


Author(s):  
Rizwan A. Khan ◽  
Suhail Ahmad

Design of welded structures for fatigue limit state is normally carried out by means of either linear or bilinear S-N curves which have been found adequate to predict crack initiation only. To properly assess the effects of design, fabrication, inspection and repair strategy for structure degradation due to crack growth, Fracture mechanics (FM) models need to be applied. In this paper, alternative S-N and FM formulations of fatigue are investigated. Probabilistic fracture mechanics approach predicts the fatigue life of welded steel structure in the presence of cracks under random spectrum loading. It is based on a recently proposed bi-linear relationship to model fatigue crack growth and incorporates a failure criterion to describe the interaction between fracture and plastic collapse. Uncertainty modeling, especially on fatigue crack growth parameters, is undertaken with the aid of recently published data in support of the bilinear crack growth relationship. Results pertaining to fatigue reliability and fatigue crack size evolution are presented using the Monte Carlo Simulation Technique, and emphasis is placed on a comparison between linear and bi-linear crack growth models. The bi-linear S-N curve and crack growth model are found to lead to higher fatigue life estimates and shows sensitivity to many other parameters in addition to the stress state of the component. These findings implicate inspection schemes for components of the marine structures to ensure minimization of the surprises due to wide scatter of the fatigue phenomenon in marine environment. Variations in system configuration, service life and coefficients of crack growth laws have been studied on the parametric basis.


Author(s):  
Olusegun Tunde Babalola ◽  
Stig Berge

Welds produced by the Tungsten Inert Gas (TIG) process in riser grade titanium may contain pores, typically of sub-millimetre dimensions. Fatigue testing has proved that fatigue crack growth may be initiated from even very small pores. The size and existence of pores thus may be a governing factor for fatigue strength. For assessment of inspection and design criteria, tools for calculation of fatigue life from pre-existing pores are required. Numerical models for calculation of fatigue crack growth from internal defects were developed. The models were based on parametric formulae for the stress intensity factor for elliptic cracks in finite thickness plates. Coupons from TIG-welded titanium pipe were fatigue tested, and initial defects were identified and sized by Scanning Electron Microscopy. The test data was used for evaluation of the fracture mechanics models. Inherent uncertainties and limitations for fracture mechanics calculation of fatigue life were identified and discussed. By choosing appropriate values for crack growth threshold the accuracy of the calculated fatigue life was within a factor of two compared to the experimental data.


1989 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-55 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Rhee

Fracture mechanics fatigue life estimation procedures have been developed for offshore structural tubular joints through analyzing a K-joint under the North Sea environment. The objective of this study was to establish reliable procedures for estimating the remaining fatigue life of a tubular joint with cracklike defects. The analysis approach was the utilization of fracture mechanics methods for fatigue crack growth and failure analyses. In this study, the fully mixed mode stress intensity factors of weld toe surface flaws of the K-joint, which were calculated through detailed three-dimensional finite element analyses, were used for fatigue crack growth simulation. For the failure analyses, the failure assessment diagram method was used to predict the conditions for brittle fracture during fatigue crack propagation. The loading conditions considered in the analyses are the brace axial force, in and out-of-plane bending, and torsion.


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