Experimental Characterization and Modeling of Residual Stress Gradients across Straight and Bent Seamless Steel Tubes

Abstract

Abstract. Residual stress gradients across the wall of seamless steel tubes influence decisively the mechanical stability and reliability of automotive and industrial constructions. Irreversible bending moments imposed on the tubes induce gradual and asymmetric elasto-plastic deformation across the tube cross-sections which result in very complex residual stress distributions. The aim of this contribution is to present a novel methodology as well as complementary modeling approach to assess the three-dimensional distribution of triaxial residual stresses in bent steel tubes. The stress characterization was performed using high energy X-ray diffraction at the HEMS beamline of PETRAIII synchrotron source in Hamburg as well as using laboratory Drill-hole method. For the complementary modeling of the stress distribution, a FEM software package DEFORM HT was used. The results reveal that the stress gradients across the tube wall are primarily influenced by the martensite profile predetermined by the parameters for thermo-mechanical treatment of the tubes. The tube bending causes the formation of continually varying compressive and tensile stresses across the tube circumference whereas the stress magnitude across the wall thickness scales again with the martensite appearance. Finally the results document the importance of the cooling process control and the influence of the applied bending radius on the resulting stress distributions as well as related mechanical parameters like fracture toughness and fatigue behavior.