Abstract
The increasingly mechanical requirements of offshore structures have established the relevance of fracture mechanics-based quality control in welded joints. For this purpose, crack tip opening displacement (CTOD) at a given distance from the crack tip has been considered one of the most suited parameters for modeling and control of crack growth, and it is broadly used at the industrial level. We have modeled, through multivariate analysis techniques, the relationships among CTOD values and other material properties (such as hardness, chemical composition, toughness, and microstructural morphology) in high-thickness offshore steel welded joints. In order to create this model, hundreds of tests were done on 72 real samples, which were welded with a wide range of real industrial parameters. The obtained results were processed and evaluated with different multivariate techniques, and we established the significance of all the chosen explanatory variables and the good predictive capability of the CTOD tests within the limits of the experimental variation. By establishing the use of this model, significant savings can be achieved in the manufacturing of wind generators, as CTOD tests are more expensive and complex than the proposed alternatives. Additionally, this model allows for some technical conclusions.
Highlights
As the burgeoning offshore wind power industry grows, so too do the technical demands on the metal frames and primary structures that sustain them
The standardization process should be reverted to allow the use of the testing data directly: (CTOD[mm]−1.0269)
The use of multivariate analysis has been proven viable for relating complex fracture mechanics parameters to well-known material properties
Summary
As the burgeoning offshore wind power industry grows, so too do the technical demands on the metal frames and primary structures that sustain them. These structures are under enormous dynamic stresses due to the effects of their moving parts, wind, currents, tides, and waves. The fatigue life calculation occupies a prominent place in codes, standards, and rules [2,3,4]. Such fatigue analysis is based on “rule-based” methods or direct calculation based on Stress-Cycles data models, determined by fatigue testing of the considered welded details and linear damage hypothesis
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