Residual Fatigue Research Articles

Diminishing residual stress and distortion by in-situ rolling tensioning to increase fatigue performance of friction stir welded AA2024-T3 joints

In this research, local mechanical tensioning treatment in the form of in-situ rolling tensioning (ISRT) was applied during friction stir welding of AA2024-T3 sheets. Two types of roller configurations were used. First, a single roller located at the rear of the tool which passed over the weld region and secondly, two rollers were located next to the weld zone symmetrically. Subsequently, several experiments comprising residual stress, distortion and fatigue crack growth (FCG) measurements were carried out combined with microstructure, texture, hardness and tensile tests. Results demonstrated that a single roller ISRT effectively diminished residual stress in the nugget zone (NZ) from + 11.7 MPa to −45.3 MPa accompanied by better weld FCG resistance. Apart from residual stress reduction, the improved weld fatigue performance was likely correlated with the modifications of weld microstructure and texture due to rolling tensioning.

Study on vibration fatigue of lifeguard in a metro bogie and methodology for damage estimation based on the measured acceleration

The lifeguard is more like a cantilever beam installed on the end of bogie frame, used to remove foreign body on the rail. Due to severe vibration condition, the lifeguard has been reported to be subjected to fatigue failure by railway operators. This paper thus studied on fatigue failure mechanisms of lifeguard through both the field test and numerical simulation. In the field test, the vibration acceleration and dynamic stress developed on the lifeguard were measured to identify main contributors to the fatigue failure. The test results showed that the structural resonance arising from the rail corrugation-induced high frequency impact serves as the main causal factor. To better understanding the failure mechanism, a numerical model considering the flexibility of lifeguard was established to determine the stress field of lifeguard based on the modal method, which was further used to estimate the residual fatigue lifetime for given loading conditions. The results showed that the obtained dynamic stress for given position on lifeguard is quite comparable with those obtained through the field test. Based on the obtained dynamic stress, the fatigue damage was further estimated and concluded that the fatigue lifetime of lifeguard is much less than the designed lifetime under the considered loading condition. The rail grinding and the structural improvement are thus suggested to mitigate the vibration fatigue of lifeguard.

Estimation of residual fatigue life of high-strength steel welded joints based on diffuse ultrasound

Fatigue significantly affects the durability and capacity of high-strength steel welded joints (WJs) in engineering. Despite the capability of ultrasonic-based methods to issue early warnings for fatigue crack initiation and effectively monitor crack expansion, estimating residual life before surface cracks poses a considerable challenge. This study introduces a novel method that relies on the correlation coefficient of the ultrasonic energy density, α, to estimate the residual life of WJs before surface cracks become evident. The fatigue damage of 20 butt- and cross-WJs of Q690qENH and Q960E, subjected to different fatigue stresses, was monitored using α. The results revealed a cubic polynomial relationship between α and the number of fatigue cycles when a sample experienced early fatigue damage. Consequently, we introduced an α-N early fatigue damage monitoring curve. The zero value of its second derivative functioned as an early warning indicator, and the corresponding life of the sample was recorded as ζ. Finally, a warning of 20%–50% of the fatigue life for WJs made of two high-strength steels was attainable. A linear relationship between ζ and fatigue stress, denoted as the ζ-S curve, facilitated residual life estimation before surface cracks developed. The blind test produced an approximately ±10% error with 4 samples.

Effect of welding residual stresses on the fatigue life assessment of welded connections

Welding residual stresses impose significant influences on the fatigue behavior and structural integrity of welded connections in various engineering applications. Understanding the effects of these residual stresses on fatigue life is crucial for ensuring the reliability and safety of welded structures. This paper proposes a damage-incorporated thermal–mechanical simulation method to examine the effect of welding residual stresses on the fatigue life prediction of welded plates and circular hollow section (CHS) X-joints. Compared to the experimental X-ray diffraction measurements and the fatigue tests, the predicted residual stresses and fatigue life demonstrate good agreement with experimental results for both high-cycle and low-cycle fatigue. The location of fatigue cracks resembles closely the estimation from a uniform fatigue damage indicator. The fatigue life prediction without incorporating the welding residual stresses does not affect significantly the life estimation for low-cycle fatigue but can cause substantial over-predictions for high-cycle fatigue.

Residual fatigue life prediction based on a novel improved Manson-Halford model considering loading interaction effect

The classical nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model Manson-Halford is widely used in fatigue life analysis and prediction, but this model lacks consideration for the effects of load interaction. At present, some studies have proposed new correction models to overcome the shortcomings of classical models. However, the problem with these models is that the parameters are difficult to determine, resulting in a cumbersome application process or the correction process is based only on a single parameter. Insufficient correction leads to large fluctuations in life prediction errors. To overcome the above problems, this article proposes a new correction method and establishes a new improved model. Unlike existing models, the newly improved model is based solely on S-N curve parameters and does not require additional material parameters. It fully considers the relationship between adjacent loads and the difference in fatigue life under different stress states, and dynamically modifies the classical model based on larger influence weights. By conducting multi-level fatigue tests on 300M steel, a new improved model was used to accurately predict its remaining fatigue life. Compared with the classical model, the prediction error was reduced by 11.75 %. Utilized fatigue test data from various other materials to predict the fatigue life of the improved model under different levels of stress loading. The results indicate that in the vast majority of cases, the improved model has the highest prediction accuracy among all compared models, with a minimum relative prediction error of only 3.79 % and small fluctuations in prediction error. Compared with the classical model, the maximum reduction in relative prediction error after model improvement reached 28.73 %, indicating the effectiveness and accuracy of the new improved model.

Fatigue damage tolerance of CFRP/Al adhesive joints with thermal effects

In order to promote application of adhesive connection in primary load-bearing structures for engineering practice, tolerance of fatigue damage signifies a critical parameter in line with the guidance of FAA AC 20-107B. This study aims to investigate this issue from four aspects, namely, statistics of fatigue cracks, residual performance, critical point for fatigue damage tolerance, and degradation of adhesive property. To carry out a dedicated study, the carbon fiber reinforced polymer and aluminum (CFRP/Al) adhesive joint specimens with different degrees of fatigue damage were considered by monitoring real-time variation of stiffness in the course of pre-fatigue loading. The residual strengths at different temperatures and related degradation mechanisms were explored through the experimental tests and numerical analysis. The study suggests the 92% normalized stiffness to be a critical point, at which the structural safety factor is 2.5. It is found that a safety factor of 1.5 may not be sufficient for the structure under fatigue condition as the joint is fairly susceptible in the structure. This study unveiled that a reliable management for residual fatigue performance can be achieved. It is anticipated to provide an effective guide for damage-tolerant design, reliable safety monitoring, and punctual repair of damaged adhesive structure.

Heterogeneity induced fracture characterization of concrete under fatigue loading using digital image correlation and acoustic emission techniques

Understanding the fatigue failure mechanisms in concrete is complex and remains an area of ongoing investigation. Material heterogeneity, along with the size effect, plays a significant role in specifying the crack propagation behaviour and fatigue life in case of repetitive loading conditions. In this study, the influence of material heterogeneity on the fatigue behaviour of concrete has been examined. Three different-size beam specimens with varying heterogeneity (aggregate sizes) have been considered to investigate various fracture characteristics under repetitive load conditions. Acoustic emission and digital image correlation techniques have been employed to analyse crack growth behaviour. The results revealed that stiffness degradation and crack propagation rates are faster for the specimens with smaller aggregate sizes compared to the larger aggregate size specimens of the same depth. Moreover, the fatigue life and effective crack length at failure are also higher in the case of larger aggregate sizes compared to smaller ones. Therefore, a heterogeneity-adjusted, analytical model of fatigue crack growth has been proposed. Further, the AE parameters have been utilized to characterize the tensile and shear crack dominance in different stages of fatigue crack propagation. The outcome of this study can be utilized to anticipate the crack propagation behaviour and residual fatigue life for any combination of specimen size and aggregate size.

A novel nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model based on machine learning

Machine learning serves as a potent tool for predicting fatigue damage. By integrating traditional physics-based models with machine learning techniques, prediction accuracy can be notably enhanced. Drawing from a substantial pool of experimental data, this article introduces a novel nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model. This model combines the traditional Manson-Halford model with machine learning algorithms, enabling the prediction of residual fatigue damage across various materials. The predictive capabilities of this model are compared with those of traditional approaches. The article subsequently investigates the key parameters influencing the nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model. The findings demonstrate that the proposed model exhibits significantly higher accuracy in residual fatigue damage prediction compared to traditional methods. Notably, the primary factor impacting the nonlinear cumulative fatigue damage model is identified as the first level loading damage. This study underscores the substantial potential of the proposed nonlinear fatigue cumulative damage model for predicting residual fatigue damage.

Application of a new method for probabilistic fatigue analysis from strain measurements on bridges

Increasing loads, ageing of materials as well as environmental change make the issue of fatigue damage critical on bridges, especially in the case of old steel or iron structures. The assessment of the fatigue loads on specific elements of these assets can be carried out from on-field strain measurements with the application of classical methods involving rainflow cycle counting and the use of Palmgren-Miner's rule. However, such a fatigue assessment suffers of significant uncertainties about the real fatigue damage ratio and the consecutive residual fatigue life. A new probabilistic method for the fatigue assessment is proposed, as the result of a joint research by OSMOS Group and the Ecole des Ponts. The theoretical background of the method is described, involving a probabilistic formulation of Miner's rule and the use of a Weibull-Basquin model to describe the health of structural elements. Real field case studies are presented, on two historical iron truss road bridges in France, with a dataset of more than 18 months of continuous strain measurements used for the fitting of the probabilistic model of fatigue loads. The incidence of the quantity of data and of the number of sensors used for the analysis is discussed, along with the conclusive results concerning the probabilistic description of the residual fatigue life.

Fatigue Life Prediction for 2060 Aluminium–Lithium Alloy with Impact Damage

The paper investigates the issue of post-impact fatigue damage of the 2060 aluminium–lithium alloy, a representative material of third-generation aluminium–lithium alloys extensively employed in the fuselage of C919 aircraft due to its notable attributes of high specific stiffness and strength. Initial impact damage is identified utilizing a residual stress–strain field obtained from a quasi-static simulation. Then, the continuum damage mechanics approach is applied to predict the fatigue life of the impacted 2060 aluminium–lithium alloy plates accounting for the combined effects of residual stress, plastic damage, and fatigue loading. A comparative analysis between calculated and experimental results is conducted to validate the efficacy of the proposed methodology.

Equations for efficient cycle-by-cycle computation of fatigue crack retardation and acceleration due to amplitude changes

The paper presents an efficient methodology for computation of the evolution of the fatigue crack retardation and acceleration effects due to crack closure during variable amplitude loading. The presented approach can lead to a very effective tool for estimation of residual fatigue life of engineering structures. Conventionally, consideration of variable-amplitude loading is either computationally too demanding, such as in finite element modelling, or challenging to unify the strip-yield model with another computational code. The simple analytical formulae available in literature are based on residual stress, which does not describe correctly the delayed retardation effect and in some cases it can be non-conservative. This work presents simple analytical equations describing the development of the crack closure based on the results of the strip-yield model for amplitude changes at the load ratio R = 0.1. The parabolic function enables simple computation of the maximum crack closure occurring after an overload without running any simulation. The equations also enable computation of crack closure behaviour following amplitude changes with the consideration of various cyclic material properties reflected in the tuneable ratio between the monotonic and cyclic plastic zone sizes.

Residual Stress and Fatigue Strength Analysis of Stiffener Welds of Steel-Plate Composite Girder Bridge Considering Welding Sequence

Residual Stress and Fatigue Strength Analysis of Stiffener Welds of Steel-Plate Composite Girder Bridge Considering Welding Sequence

Local relaxation of residual stress in high-strength steel welded joints treated by HFMI

This research studies the influence of high-peak loads on local relaxation of residual stress and fatigue damage in high-strength steel welded joints treated by high-frequency mechanical impact (HFMI) treatment. The joint behavior is simulated with elastic–plastic finite element analyses that account for the combined effect of geometry, residual stress, and material properties. This simulation uses two treated geometry models: with or without surface roughness on HFMI groove, and two material properties: S690QL and AH36 structural steels. The results show that surface roughness and load history, including high-peak loads, significantly influence fatigue response. It is revealed that the model neglecting the surface roughness cannot represent the amount of residual stress change and fatigue damage at less than 100 µm depth from the surface. In addition, the local yield strength in the HFMI-treated zone affects the plasticity behavior near the surface imperfection under the high-peak loads, which provides comparatively different fatigue damage between S690QL and AH36 in some cases. As a result, this study provides the further understanding needed to develop a robust modeling approach to the fatigue life estimation of HFMI-treated welds subjected to high-peak loads.

Investigation of Residual Stress Distribution and Fatigue of 7050-T7451 Alloy Hole Components with Laser Shock and Ultrasonic Extrusion

Small-hole structures, such as the millions of fastener holes found on aircraft, are typical stress-concentration structures prone to fatigue failure. To further improve the strengthening process of this small-hole structure, we make up for the limitations of laser shock processing (LSP) of small holes by combining it with the ultrasonic extrusion strengthening (UES) process to form a new strengthening method—laser shock and ultrasonic extrusion strengthening (LUE). The influence of the LUE process sequence and process parameters on residual stress distribution was studied through FEM, and the gain of fatigue life of specimens after LUE strengthening was also explored through tests. The results show that when using LUE technology, the friction force decreases with the increase in amplitude and decreases by 3.2% when the amplitude is maximum. The LUE process eliminates the thickness effect generated by LSP, which can achieve good stress distribution of small-hole components under smaller laser shock peak pressure, and reduces equipment power. LUE can significantly improve the fatigue life of small-hole components, and the maximum fatigue life gain can be up to 310.66%.

EFFECTS OF A SINGLE HEART RATE-CLAMPED CYCLING SESSION UNDER SYSTEMIC HYPOXIA ON RECOVERY OF PHYSICAL AND PSYCHO-PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES FROM EXERCISE-INDUCED FATIGUE

AIMS We investigated whether a single heart-rate clamped cycling session under systemic hypoxia affects the recovery of physical and psycho-physiological responses from residual fatigue compared to normoxia. METHODS On separate occasions, twelve trained males had countermovement jump height, leg stiffness, and perceptual fatigue assessed daily during a 3-d acute training camp scenario. On days 1 and 3, participants cycled for 60 min at a constant heart rate (80% of ventilatory threshold). On day 2, fatigue was induced through a simulated team game circuit (STGC), followed by a 60-min heart rate clamped cycling bout in either normoxia, hypoxia (simulated altitude ∼3500 m), or no cycling. RESULTS Compared to baseline, jump height decreased at all timepoints following the STGC (all p < 0.05). Leg stiffness and cycling power output only decreased immediately following the STGC, with a 48% further decrease in cycling power output in hypoxia compared to normoxia (p < 0.05). The well-being questionnaire showed that perceived fatigue, decreased sleep quality, and increased muscle soreness responses occurred on day 3 (p< 0.05). CONCLUSION In a pre-fatigued state, a single heart rate-clamped cycling session in hypoxia reduced mechanical output without affecting recovery of physical performance and perceptual measures from residual fatigue induced through team sport activity.

Fatigue Crack and Residual Life Prediction Based on an Adaptive Dynamic Bayesian Network

Monitoring the health status of aerospace structures during their service lives is a critical endeavor, aimed at precisely evaluating their operational condition through observation data and physical modeling. This study proposes a probabilistic assessment approach utilizing Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs), enhanced by an improved adaptive particle filtering technique. This approach combines physical modeling with various predictive sources, encompassing cognitive uncertainties inherent in stochastic predictions and crack propagation forecasts. By employing crack observation data, it facilitates predictions of crack growth and the residual life of metal structure. To demonstrate the efficacy of this method, the research leverages data from three-point bending and single-edge tension fatigue tests. It gathers data on crack length during the fatigue crack progression, integrating these findings with digital twin theory to forecast the residual fatigue life of the specimens. The outcomes show that the adaptive DBN model can precisely predict fatigue crack propagation in test specimens, offering a potential tool for the online health assessment and life evaluation for aerospace structures.

Microstructure degradation and residual low cycle fatigue life of a serviced turbine blade

AbstractThis paper was attempted to investigate the microstructure degradation and low cycle fatigue (LCF) performance of a serviced K465 Ni‐based superalloy turbine blade. LCF tests were carried out with small‐scale plate specimens sampled from the blades. Relationship between residual LCF life and microstructure state was estimated. The results indicate that the coarsening of γ/γ′ phases was the most significant microstructure degradation mode for the serviced blades. Both the γ matrix width and the γ′ precipitate diameter increased with the increase of service duration, while the γ′ precipitate volume fraction slightly decreased. The most severe microstructure degradation occurred at the leading edge along the chord direction, particularly at 50–70 % airfoil spans. The residual LCF life exhibited an accelerated decrease characteristic as increases of microstructure degradation degree. The coarsened microstructure diminished shear resistance of the superalloy, which resulted in additional accumulated inelastic deformation and a corresponding reduction in LCF life.

Gradient residual stress and fatigue life prediction of induction hardened carbon steel S38C axles: Experiment and simulation

Gradient distribution of triaxial residual stresses to a depth of several millimeters is retained in middle carbon steel S38C axles after high-frequency induction hardening, which has become a critical concern for fatigue structural integrity. To address this, the axial, hoop, and radial gradient residual strains inside the axles were measured for the first time by advanced neutron diffraction. The SIGINI Fortran subroutine was then adopted to reconstruct the global initial residual stress field from the measured data. Experimental and simulation results show that residual stresses of about −520 MPa (axial), −710 MPa (hoop), and −40 MPa (radial) residual stress were retained below the axle surface. Subsequently, the fatigue crack propagation behavior of S38C axles was numerically investigated in the framework of fracture mechanics. The calculated results clearly show that the compressive residual stresses at a depth of 0–3 mm from the axle surface lead to a low crack growth driving force, and that fatigue cracks do not propagate as long as the crack depth is less than 3.7 mm for hollow S38C axles. These results further indicate that the maximum defect size allowed in routine inspections is acceptable from a safety and economic point of view. Accurate measurement and characterization of the global gradient residual stress field through experiments and simulations can provide an important reference for optimizing the mileage intervals of nondestructive testing (NDT) of surface defects in these surface-strengthened railway axles.

Enhancing surface integrity in friction stir welding through deep rolling and post-weld heat treatment

This study aimed to investigate mechanical surface treatment through deep rolling (DR) and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) to enhance the surface integrity of an AA7075-T651 aluminum alloy welded through friction stir welding (FSW). The surface integrity of the welded joint was evaluated by analyzing residual stress, microhardness, surface roughness, microstructure, and fatigue life. The experimental design comprised three sets: one set exclusively applied FSW, another set applied FSW followed by DR (FSW-DR), and the last set applied FSW followed by PWHT (FSW-PWHT). Fatigue testing (screening) was performed through a four-point bending test with a bending stress of approximately 300 MPa, test frequency of 2.5 Hz at room temperature, and stress ratio (R) of 0. The FSW parameters included a tool rotational speed of 1600 rpm, welding speed of 30 mm/min, immersion depth of 0.1 mm, dwell time of 15 s, and tool tilt angle of 0°. The DR parameters included a rolling pressure of 150 bar and rolling speed of 1400 mm/min. The results revealed that the residual stress significantly influenced fatigue life. The fatigue test demonstrated that FSW workpieces treated with the DR process (FSW-DR) exhibited the highest fatigue life, showing a remarkable increase of 33.5 % compared with that of untreated FSW workpieces. Moreover, the residual stress changed from tensile to compressive, accompanied by noticeable enhancements in microhardness and surface roughness. These results highlight that FSW followed by the DR process (FSW-DR) positively affects weld surface integrity, resulting in an extended service life for welded components.

Numerical study of full penetration single- and double-sided U-rib welding in orthotropic bridge decks

Under the repeated action of residual stress and wheel load caused by welding, fatigue cracks easily occur on the top plate-U rib welding of an orthotropic bridge deck (OBD). These affect the service life. To study the influence of different full-penetration welding methods on the residual stress and fatigue of OBD, this study compared the residual stress, welding deformation, and fatigue performance of full-penetration single- and double-sided welding through finite element analysis. The welding temperature and residual stress fields were simulated based on Goldak's double ellipsoid heat source model using the thermal elastic-plastic method. The numerical results were verified using measured data from relevant literature, and the two were in good agreement. The results showed that the longitudinal residual stress of the double-sided welded U-rib was larger than that of the single-sided welded U-rib, primarily in the compressive stress range, and the maximum deviation reached 99.44 MPa. The longitudinal displacement of single-sided welding along the weld direction was 0.060 mm lesser than that of double-sided welding, and the maximum vertical displacement perpendicular to the weld direction was 2.457 mm lesser than that of double-sided welding. For the same frequency of fatigue load (wheel load), the fatigue strength of single-sided welding was larger than that of double-sided welding, and the fatigue life increased by 29.7%. In this study, analysis models of the full-penetration single-sided and full-penetration double-sided welding were established, which could provide a reference for structural fatigue assessment using the two full-penetration welding techniques under the influence of residual stress.