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At least 37 records · Page 2

Axial-Load Fatigue Tests on 17-7 PH Stainless Steel Under Constant-Amplitude Loading

Axial-load fatigue tests were conducted at room temperature on notched and unnotched sheet specimens of 17-7 PH stainless steel in Condition TH 1050. The notched specimens had theoretical stress-concentration factors of 2.32, 4.00, and 5.00. All specimens were tested under completely reversed loading. S-N curves are presented for each specimen configuration and ratios of fatigue strengths of unnotched specimens to those of notched specimens are given. Predictions of the fatigue behavior of notched specimens near the fatigue limit were made.

Leybold, Herbert A.↗

Stiffness change of a graphite epoxy laminate under reverse fatigue loading

The stiffness of a flat specimen, made of graphite epoxy (T300/934), was measured during reverse fatigue loading. Laminates of basic layup, unidirectional cross-ply and angle-ply, as well as multidirectional (isotropic) layup, were tested. It was found that all the laminates exhibit rapid stiffness degradation on the last (third) fatigue stage. Except for the 0-deg unidirectional laminate, the last stage starts at about 70 to 80 percent of the fatigue life, regardless of the load level and the final mode of failure (tension or compression). It is shown that, for this material, stiffness degradation is a result of crack accumulation, mainly along the fibers, even for the fiber dominated laminates. This general phenomenon can serve to predict usable safe life of laminates under fatigue loading.

Rotem, Assa↗

Modeling Delamination in Postbuckled Composite Structures Under Static and Fatigue Loads

The ability of the Abaqus progressive Virtual Crack Closure Technique (VCCT) to model delamination in composite structures was investigated for static, postbuckling, and fatigue loads. Preliminary evaluations were performed using simple Double Cantilever Beam (DCB) and Mixed-Mode Bending (MMB) specimens. The nodal release sequences that describe the propagation of the delamination front were investigated. The effect of using a sudden or a gradual nodal release was evaluated by considering meshes aligned with the crack front as well as misaligned meshes. Fatigue simulations were then performed using the Direct Cyclic Fatigue (DCF) algorithm. It was found that in specimens such as the DCB, which are characterized by a nearly linear response and a pure fracture mode, the algorithm correctly predicts the Paris Law rate of propagation. However, the Abaqus DCF algorithm does not consider different fatigue propagation laws in different fracture modes. Finally, skin/stiffener debonding was studied in an aircraft fuselage subcomponent in which debonding occurs deep into post-buckling deformation. VCCT was shown to be a robust tool for estimating the onset propagation. However, difficulties were found with the ability of the current implementation of the Abaqus progressive VCCT to predict delamination propagation within structures subjected to postbuckling deformations or fatigue loads.

Bisagni, Chiara↗

Damage Mechanisms in Tapered Composite Structures Under Static and Fatigue Loading

In this work an integrated computational/experimental approach was developed to validate the predictive capabilities of State-of-the-Art (SoA) Progressive Damage Analysis (PDA) methods and tools. Specifically, a tapered composite structure incorporating ply-drops typical in the aerospace industry to spatially vary structural thickness was tested under static tension and cyclic tension fatigue loads. The data acquired from these tests included quantitative metrics such as pre-peak stiffness, peak load, location of delamination damage onset, and growth of delaminations as functions of applied static and fatigue loads. It was shown that the PDA tools were able to predict the pre-peak stiffness and peak load within ±10% of experimental average, thereby meeting and exceeding the pre-defined success criteria. Additionally, it was shown that the PDA tools were able to accurately predict the location of delamination onset and satisfactorily predict delamination growth under static tension loading. Overall, good correlations were achieved between modeling and experiments.

Rao, Prabhakar M.↗

Fatigue loads spectra derivation for the Space Shuttle: Second cycle

Some of the environments and loads experienced by the Space Shuttle or future reusable space vehicles are unique, while others are similar to those encountered by commercial and/or military aircraft. Prior to the Space Transportation System (STS) flights, fatigue loads spectra were generated for the Space Shuttle based on anticipated environments and assumptions that were shown not to be applicable to the actual flight environments the vehicle experienced. This resulted in the need to generate a new cycle of fatigue loads spectra, which was based on measured flight data as well as mission profiles, reflecting the various types of service and operations the vehicle and payloads experienced.

Ortasse, Raphael↗

Delamination Depth Imaging for Quasi-Static and Fatigue Load Testing Using Passive Thermography

Passive thermography is used to monitor small increases in temperature resulting from delamination damage formation in composite hat-stiffened panels during both quasi-static and fatigue loading. It has been observed that rapid damage formation produces heating. This is composed of two heat generation components. The first component is an instantaneous response due to an irreversible thermoelastic strain release. The second component is mechanical heating, at the interface of failure, due to fracture damage. This produces a transient rise in temperature as the heat diffuses to the surface. The first component defines the thermal start time for the transient response. A one-dimensional thermal model is fitted to the data pixel by pixel, to produce imagery of the damage depth. The results are compared to ultrasonic and X-ray CT data.

Passive thermography↗

Fatigue load spectra for upwind and downwind rotors

Effect of both alternating and mean load on the fatigue life of an upwind and downwind MOD-2 wind turbine system is presented. It was shown that the fatigue damage varies as the product of the stress range cubed and the maximum stress. Hence, the alternating flapwise load caused by tower shadow and wind gradient is an important factor in determining rotor blade life.

Andrews, J. S.↗

Fatigue loading history reconstruction based on the rainflow technique

Methods are considered of reducing a non-random fatigue loading history to a concise description and then of reconstructing a time history similar to the original. In particular, three methods of reconstruction based on a rainflow cycle counting matrix are presented. A rainflow matrix consists of the numbers of cycles at various peak and valley combinations. Two methods are based on a two-dimensional rainflow matrix, and the third on a three-dimensional rainflow matrix. Histories reconstructed by any of these methods produce a rainflow matrix identical to that of the original history, and the resulting time history is expected to produce a fatigue life similar to that for the original. The procedures described allow lengthy loading histories to be stored in compact form.

Khosrovaneh, A. K.↗

Damage development under compression-compression fatigue loading in a stitched uniwoven graphite/epoxy composite material

Damage initiation and growth under compression-compression fatigue loading were investigated for a stitched uniweave material system with an underlying AS4/3501-6 quasi-isotropic layup. Performance of unnotched specimens having stitch rows at either 0 degree or 90 degrees to the loading direction was compared. Special attention was given to the effects of stitching related manufacturing defects. Damage evaluation techniques included edge replication, stiffness monitoring, x-ray radiography, residual compressive strength, and laminate sectioning. It was found that the manufacturing defect of inclined stitches had the greatest adverse effect on material performance. Zero degree and 90 degree specimen performances were generally the same. While the stitches were the source of damage initiation, they also slowed damage propagation both along the length and across the width and affected through-the-thickness damage growth. A pinched layer zone formed by the stitches particularly affected damage initiation and growth. The compressive failure mode was transverse shear for all specimens, both in static compression and fatigue cycling effects.

Vandermey, Nancy E.↗

Fatigue loading history reconstruction based on the rain-flow technique

Methods are considered for reducing a non-random fatigue loading history to a concise description and then for reconstructing a time history similar to the original. In particular, three methods of reconstruction based on a rain-flow cycle counting matrix are presented. A rain-flow matrix consists of the numbers of cycles at various peak and valley combinations. Two methods are based on a two dimensional rain-flow matrix, and the third on a three dimensional rain-flow matrix. Histories reconstructed by any of these methods produce a rain-flow matrix identical to that of the original history, and as a result the resulting time history is expected to produce a fatigue life similar to that for the original. The procedures described allow lengthy loading histories to be stored in compact form.

Khosrovaneh, A. K.↗

Characterization of debond growth mechanism in adhesively bonded composites under mode II static and fatigue loadings

An experimental investigation of adhesively bonded composite joint was conducted to characterize the debond growth mechanism under mode II static and fatigue loadings. For this purpose, end-notched flexure specimens of graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) adherends bonded with EC 3445 adhesive were tested. In all specimen tested, the fatigue failure occurred in the form of cyclic debonding. The present study confirmed the result of previous studies that total strain-energy-release rate is the driving parameter for cyclic debonding. Further, the debond growth resistance under cyclic loading with full shear reversal (i.e., stress ratio, R = -1) is drastically reduced in comparison to the case when subjected to cyclic shear loading with no shear reversal (i.e., R = 0.1).

Mall, S.↗