Fatigue of Engineered Metallic Materials Under Constant - and Variable -Amplitude Loading
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A series of experiments were performed to study the effect of creep strain and temperature on the fatigue life of the graphite epoxy laminate composite. It was concluded that sustained periods of static loading have significant retardation effects on the fatigue life of the laminated composite and that a cyclic loading with a higher frequency preceeding the one with a lower frequency also prolongs the fatigue life. A creep crack model was proposed which can provide interpretations for the experimental results.
The first mechanical tests of superalloy lattice block structures produced promising results for this exciting new lightweight material system. The testing was performed in-house at NASA Glenn Research Center's Structural Benchmark Test Facility, where small subelement-sized compression and beam specimens were loaded to observe elastic and plastic behavior, component strength levels, and fatigue resistance for hundreds of thousands of load cycles. Current lattice block construction produces a flat panel composed of thin ligaments arranged in a three-dimensional triangulated trusslike structure. Investment casting of lattice block panels has been developed and greatly expands opportunities for using this unique architecture in today's high-performance structures. In addition, advances made in NASA's Ultra-Efficient Engine Technology Program have extended the lattice block concept to superalloy materials. After a series of casting iterations, the nickel-based superalloy Inconel 718 (IN 718, Inco Alloys International, Inc., Huntington, WV) was successfully cast into lattice block panels; this combination offers light weight combined with high strength, high stiffness, and elevated-temperature durability. For tests to evaluate casting quality and configuration merit, small structural compression and bend test specimens were machined from the 5- by 12- by 0.5-in. panels. Linear elastic finite element analyses were completed for several specimen layouts to predict material stresses and deflections under proposed test conditions. The structural specimens were then subjected to room-temperature static and cyclic loads in Glenn's Life Prediction Branch's material test machine. Surprisingly, the test results exceeded analytical predictions: plastic strains greater than 5 percent were obtained, and fatigue lives did not depreciate relative to the base material. These assets were due to the formation of plastic hinges and the redundancies inherent in lattice block construction, which were not considered in the simplified computer models. The fatigue testing proved the value of redundancies since specimen strength was maintained even after the fracture of one or two ligaments. This ongoing test program is planned to continue through high-temperature testing. Also scheduled for testing are IN 718 lattice block panels with integral face sheets, as well as specimens cast from a higher temperature alloy. The initial testing suggests the value of this technology for large panels under low and moderate pressure loadings and for high-risk, damage-tolerant structures. Potential aeropropulsion uses for lattice blocks include turbine-engine actuated panels, exhaust nozzle flaps, and side panel structures.
In most electronic packaging applications it is not a single high stress event that breaks a component solder joint; rather it is repeated or prolonged load applications that result in fatigue or creep failure of the solder. The principal strain in solder joints is caused by differential expansion between the part and its mounting environment due to hanges in temperature (thermal cycles) and/or due to temperature gradients between the part and the board.
Results are presented for an investigation carried out on a /0, +30, and -30 deg/6s graphite/epoxy angle-ply laminate in order to characterize the overall fatigue behavior, to evaluate strength/moduli degradation due to cyclic loading, and to identify the failure modes and mechanisms. The specimen life determined from fatigue tests is measured as a function of cyclic stress amplitude for various stress ratios. Fractured specimens are sectioned and examined by conventional metallography and SEM to reveal failure modes and mechanisms. It is shown that the laminate studied is susceptible to axial fatigue failures under cyclic loading which involves both tensile and compressive mean stresses. Fracture surface observations indicate the occurrence of complex failure modes. A variety of local failure mechanisms are identified.
A study is undertaken to develop a methodology for determining the suitability of various high-cycle fatigue models for metallic structures subjected to combined thermal-acoustic loadings. Two features of this problem differentiate it from the fatigue of structures subject to acoustic loading alone. Potentially large mean stresses associated with the thermally pre- and post-buckled states require models capable of handling those conditions. Snap-through motion between multiple post-buckled equilibrium positions introduces very high alternating stress. The thermal-acoustic time history response of a clamped aluminum beam structure with geometric and material nonlinearities is determined via numerical simulation. A cumulative damage model is employed using a rainflow cycle counting scheme and fatigue estimates are made for 2024-T3 aluminum using various non-zero mean fatigue models, including Walker, Morrow, Morrow with true fracture strength, and MMPDS. A baseline zero-mean model is additionally considered. It is shown that for this material, the Walker model produces the most conservative fatigue estimates when the stress response has a tensile mean introduced by geometric nonlinearity, but remains in the linear elastic range. However, when the loading level is sufficiently high to produce plasticity, the response becomes more fully reversed and the baseline, Morrow, and Morrow with true fracture strength models produce the most conservative fatigue estimates.
The effect of hoop stresses in reducing cylindrical roller bearing fatigue life was determined for various classes of inner-ring interference fit. Calculations were performed for up to 7 fit classes for each of 10 bearing sizes. The hoop stresses were superimposed on the Hertzian principal stresses created by the applied radial load to calculate roller bearing fatigue life. A method was developed through a series of equations to calculate the life reduction for cylindrical roller bearings. All calculated lives are for zero initial internal clearance. Any reduction in bearing clearance due to interference fit would be compensated by increasing the initial (unmounted) clearance. Results are presented as tables and charts of life factors for bearings with light, moderate, and heavy loads and interference fits ranging from extremely light to extremely heavy for bearing accuracy class RBEC-5 (ISO class 5). Interference fits on the inner ring of a cylindrical roller bearing can significantly reduce bearing fatigue life. In general, life factors are smaller (lower life) for bearings running under light load where the unfactored life is highest. The various bearing series within a particular bore size had almost identical interference-fit life factors for a particular fit. The tightest fit at the high end of the tolerance band produces a life factor of approximately 0.40 for an inner-race maximum Hertz stress of 1200 MPa (175 ksi) and a life factor of 0.60 for an inner-race maximum Hertz stress of 2200 MPa (320 ksi). Interference fits also impact the maximum Hertz stress-life relation.
The fatigue behavior of a notched, graphite/epoxy (T300/5208) laminate subjected to predominantly compressive loading was explored in a series of constant-amplitude and transport wing spectrum tests. Results of these tests indicate that (1) the amount of local (near the notch) buckling allowed in the tests significantly affected fatigue life; (2) spectrum truncation of either the high- or low-load end of the spectrum produced lives greater than those obtained in the baseline, complete-spectrum test, but life was much more sensitive to truncations at the high-load end; and (3) the Palmgren-Miner linear cumulative damage theory always predicted lives much longer than the actual spectrum loading test lives.
Buffeting is an aeroelastic phenomenon which plagues high performance aircraft, especially those with twin vertical tails like the F/A-18, at high angles of attack. This buffeting is a concern from fatigue and inspection points of view. By means of wind-tunnel and flight tests, this phenomenon is well studied to the point that buffet loads can be estimated and fatigue life can be increased by structural enhancements to the airframe. In more recent years, buffeting alleviation through active control of smart materials has been highly researched in wind-tunnel proof-of-concept demonstrations and full-scale ground tests using the F/A-18 as a test bed. Because the F/A-18 resides in fleets outside as well as inside the United States, these tests have evolved into international collaborative research activities with Australia and Canada, coordinated by the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) and conducted under the auspices of The Technical Cooperation Program (TTCP). With the recent successes and advances in smart materials, the main focus of these buffeting alleviation tests has also evolved to a new level: utilize the F/A-18 as a prototype to mature smart materials for suppressing vibrations of aerospace structures. The role of the NASA Langley Research Center (LaRC) in these programs is presented.
Continuous fiber reinforced metal matrix composites (MMC) are projected for use in high temperature, stiffness critical parts that will be subjected to cyclic loadings. Depending on the relative fatigue behavior of the fiber and matrix, and the interface properties, the failure modes of MMC can be grouped into four catagories: (1) matrix dominated, (2) fiber dominated, (3) self-similar damage growth, and (4) fiber/matrix interfacial failures. These four types of damage are discussed and illustrated by examples. The emphasis is on the fatigue of unnotched laminates.
The fatigue behavior of a 3rd generation PM disk alloy, LSHR, was studied at 1300 F. Tensile, creep, and fatigue tests were run on smooth and notched (Kt = 2) bars under a variety of conditions. Analysis of smooth bar fatigue data, run under strain and load control with R ratios of 0 and -1, showed that a stress based Smith-Watson-Topper approach could collapse the data set. While the tensile and creep data showed substantial notch strengthening at 1300 F, the fatigue data showed a life deficit for the notch specimens. A viscoplastic finite element model, which accounted for stress relaxation at the notch tip, provided the best correlation between the notched and smooth bar behavior, although the fatigue data was not fully rationalized based on this simplified viscoplastic model of the stresses at the notch tip.Inclusion of a 90 sec dwell at peak load was found to dramatically decrease notch fatigue life. This result was shown to be consistent with a simple linear creep-fatigue damage rule, where creep damage dominated at low stresses and fatigue damage was more prevalent at higher stresses.
The correlation between fatigue crack propagation and stress intensity factor is analyzed. When determining fatigue crack propagation rate, a crack increment, delta a, and its corresponding increment in load cycles, delta N, are measured. Fatigue crack propagation must be caused by a shear and/or a normal separation mode. Both of these two processes are discrete if one looks at the atomic level. If the average deformation and fracture properties over the crack increments, delta a, can be considered as homogeneous, if the characteristic discrete lengths of sigma a, if the plastic zone size is small, and if a plate is thick enough to insure a plane strain case, da/dN is proportional to delta K squared. Any deviation of empirical data from this relation must be caused by the fact that one or more of these conditions are not satisfied. The effects of plate thickness and material inhomogeneity are discussed in detail. A shear separation mode of fatigue crack propagation is described and is used to illustrate the effects of material inhomogeneity.
Examination of the bearings produced conclusive evidence that a very high axial load was applied to bearing 8517903 during a significant portion of the service time. The high loads caused serious ball and race wear and surface fatigue pitting. In all likelihood, continued operation of this bearing with the high axial load would have caused increasing deterioration and catastrophic failure. In contrast, bearing 8517900 showed much less deterioration and probably had experienced only the axial loads deliberately applied by the preload spring. Bearing 8517900 represents the best-case operation with the loads controlled to the levels intended in the design. Fatigue life calculations on bearing 8517903 with an axial load of 27,000 N showed the intolerance of the bearing to such load levels.
Cryostat fatigue testing of sheet materials by fully reversed axial loading down to minus 423 degrees f
A magnetic perturbation technique was used to nondestructively detect subsurface nonmetallic inclusions in the inner races of 207-size, deep groove ball bearings. The bearings were fatigue tested at 2750 rpm under a radial load of. The inner races were subsequently sectioned at fatigue spall locations and at magnetic perturbation signal locations. Analyses of the data indicated good correlation between magnetic perturbation signals and inclusion size and location. Exclusion of those bearings that had significant magnetic perturbation signals did not alter the statistical life of the bearings.
The continuous advancement of structural materials and the growing demands for more reliable and economical structural components in high-temperature reactor applications have necessitated the development of comprehensive design methodologies and design rules. Mechanical degradation of structural components at elevated temperatures subjected to cyclic deformation is controlled by the creep-fatigue damage. Over the past few decades, diligent research efforts have been dedicated to refining the development of elevated temperature design rules in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC), Section III, Division 5 and to develop conservative design rules that can effectively guard against the risk of creep-fatigue failure. In ASME Section III, Division 5, for a design to pass the creep-fatigue acceptance criteria, creep damage and fatigue damage are evaluated separately, and these damages must not violate the bi-linear creep-fatigue interaction diagram, i.e., the so-called D-diagram. The creep-fatigue damage evaluation procedure assumes that the effects of the actual cyclic loading sequence can be bounded by assuming that the individual loading cycles are uniformly distributed throughout the component design life. In this study, creep-fatigue experiments with variable amplitudes and loading sequencies were designed and performed on Alloy 617 at high temperatures. The results were analyzed to evaluate the loading history effect on creep-fatigue damage accumulation and to verify the assumptions for the creep-fatigue evaluation design rules.
The effect of hoop stresses in reducing cylindrical roller bearing fatigue life was determined for various classes of inner ring interference fit. Calculations were performed for up to seven interference fit classes for each of ten bearing sizes. Each fit was taken at tightest, average and loosest values within the fit class for RBEC-5 tolerance, thus requiring 486 separate analyses. The hoop stresses were superimposed on the Hertzian principal stresses created by the applied radial load to calculate roller bearing fatigue life. The method was developed through a series of equations to calculate the life reduction for cylindrical roller bearings based on interference fit. All calculated lives are for zero initial bearing internal clearance. Any reduction in bearing clearance due to interference fit was compensated by increasing the initial (unmounted) clearance. Results are presented as tables and charts of life factors for bearings with light, moderate and heavy loads and interference fits ranging from extremely light to extremely heavy and for bearing accuracy class RBEC 5 (ISO class 5). Interference fits on the inner bearing ring of a cylindrical roller bearing can significantly reduce bearing fatigue life. In general, life factors are smaller (lower life) for bearings running under light load where the unfactored life is highest. The various bearing series within a particular bore size had almost identical interference fit life factors for a particular fit. The tightest fit at the high end of the RBEC-5 tolerance band defined in ANSI/ABMA shaft fit tables produces a life factor of approximately 0.40 for an inner-race maximum Hertz stress of 1200 MPa (175 ksi) and a life factor of 0.60 for an inner-race maximum Hertz stress of 2200 MPa (320 ksi). Interference fits also impact the maximum Hertz stress-life relation.
The majority of helicopter transmission systems utilize spiral bevel gears to convert the horizontal power from the engine into vertical power for the rotor. Due to the cyclical loading on a gear's tooth, fatigue crack propagation can occur. In rotorcraft applications, a crack's trajectory determines whether the gear failure will be benign or catastrophic for the aircraft. As a result, the capability to predict crack growth in gears is significant. A spiral bevel gear's complex shape requires a three dimensional model of the geometry and cracks. The boundary element method in conjunction with linear elastic fracture mechanics theories is used to predict arbitrarily shaped three dimensional fatigue crack trajectories in a spiral bevel pinion under moving load conditions. The predictions are validated by comparison to experimental results. The sensitivity of the predictions to variations in loading conditions and crack growth rate model parameters is explored. Critical areas that must be understood in greater detail prior to predicting more accurate crack trajectories and crack growth rates in three dimensions are identified.