Low-Cycle Fatigue Life Prediction by a New Critical-Plane Method

A series of low-cycle fatigue experiments of axial-torsional loading of variable amplitudes were performed on the tubular specimens of 304 stainless steel. Two models of multiaxial low-cycle fatigue life, KBM and FS method, are evaluated based on the fatigue life data of 304 stainless steel. Rainflow cycle counting and the Liner Damage Rule are used to calculate fatigue damage. It was shown that the part prediction results are nonconservative for the two models. The life prediction is done again based on the weight function critical plane method for the two models. The prediction results are better by using the weight function critical plane method than the previous results for KBM model. But the prediction results are improved little for FS model in spite of the weight function critical plane method being used.