Papers by Author: Ming Fei Feng

Abstract: Critical safety wheel wear size is investigated through considering the fatigue safety effect on RD2 type axle of China railway freight cars. The wheel wear size increase results in a rise of the wheel-rail contact forces, which increase the fatigue stress history of the axle in service. Therefore, the size must be controlled to maintain the axle safety in service before the next overhaul inspection. A field investigation was firstly made on the wear size change regularity. Then, the size related wheel-rail impact forces are solved by a non-linear Hertzian contact theory with a vehicle multi-body dynamic model. In addition, a statistical method is further developed for incorporating the impact forces into the wheelset service load history. Finally, a wear size related critical state equation is established for ensuring the axle safety in service. A stationary solution is statistically obtained for the critical wear sizes with respect to the axle circumferential crack and semi-elliptical crack. It is concluded that the critical safety wear size should be controlled in the range of 100 mm at the statistical level of survival probability 0.99 and confidence 95%.

Abstract: Critical fatigue safety state is investigated on RD2 type axle of China railway freight cars. Attention is paid on the grooves near axle boxes, where more fatigue cracks were early appeared even result in at least six derailed accidents. Load history was obtained by vehicle dynamics simulation combining with on-line inspection. Braking loads and effects of maintenance and off-round of wheels are also incorporated. Semi-elliptical and external circumferential cracks are employed for crack growth simulation. Crack shape change and shear stressing of the semi-elliptical crack are taken into account. New crack growth rate modeling in which covers from cracking threshold to toughness related fracture state is applied for residual life evaluation. Critical fatigue safety state is defined as the crack size from which the axle can be safely operated to next overhaul inspection. Critical crack size is estimated step-by-step with the crack shape change. Results show that the external circumferential crack is more dangerous than the semi-elliptical crack. Application more than two years in production verifies that the present assessment is available and reliable.

Abstract: Transferring of fatigue behavior is investigated from material to structure for Chinese railway LZ50 axle carbon steel. S-N data in mid-fatigue life range and fatigue limit data of smooth small specimens are applied for material fatigue behavior. Real axles and similar smooth bigger specimens were tested with respect to fatigue limits. The data of real axles reveal the difference between material and a special structure. And the data of similar specimens play a role of bridge to connect material and material structures. Probabilistic transferring relations are deduced by the data from material, to similar specimens, and then to structures at the fatigue limit phase. Structural probabilistic S-N curves are obtained by the material fatigue behavior to extend the transferring relations to entire fatigue life range. Determinations of the fatigue behavior of the groove of LZ50 steel axle indicate availability of the present investigation.

Abstract: The structures of railway vehicles are required to service in super-long life regime. Determination of the probabilistic S-N curves including the regime should be a basic work to realize the real fatigue life prediction and reliability assessment. Based on the test results of Chinese railway LZ50 axle carbon steel, a statistical extrapolating method is proposed to determine the curves by applying the conventional test data in mid-long life regime. Some phenomena, i.e. the response of “fatigue limit”, a great of heat affecting using the high frequency ultrasonic fatigue test system, and the non-conservative test results using the conventional frequency tiny multi-specimen test system (machine C), are firstly mentioned in the existent super-long life researches. The too much conservative offers are also noted by the determinations of existent codes. To address the variable amplitude loads in production, the present method extrapolates continuously the curves from the mid- to super-long life regimes under the statistical controls of conventional fatigue limits. The practice for the present material indicates that the curves can well reflect the scattered data not only in mid-long life regime but also in super-long life regime. The non-conservative test results using machine C are also safely included by the curves.

Abstract: Probabilistic cyclic constitutions are investigated and safety assessment on the ASME code-based design curves is given to 0Cr18Ni10Ti pipe steel. Incremental and group fatigue tests were carried out respectively to reveal the cyclic deformation and life characteristics. The results showed that the material acted as cyclic strengthening and masing behaviour. A phenomenon of random cyclic constitutions was observed. The modified Ramberg-Osgood equation combining an assumption of the cyclic stress amplitude following normal distribution is applied to describe the constitutions. Fine modeling effect is obtained on both considerations of survival probability and confidence. Probabilistic characteristics are also given to the fatigue virtual stress amplitude-life relations and then a safety assessment is carried out on the design curves. The results exhibit that the ASME curves with constant reduction factors are not matching the evolutionary scattered statistical trend of fatigue lives. The curves with 2 reduction factor on stress amplitude and 20 on fatigue life are much conservative for the present material, which is great different from the previous observation to weld metal. It indicates that the fatigue design by analysis for the piping should be based appropriately on the welded joint data.