Papers by Keyword: Fatigue Damage Parameter

Abstract: Fatigue life of automotive engine mount insulator made of natural rubber was evaluated. In order to develop an appropriate fatigue damage parameter of the rubber material, a series of displacement controlled fatigue tests was conducted using 3-dimensional dumbbell specimens with different levels of mean displacement. It was shown that the maximum Green-Lagrange strain was a proper damage parameter, taking the mean displacement effects into account. Nonlinear finite element analyses of the rubber engine mount insulator and 3D dumbbell specimen were performed based on a hyper-elastic material model determined from the simple and equi-biaxial tension tests. Fatigue life prediction of the engine mount insulator was made by incorporating the maximum Green-Lagrange strain values, which was evaluated from the finite element analysis and fatigue tests, respectively. Predicted fatigue lives of the engine mount insulator showed a fairly good agreement with the experimental fatigue lives.

Abstract: In order to evaluate the structural integrity of the breech system used for a thick-walled cylinder subjected to pulsating high internal pressure, fatigue life simulation of a breech system was performed. A stress analysis of the breech was performed to locate the critical region vulnerable to crack initiation. Low-cycle fatigue behavior of the breech material was investigated to obtain the fatigue crack initiation properties. Elastic-plastic finite element stress analysis resulted in a stress concentration at the breech ring groove root. Strains at the breech ring and block were experimentally measured using strain gages and resulted in similar values compared to the calculated strains. Local strain approach was employed to estimate the fatigue life of the breech system for crack initiation at the groove root of the breech ring. Fatigue tests using simulation specimens were performed and an averaged fatigue life was obtained, showing a very good agreement with the calculated fatigue life within a factor of two.

Abstract: The interest of the fatigue life for rubber components was increasing according to the extension of warranty period of the automotive components. In this study, the fatigue lifetime prediction methodology of the vulcanized natural rubber was proposed by incorporating the finite element analysis and fatigue damage parameter determined from fatigue tests. Finite element analysis of 3D dumbbell specimen and rubber component was performed based on a hyper-elastic material model determined from the mechanical tests. The Green-Lagrange strain at the critical location determined from the finite element analysis was used for evaluating the fatigue damage parameter of the natural rubber. Fatigue tests were performed using the 3D dumbbell specimens and rubber component with different levels of maximum strain and various load. Fatigue life curves can be effectively represented by a following single function using the maximum Green-Lagrange strain. Fatigue lives of the natural rubber are predicted by using the fatigue damage parameters at the critical location. Predicted fatigue lives of the rubber component for automobile vehicle agreed fairly with the experimental fatigue lives.