Papers by Keyword: Gigacycle Fatigue

Abstract: The modern development of high-speed transport causes a requirement toughening of the safety requirements for rolling stock and upper track components. Researchers and constructors are actively working towards the creation of more complete and adequate models of constructers and their elements, as well as new materials for their manufacture. The problem of studying traditional materials in various modes of rolling stock operation, including increasing the frequencies of dynamic influences and imposing effects from various loads and oscillations to the high-frequency area, becomes relevant and timely. This work is devoted to modeling the influence of high-frequency loading on a sample made of rail steel, this kind of influence takes place when rolling stock passes through an artificial constructer. It is assumed that the work of the rail within the sleepers step is described by the laws of uniaxial tension-compression. Experimental results and conclusions on ultrasonic high-frequency cyclic tests and structural analysis of the model material - low-carbon steel of the perlite class are presented.

Abstract: The continuous enhancement of reliability and durability requirements for many machinery components is significantly pushing the experimental research on the Very-High-Cycle Fatigue (VHCF) response of metallic materials. In order to significantly reduce testing time, ultrasonic testing machines are widely adopted when carrying out VHCF tests. Several fundamental material properties can be estimated from the fracture surfaces of specimens failed during ultrasonic VHCF tests. In the VHCF literature the critical Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) is generally estimated by applying analytical SIF formulations to the typical semi-circular surface crack geometry revealed by fracture surfaces at final failure. However, when subjected to ultrasonic VHCF tests, analytical SIF formulations valid for static loading conditions could eventually lead to significant estimation errors. The present paper aims at comparing the critical SIF at failure estimated from conventional analytical formulations and from Finite Element Models (FEMs). The fracture surfaces of two specimens with different shapes (Hourglass and Gaussian) are taken into account for modeling crack geometry at final failure. Through an implicit solving procedure, the critical SIF in resonance condition at 20 kHz is computed from the 3D geometry of the cracked specimens and compared with the corresponding analytical prediction.

Abstract: This review looks into the state of gigacycle fatigue behavior of some structural materials used in engineering works. Particular attention is given to the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing machine (USF-2000) due to its important role in conducting gigacycle fatigue tests. Gigacycle fatigue behavior of most materials used for very long life engineering applications is reviewed.Gigacycle fatigue behavior of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, spheroid graphite cast iron, steels and nickel alloys are reviewed together with the examination of the most common material defects that initiate gigacycle fatigue failures in these materials. In addition, the stage-by-stage fatigue crack developments in the gigacycle regime are reviewed. This review is concluded by suggesting the directions for future works in gigacycle fatigue.

Abstract: The effect of different inclusion contents on the VHCF strength of H13 tool steels is presented. Two different H13 tool steels were investigated: the Uddeholm Orvar^® 2 Micronized obtained by conventional casting, and the Uddeholm Orvar^® Supreme obtained by electroslag remelting (ESR). Ultrasonic tests were performed on Gaussian specimens (risk volume about 2300 mm3) up to 1010 cycles or up to failure and fracture surfaces were investigated with SEM in order to analyze the inclusions from which VHCF crack nucleated. Experimental results show that the VHCF strength estimated by using the Murakami’s model of the H13 Uddeholm Orvar^® Supreme steel is about 15% larger than that of the H13 Uddeholm Orvar^® 2 Micronized steel.

Abstract: In order to ensure the long term durability of mechanical structures, the fatigue property of structural components should be clarified in the long life region such as the gigacycle regime. The rotating bending fatigue tests in very high cycle regime were carried out for a nickel chromium molybdenum steel for structural use of machines (JIS Material Code: SNCM439) in this study. Based on the initiation site of the fatigue crack, fracture modes were classified into the following typical three modes: (1) usual surface fracture, (2) surface defect-initiated fracture and (3) interior inclusion-initiated fracture, respectively. In S-N diagram, experimental data in the usual surface fracture mode appeared at higher stress levels with fewer loading cycles, whereas the data in the other two fracture modes appeared at lower stress levels with more loading cycles. Thus, the duplex S-N property was confirmed for this steel in the very long life regime. In order to clarify the fatigue mechanism of the interior inclusion-initiated fracture, the quantitative evaluations were made by applying the stress intensity factor range. The fatigue crack initiation and propagation processes in the interior inclusion-initiated fracture were divided into four stages: formation of the fine granular area (FGA) due to initiation and coalescence of micro-debondings, formation of the fish-eye due to penny-shape crack propagation, crack propagation as surface crack and final catastrophic fracture.

Abstract: Hardmetals, manufactured from powders by pressing and sintering, are the most important tool materials in service today. In many applications, such as milling or percussion drilling, they are subjected to fatigue with considerable loading cycle numbers. In the present study, the fatigue behaviour of hardmetals in push-pull loading was investigated up to N_max = 10¹⁰ using ultrasonic resonance fatigue testing. It showed that with all hardmetal grades investigated there is no fatigue “limit”, i.e. a horizontal branch of the S-N curve, but a consistent drop of the curve up to maximum N. Crack initiation was found to occur predominantly microstructure-controlled, as compared to defect controlled as typical for powder metallurgy tool steels.Keywords: gigacycle fatigue, WC-Co hardmetals, ultrasonic fatigue testing, fatigue limit

Abstract: This paper is devoted to the initiation of fatigue crack in Armco iron from low cycle fatigue to gigacycle fatigue. It is shown that the basic mechanisms of initiation are very similar from a physical point of view: PSB and Grain boundary cracking. But the mechanical aspect is specific in LCF and in GCF.

Abstract: A high-temperature ultrasonic fatigue testing system was developed to evaluate the gigacycle fatigue properties of single-crystal superalloys used in aircraft engine turbine blades. In this development, a commercial ultrasonic fatigue testing machine was considerably modified to achieve high-temperature fatigue testing. The developed system took account of temperature dependency of Youngs modulus, and also had a function to evaluate the Youngs modulus. In order to protect the testing system from the heat of a specimen, straight and round rods were inserted between the testing system and the specimen. Other modifications achieved accurate control of temperature, edge displacement and resonance frequency, which were necessary for accurate control of stress amplitude. The testing system was first applied to a heat-resistant steel at 650 °C to check its accuracy, and next to SC superalloy samples at 1000 °C. In the conventional fatigue tests on the heat-resistant steel, the results were coincident in a frequency range from 1 Hz to 800 Hz, suggesting that comparable results would be obtained in ultrasonic fatigue testing at 20 kHz. In case of the SC superalloy samples, conventional fatigue tests were conducted at only 10 Hz, so the frequency effects were not clarified. In both cases, ultrasonic fatigue testing showed good agreement with conventional fatigue testing. The accuracy of the developed system is therefore high, even at 1000 °C. In these results, the SC superalloys showed no fatigue limit, indicating gigacycle fatigue tests to be necessary.

Abstract: Gigacycle fatigue properties with interior-induced failure of three high strength steels under different loading conditions were investigated, and an experimental-theoretical method is proposed to quantitatively evaluate the threshold condition of interior crack growth. The entire growth process consists of small crack growth within fine granular area (FGA), stable long crack growth outside of FGA within fish-eye and unstable crack growth outside of fish-eye. Based on the comparison between evaluated and experimental results, the validity of method is verified.

Abstract: Research activities on gigacycle fatigue properties of materials have recently focused on the influence of specimen size used for ultrasonic fatigue tests. In order to increase the volume of material subjected to the maximum stress (risk volume) a new specimen shape with a Gaussian profile is proposed. An approximation of the Gaussian profile with an arc of circle is presented in the paper, in order to simplify the Gaussian specimen manufacturing process. The effect of the approximation is evaluated analytically and through a finite element analysis.