Applied Mechanics and Materials Vols. 24-25

Abstract: Digital Image Correlation (DIC) together with in-situ tensile testing has been used to measure in DP1000 steel the evolution of plastic strains at the microstructure scale. Interrupted tensile tests were performed on specially designed samples and scanning-electron micrographs were taken at regular applied strain intervals. Patterns defined by the microstructural features of the material have been used for the correlation carried out using LAVision software. The full field strain maps produced by DIC show a progressive localisation of deformation into bands at about 45o with respect to the loading direction. Plastic strains as high as 130% have been measured within the ferrite phase.

Abstract: Ratcheting is one of the challenging phenomena that needs to be investigated for the Fast breeder reactor (FBRs), to arrive at the optimum structural dimensions that are safe and yet do not have undue redundancy. Austenitic stainless steel is the principal structural material for Indian FBR. Preliminary assessment indicates that there is a need to demonstrate that the main load carrying vessel made of this material can provide sufficient safety margin against ratcheting under biaxial loading conditions. This exercise calls for carrying out many simulated experiments, particularly with biaxial tension torsion specimens to generate adequate data for developing robust constitutive models to predict ratcheting. Accordingly, many biaxial tension-torsion experiments for austenitic stainless steel pipes were conducted and the best results have been reported here. The mechanical behavior of this material has been reported for a given axial tensile stress superimposed with a given range of cyclic shear stress for many cycles of loading. Rectangular rosette is used for capturing the biaxial response. Important material responses like cyclic hardening and biaxial ratcheting have been experimentally observed. Maximum accumulation of 2700 μ axial strain has been observed for a loading condition of constant axial stress of 102 MPa super imposed with a cyclic variation of shear stress amplitude of 120 MPa over 2450 cycles. The amount of progressive accumulation of axial strain was found to be directly dependent on the number of cycles. The observed rate of axial strain accumulation found decreased with increase in number of cycles. All these results are presented in detail in this paper and important conclusions that are useful in modeling the observed behavior are discussed.

Abstract: The paper investigates the interaction of monotonic cyclic loading and their effect on the yield strength of aluminium alloy. Two different loading combinations were considered, i.e. torsion-reverse-torsion superimposed on monotonic tension and monotonic torsion combined with tension-compression cycles. All strain controlled tests were carried out at room temperature using thin-walled tubular specimens. The maximum value of the total cyclic strain amplitude was less than 1%. The influence of amplitude, frequency and shape of cyclic loading signal on the proportional limit and conventional yield point was investigated. The experimental results presented in the paper may be useful to designers of structures that utilize manufacturing processes such as drawing, extrusion, forging of selected semi-finished elements or researchers working on the development of new constitutive equations.

Abstract: Acoustic Emission (AE) is a passive form of non-destructive testing that relies on the detection and analysis of stress waves released during crack propagation. AE techniques are successfully employed number of industries there remains some scepticism in aerospace engineering. The reported investigation details a single four point bend test specimen undergoing fatigue loading. This test is part of a much larger programme designed to demonstrate a technology readiness level (TRL) of five of the use of AE to detect crack initiation and growth in landing gear structures. The completed test required that crack growth had to be monitored to allow a comparison with the detected and located AE signals. The method of crack monitoring had to be non-contact so as not to produce frictional sources of AE in the crack region, preventing the use of crack mouth opening displacement gauges. Furthermore adhesives on the specimen surface had to be avoided to eliminate the possibility that the detected AE was from adhesive cracking, thus the use of strain gauges or foil crack gauges was not possible. A method using Digital Image Correlation (DIC) to monitor crack growth was investigated. The test was stopped during fatigue loading at 1000 cycle intervals and a DIC image captured at peak load. The displacement due to crack growth was observed throughout the investigation and the results compared with the detected AE signals. Results showed a clear correlation between AE and crack growth and added further evidence of TRL5 for detecting fractures in landing gears using AE.

Abstract: Thermoelastic Stress Analysis (TSA) is a well-established full-field technique for experimental stress analysis that has proved to be extremely effective for studying stress fields in the vicinity of cracks. Recently, work has focused on the observation that the stress-sum contours (isopachics) obtained from TSA take the form of a cardioid. Genetic Algorithms (GAs) and Differential Evolution (DE) have proved successful for accurate parameter estimation of the cardioids, thus allowing the SIFs to be calculated. Originally, some curve-fits indicated that a pure cardioid form is inappropriate for the base model, especially for mixed-mode cracks. The deviation from the cardioid form has been shown to be due to higher-order terms within the stress function. The objective of the current paper is to use a modified version of the original methodology (that fitted parameters to a single isopachic) to find the higher-order parameters from the entire data field obtained from the TSA.

Abstract: The ultimate objective of the current programme of work is to detect and quantify low-velocity impact damage in structures made from composite materials. There are many situations in the use of composites where an impact does not result in perforation of the material but causes damage that may not be visible, yet still causes a substantial reduction in structural properties. Impacts that do not cause perforation are usually termed low-velocity. When a composite structure undergoes such impacts, it is important to know the type and level of damage and assess the residual strength. In this study, following a systematic series of experiments on the induction of impact damage in composite specimens, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used to inspect the topographies of the specimens at high magnification. Matrix cracking, fibre fracture, fibre pullout and delamination were the types of damage observed in the composite laminates after the low-velocity impacts. The study also conducted a (very) preliminary correlation between the damage modes and the impact energy.

Abstract: One of our main research areas is the trans-scale modelling of damage in composite materials, which consist of a polymer matrix and carbon or glass fibres in different material combinations and geometrical arrangements. From the local stress redistribution in the fibre-matrix interphase and in the surrounding matrix material information on the parameters of microscopic damage models for composite materials can be obtained. Owing to the difficult interface characterisation based on the properties of the single material components, a photoelastic analysis of single fibre fragmentation tests is performed. In addition to the qualitative visual interpretation in polarized light, an enhanced quantitative analysis in combination with digital photoelasticity using a four image phase shifting method will be applied [1]. As the sequential capturing of images might cause incorrect results, these four pictures are grabbed simultaneously. This allows for continuous testing. Additionally, errors due to the relaxation behaviour of the matrix material can be avoided. To this, a modular optical system consisting of a variable long distance microscope and a beam dividing module proposed by [2] was developed. It allows for the simultaneous projection of four different filtered images of one microscopic scene to the four quadrants of a CCD chip. This special equipment gives the possibility to apply quantitative photoelasticity to tensile tests performed on standard testing machines. This paper explains the measurement hardware and discusses the main problems and realised solutions from picture capturing through image processing to real-time photoelastic analysis at the present state of development. Exemplary results for the qualitative analysis of selected material combinations and different manufacturing processes are shown.

Abstract: The present study involves an experimental and analytical investigation of the Mode II delamination propagation and the fibre bridging effects incorporated in the Fracture Process Zone (FPZ). End Notch Flexure (ENF) specimens from a unidirectional glass/epoxy composite material have been fabricated and tested. In order to construct the fracture resistance curve (R-curve) of the ENF tests, three different data reduction schemes have been utilized. The fibre bridging effects in the FPZ have been addressed with the use of traction-separation laws, as extracted from the corresponding calculated R-curves. These laws can be used to describe the constitutive relationship in interface finite elements, for the numerical modelling of delamination growth in laminated composite structures.

Abstract: The understanding of how materials fail is still today a fundamental research problem for scientist and engineers. The main concern is the assessment of the necessary conditions to propagate a crack that will eventually lead to failure. Nevertheless, this kind of analysis tends to be more complicated, when a prior history in the material is taken into consideration and it will be extremely important to recognize all the factors involved in this process. In this work, a numerical simulation of the introduction of residual stresses, which change the crack initiation conditions, in a modified compact tensile specimen to change the condition of crack initiation is presented. Four numerical analyses were carried out; an initial evaluation was performed in a specimen without a crack and it was used for the estimation of a residual stress field produced by an overload; three more cases were simulated and a crack was introduced in each specimen (1 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm, respectively). The overload was then applied to set up a residual stress field into the component; furthermore, in each case the crack compliance method (CCM) was applied to measure the induced residual stress field. By performing this numerical simulation, the accuracy of the crack compliance method can be evaluated. On the other hand, elastic-plastic finite element analysis was utilized for the residual stress estimation. The numerical analysis was based on the mechanical properties of a biocompatible material (AISI 316L). The obtained results provided significant data about diverse factors, like; the manner in which a residual stress field could modify the crack initiation conditions, the convenient set up for induction of a beneficial residual stresses field, as well as useful information that can be applied for the experimental implementation of this research.

Abstract: The present work is based on a previous numerical simulation used for the introduction of a residual stress field in a modified compact tensile specimen. The main objective in that paper was to evaluate the effect that previous history has in crack initiation and to establish the new loading conditions needed to propagate a fracture. The experimental analysis presented in this paper was performed to compare and validate the numerical procedure. Several modified compact tensile specimens from a biocompatible material (AISI 316L) were manufactured to estimate the beneficial effect of a residual stress field. The specimens were separated in four batches; an initial group of uncracked specimens was used to establish an evaluation of the induction of a residual stress field produced by an overload; the remaining specimens were separated into three groups where a crack was introduced in each specimen (1 mm, 5 mm and 10 mm respectively) and the residual stress field caused by the application of an overload was determined. The assessment of all the residual stress fields introduced into the specimens was done by the application of the crack compliance method (CCM). The results obtained have provided useful information on the correlation between the numerical and experimental procedures. Furthermore, data concerning the understanding of diverse factors related to crack initiation are discussed in this paper. Finally, the beneficial aspects of the residual stresses are discussed.