Key Engineering Materials Vols. 462-463

Abstract: This paper presents a case study of ASME SA213 type-T22 alloy steel superheater tube that failed in a boiler of a power plant. The failed superheater tube was investigated by visual examination, metallography, optical microscopy, electron fractography, and hardness testing. Microscopic examinations revealed inclusion, pre-existing micro-cracks and cementite precipitates at the grain boundaries in the microstructure; which were thought to be one of the major causes of failure of the superheater tube. Another major cause failure of boiler type T-22 was found to be creep failure because the boiler had been under use for a long time (36573 hours) at high steam temperature of around 420 °C with 130 bar pressure. Finally, recommendations have been suggested to improve the material characteristics and properties of the superheater tube for application in boiler of the power plant.

Abstract: A durability related analysis has been performed using a new statistical-based method, called the Hybrid Integrated Kurtosis-based Algorithm for Z-notch filter (Hybrid I-kaz) Technique. This method provides a two dimensional graphical representation of the signal amplitude and the Hybrid I-kaz coefficient that were used to measure the degree of data scattering. For validation purposes, road tests have been conducted in order to measure the strain and vibration signals on a coil spring. Three road surfaces were used for the road test and data collection purposes. This study used test signals which excited based on three different road surfaces. The 5-mm strain gauge and an accelerometer were fixed on the outer surface of the coil spring for measuring the variable amplitude strain loadings together with the vibration response. The time domain strain and vibration signals were then analysed using global signal statistics and Hybrid I-kaz coefficients. Finally, it was found that the respective coefficients for each signals showed an increment with the total value of strain range and vibration amplitudes.

Abstract: A new static nonlinear pushover procedure is proposed for assessment of seismic capacity for high-rise buildings. Rather than simply combining the results carried out by modal inertia force distributions to estimate the total building capacity after pushover analysis, the present study develops in advance the most critical lateral load distribution which is developed via energy dissipation analysis based on least-energy principle. The advantage of the present method is that the effect of different earthquake input directions can be well considered, as well as that unstable solutions due to employing linear method to combine the nonlinear analysis results can be avoided. Thus, the performance of building can be evaluated more reasonably. By comparing with the results from nonlinear response history analysis using real earthquake tremor monitoring results, the validity of the present method is validated.

Abstract: Based on an amount of fatigue experimental data of fiber reinforced plastic composite, a new three-parameter S-N curve model is proposed to describe the relationships between the loads and fatigue life under constant amplitude cyclic loading. As the logistic curve behaves as sigmoidal which is the similar with previous S-N models, and from this comparability, an S-N equation with logistic’ form has been established. The model can assess the fatigue behaviors of FRP under various loading conditions, such as, tension-tension (T-T), tension-compression (T-C) or compression-compression (C-C) loading under different stress ratios of the whole region of fatigue life. Several examples are employed to illustrate that the model has ability to fit several different sets of experimental data accurately.

Abstract: Load cycle interactions can have a significant effect in fatigue crack growth (FCG) under variable amplitude loading. Studying of FCG and fatigue life calculation under spectrum loading is important for the reliable life prediction of engineering structures. Many models have been proposed, but yet no universal model exists. In this paper, a fatigue life predicted under various load spectra, using three different fatigue crack growth models namely, the Austen, modified Forman and NASGRO models. These models are validated with fatigue crack growth test data under various amplitude loadings. This application is performed with aids of three-point bend specimens of ASTM A533 steel material. The results clearly show the load sequences effect and the predicted results agree with some discrepancies between the different models as well as with the test data. Thus, neglecting the effect of cycle interaction in fatigue calculations under variable amplitude loading can lead to invalid life predictions.

Abstract: A crack, symmetrically propagating in elastic material, was considered as superposition of surface Rayleigh waves. The self-similar growth of face loaded crack was considered in detail. Exact expressions of deformation and stress fields in the crack’s surrounding were found and asymptotic behavior of stress near cracks’ tips was also obtained. A condition that determines the crack’s velocity of self-similar propagation was found.

Abstract: The problem of crack growth is a major issue in the prediction and maintenance of engineering structural elements. Prediction of expected life of a structural element due to constant (static) and alternating loading (fatigue) is of major concern to the designers. Prediction of remaining life of the structural elements influences the decisions of maintenance engineers (checking intervals, corrections, and replacements).The fatigue crack growth rate, which determine the fatigue life of the components after crack initiation need to be experimentally and theoretically investigated. In this study, fatigue crack growth tests were conducted under constant amplitude loading at a stress ratio of 0.1, using three-point bend (TPB) specimens of ASTM A533 steel material. For the simulation part of this study, three fatigue crack growth models, i.e. the Paris, modified Forman and Austen were examined. None of the models has a fit for the fatigue crack growth rate data in a similar behaviour compared to others. The modified Forman model provided a closer fit than the Paris model with respect to the experimental results. However, the Austen model provided the best fit to the fatigue crack growth rate data as compared with the other two models. Therefore, this model is suggested for use in critical applications.

Abstract: Hamiltonian of the solid body with a crack inside in field of tensile stresses was derived. Hamiltonian equations describe process of crack propagation. A crack propagation was considered in heterogeneous material when in ground matrix present inclusions with work-of-fracture per unit surface significantly greater than in the matrix. Condition of cracks arrest in such system was found and length of path, passed until crack’s stop, was calculated.

Abstract: In this paper, precise integration in a symplectic system is used to analyze the stop-band characteristic of the dielectric layer PBG structure in a waveguide. The transverse section is made discrete by using edge elements. The stiff matrices of a dielectric layer and an air layer can be calculated by precision integration based on Riccati equations in a Hamiltonian system. The export stiff matrices of a period can be obtained by a combination of substructures, and then the whole structure can be solved. The stop-band characteristic of a dielectric layer PBG structure in a waveguide is obtained and the effects of the size of period and the number of periods are discussed. The examples presented show that this method is precise and efficient.

Abstract: In mechanical engineering and modern municipal construction, shallow-buried inclusion structure is used widely. In this paper, Green's Function is studied, which is the solution of displacement field for elastic semi-space with double shallow-buried inclusions while bearing anti-plane harmonic line source force at any point. In complex plane, considering the symmetry of SH-wave scattering , the displacement field aroused by the anti-plane harmonic line source force and the scattering displacement field impacted by the circle inclusions comprised of Fourier-Bessel series with undetermined coefficients which satisfies the stress-free condition on the ground surface are constructed. Through applying the method of multi-polar coordinate system, the equations with unknown coefficients can be obtained by using the displacement and stress condition of the circle inclusions in the radial direction. According to orthogonality condition for trigonometric function, these equations can be reduced to a series of algebraic equations. Then the value of the unknown coefficients can be obtained by solving these algebraic equations. Green's function, that is, the total wave displacement field is the superposition of the displacement field aroused by the anti-plane harmonic line source force and the scattering displacement field. By using the expressions, an example is provided to show the effect of the change of relative location of the circle inclusions and the location of the line source force. Based on this solution, the problem of interaction of double circular inclusions and a linear crack in semi-space can be investigated further.