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At least 847 records · Page 47

Growth behavior of surface cracks in the circumferential plane of solid and hollow cylinders

Experiments were conducted to study the growth behavior of surface fatigue cracks in the circumferential plane of solid and hollow cylinders. In the solid cylinders, the fatigue cracks were found to have a circular arc crack front with specific upper and lower limits to the arc radius. In the hollow cylinders, the fatigue cracks were found to agree accurately with the shape of a transformed semiellipse. A modification to the usual nondimensionalization expression used for surface flaws in flat plates was found to give correct trends for the hollow cylinder problem.

Forman, R. G.↗

Thermally induced transverse cracking in graphite-epoxy cross-ply laminates

Thermally induced transverse cracking in T300/5208 graphite-epoxy cross-ply laminates was investigated experimentally and theoretically. The six laminate configurations studied were: 0/90(3)s, 0(2)/90(2)s, 0(3)/90s, 90/0(3)s, 90(2)/0(2)s, and 90(3)/0s. The thermal load required to initiate transverse cracking was determined experimentally and compared to a theoretical prediction. Experimental results for the accumulation of transverse cracks under cyclic thermal loading between - 250 and 250 F for up to 500 thermal cycles are presented. The calculated in situ transverse-lamina strength was determined to be at least 1.9 times the unidirectional-lamina transverse tensile strength. All laminate configurations exhibited an increase in crack density with increasing thermal cycles.

Adams, D. S.↗

Elevated temperature crack growth

Critical gas turbine engine hot section components such as blades, vanes, and combustor liners tend to develop minute cracks during early stages of operations. The ability of currently available path-independent (P-I) integrals to correlate fatigue crack propagation under conditions that simulate the turbojet engine combustor liner environment was determined. To date, an appropriate specimen design and a crack displacement measurement method were determined. Alloy 718 was selected as the analog material based on its ability to simulate high temperature behavior at lower temperatures in order to facilitate experimental measurements. Available P-I integrals were reviewed and the best approaches are being programmed into a finite element post processor for eventual comparison with experimental data. The experimental data will include cyclic crack growth tests under thermomechanical conditions, and, additionally, thermal gradients.

Kim, K. S.↗

Grain boundary oxidation and fatigue crack growth at elevated temperatures

Fatigue crack growth rate at elevated temperatures can be accelerated by grain boundary oxidation. Grain boundary oxidation kinetics and the statistical distribution of grain boundary oxide penetration depth were studied. At a constant delta K-level and at a constant test temperature, fatigue crack growth rate, da/dN, is a function of cyclic frequency, nu. A fatigue crack growth model of intermittent micro-ruptures of grain boundary oxide is constructed. The model is consistent with the experimental observations that, in the low frequency region, da/dN is inversely proportional to nu, and fatigue crack growth is intergranular.

Liu, H. W.↗

An analytical and experimental study of crack extension in center-notched composites

The normal stress ratio theory for crack extension in anisotropic materials is studied analytically and experimentally. The theory is applied within a microscopic-level analysis of a single center notch of arbitrary orientation in a unidirectional composite material. The bulk of the analytical work of this study applies an elasticity solution for an infinite plate with a center line to obtain critical stress and crack growth direction predictions. An elasticity solution for an infinite plate with a center elliptical flaw is also used to obtain qualitative predictions of the location of crack initiation on the border of a rounded notch tip. The analytical portion of the study includes the formulation of a new crack growth theory that includes local shear stress. Normal stress ratio theory predictions are obtained for notched unidirectional tensile coupons and unidirectional Iosipescu shear specimens. These predictions are subsequently compared to experimental results.

Beuth, Jack L., Jr.↗

Observations of fatigue crack growth rate and closure behavior in 7475-T731 aluminum under variable amplitude loading

Simultaneous measures of fatigue crack propagation rate and crack closure were taken from 7475-T731 aluminum alloy center cracked tensile specimens under variable amplitude loading conditions. Results indicate the presence of load interaction in a variety of repeated variable amplitude loading blocks. Load interaction results in retardation of the propagation rate for most loading blocks examined in the study. Closure did not explain observed delay behavior associated with high stress ratio and single peak overloads. Primary influences on the crack opening stress intensity level include the maximum stress intensity of the repeated loading block, the minimum stress intensity of the block, and the number of fatigue cycles between overloads of the block.

Turner, Charles C.↗

Nonlinear adhesive behavior effects in a cracked orthotropic sheet stiffened by a semi-infinite orthotropic sheet

The stress-intensity factors are determined for a cracked orthotropic sheet adhesively bonded to an orthotropic stringer where the adhesive layer is modeled with a nonlinear stress-strain curve. By the use of Green's functions and the complex variable theory of orthotropic elasticity, a set of integral equations is obtained. The integral equations are replaced by an equivalent set of algebraic equations, which are solved to obtain the shear stress distribution in the adhesive layer, with which the crack-tip stress-intensity factors are found. When the adhesive was modeled with a nonlinear stress-strain curve, the peak shear stresses in the adhesive were considerably reduced in comparison to the solution for the linear elastic adhesive. This resulted in increases in the stress-intensity factors for the nonlinear adhesive solution compared to the linear adhesive solution. The nonlinear adhesive has no significant effect on the stress-intensity factor unless the near crack tip is beneath the stringer. It is assumed that the adhesive bond remains intact and it is predicted that onset of adhesive failure occurs at decreasing levels of applied stress as the crack propagates beneath the stringer.

Bigelow, C. A.↗

Grain boundary oxidation and fatigue crack growth at elevated temperatures

Fatigue crack growth rate at elevated temperatures can be accelerated by grain boundary oxidation. Grain boundary oxidation kinetics and the statistical distribution of grain boundary oxide penetration depth were studied. At a constant delta K-level and at a constant test temperature, fatigue crack growth rate, da/dN, is a function of cyclic frequency, nu. A fatigue crack growth model of intermittent micro-ruptures of grain boundary oxide is constructed. The model is consistent with the experimental observations that, in the low frequency region, da/dN is inversely proportional to nu, and fatigue crack growth is intergranular.

Liu, H. W.↗

Plastic deformation - Its role in fatigue crack propagation

Recognizing the fact that the effective driving force Delta-K(eff) determines the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) rate and that the shear strain, which is considered to develop due to an occurrence of crack closure, primarily contributes to the plastic deformation, an effort is made here to elucidate the role of plastic deformation in FCP by developing a correlation between the Delta-K(eff) and the applied driving force (Delta-K) with shear strain as variable. The disparity between Delta(K)eff) and Delta-K, which apparently increases with shear strain level, persists at lower values of Delta-K. This suggests a strong influence of the degree of localized deformation on the FCP rates in the near threshold level. Hence, an improvement of FCP rates in the near threshold level should follow an effort that promotes the plastic deformation near the crack tip to a greater degree. This approach could explain the effect of the grain size, microstructure, environment, R-ratio and crack size on the near-threshold FCP rates.

Mazumdar, P. K.↗

An analysis for crack layer stability

The problem of uncontrolled crack propagation and crack arrest is considered with respect to crack layer (CL) translational stability. CL propagation is determined by the difference between the energy release rate and the amount of energy required for material transformation, and necessary and sufficient conditions for CL instability are derived. CL propagation in polystyrene is studied for two cases. For the case of remotely applied fixed load fatigue, the sufficient condition of instability is shown to be met before the necessary condition, and the necessary condition controls the stability. For the fixed displacement case, neither of the instability conditions are met, and CL propagation remains stable, resulting in crack arrest.

Sehanobish, K.↗

J-integral estimates for cracks in infinite bodies

An analysis and discussion is presented of existing estimates of the J-integral for cracks in infinite bodies. Equations are presented which provide convenient estimates for Ramberg-Osgood type elasto-plastic materials containing cracks and subjected to multiaxial loading. The relationship between J and the strain normal to the crack is noted to be only weakly dependent on state of stress. But the relationship between J and the stress normal to the crack is strongly dependent on state of stress. A plastic zone correction term often employed is found to be arbitrary, and its magnitude is seldom significant.

Dowling, N. E.↗

The NT-criterion for predicting crack growth increments

A new approach is presented to determine the crack propagation increment after the direction of crack propagation has been predicted. The maximum dilatational strain energy density (NT-criterion) is employed in the derivation for predicting both direction and increment of the propagating crack. The crack propagation path predicted by the NT-criterion is compared to the one predicted by the S-criterion and to some available experimental data.

Yehia, Nabil A. B.↗

Slow crack growth in sintered silicon nitride

The strength and crack growth characteristics of a sintered silicon nitride were studied at 1000 C. Fractographic analysis of material failing in dynamic fatigue revealed the presence of slow crack growth (SCG) at stressing rates below 6 ksi/min. This material can sustain a 40-ksi flexural stress at 1000 C for 400 h or more but is susceptible to both SCG and creep deformation at higher stress levels. The crack velocity exponent (N) determined both from dynamic and static fatigue experiments lies in a range from 13 to 22. The subcritical crack growth and creep behavior at 1000 C is primarily controlled by the deformation of an intergranular glassy phase.

Khandelwal, P. K.↗

Analysis of crack closure under plane strain conditions

The phenomenon of plasticity-induced crack closure is associated with the development of residual material on the flanks of an advancing fatigue crack. While it is easy to see that this residual material can come from the side faces of a specimen under plane stress conditions, it is difficult to discover the origin of this extra volume of material on the crack flanks when it is assumed that plane deformations occur and plastic flow is incompressible. The purpose of this paper is to determine whether plasticity-induced fatigue crack closure occurs in an elastic-perfectly plastic body under plane strain conditions.

Fleck, N. A.↗

Applications of elastic-viscoplastic constitutive models in dynamic analyses of crack run-arrest events

Applications of nonlinear techniques to the first series of six HSST wide-plate crack-arrest tests that were performed are described. The experiments include crack initiations at low temperatures and relatively long (20 cm) cleavage propagation phases which are terminated by arrest in high temperature regions. Crack arrest are then followed by ductile tearing events. Consequently, the crack front regions are exposed to wide ranges of strain rates and temperatures.

Bass, B. R.↗

Fatique crack growth behavior of a single crystal alloy as observed through an in situ fatigue loading stage

An in situ fatigue loading stage inside a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to determine the fatigue crack growth behavior of a PWA 1480 single-crystal nickel-based superalloy. The loading stage permits real-time viewing of the fatigue damage processes at high magnification. The PWA 1480 single-crystal, single-edge notch specimens were tested with the load axis parallel to the (100) orientation. Two distinct fatigue failure mechanisms were identified. The crack growth rate differed substantially when the failure occurred on a single slip system in comparison to multislip system failure. Two processes by which crack branching is produced were identified and are discussed. Also discussed are the observed crack closure mechanisms.

Telesman, Jack↗

On governing equations for crack layer propagation

Results of analysis on damage distribution of a crack layer, in a model material, supported the self-similarity hypothesis of damage evolution which has been adopted by the crack layer theory. On the basis of measurements of discontinuity density and the double layer potential technique, a solution to the crack damage interaction problem has been developed. Evaluation of the stress intensity factor illustrated the methodology. Analysis of experimental results showed that Arrhenius type constitutive relationship described very well the expansion of the active zone of a crack layer.

Chudnovsky, A.↗

A finite-element alternating method for two-dimensional Mode-1 crack configurations

A finite-element alternating method is presented for 2-D Mode-1 crack problems. An analytical solution for an arbitrary polynomial normal pressure distribution applied to the crack faces is obtained and used as the basic solution in the method. The method is applied to several crack problems to study its efficiency and the results are compared to accurate stress-intensity factor solutions in the literature. The method gave reasonably accurate stress-intensity factors and crack opening displacements with minimal computing effort. Because the method must model only the uncracked body, finite-element models with many degrees of freedom are not warranted and therefore, the method has been implemented on personal computers.

Raju, I. S.↗