A probabilistic model for fatigue crack propagation analysis

A simple probabilistic model for predicting crack growth behavior under random loading is presented. In the model, the parameters c and m in the Paris-Erdogan Equation are taken as random variables, and their stochastic characteristic values are obtained through fatigue crack propagation tests on an offshore structural steel under constant amplitude loading. Furthermore, by using the Monte Carlo simulation technique, the fatigue crack propagation life to reach a given crack length is predicted. The tests are conducted to verify the applicability of the theoretical prediction of the fatigue crack propagation.

An Improved Ce/Se Scheme And Its Application To Detonation Propagation

An improved two-dimensional space-time conservation element and solution element ( CE/ SE) method with second-order accuracy is proposed, examined and extended to simulate the detonation propagations using detailed chemical reaction models. The numerical results of planar and cellular detonation are compared with corresponding results by the Chapman-Jouguet theory and experiments, and prove that the method is a new reliable way for numerical simulations of detonation propagation.

Instability Of Crack Propagation In Brittle Bulk Metallic Glass

The instability of the crack tip in brittle Mg-based bulk metallic glass (BMG) is studied. The formation of various fractographic surfaces of the BMG is associated with the instability of the fluid meniscus, which is due to viscous fluid matter being present on the fracture process zone. Depending on the values of the wavelength of the initial perturbation of the fluid meniscus and the local stress intensity factor, different fracture surface profiles, i.e. a dimple-like structure, a periodic corrugation pattern and a pure mirror zone are formed. The fractographic evolution is significantly affected by the applied stress. A decreased fracture Surface roughness is observed under a low applied stress. An increased fracture surface roughness, which has frequently been reported by other researchers, is also observed in the present studies under a high applied stress. Unique fractographic features are attributed to the non-linear hyperelastic stiffening for less softening) mechanism. (C) 2008 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crack propagation in the power-law nonlinear viscoelastic material

An analysis on crack creep propagation problem of power-law nonlinear viscoelastic materials is presented. The creep incompressilility assumption is used. To simulate fracture behavior of craze region, it is assumed that in the fracture process zone near the crack tip, the cohesive stress sigma(f) acts upon the crack surfaces and resists crack opening. Through a perturbation method, i. e., by superposing the Mode-I applied force onto a referential uniform stress state, which has a trivial solution and gives no effect on the solution of the original problem, the nonlinear viscoelastic problem is reduced to linear problem. For weak nonlinear materials, for which the power-law index n similar or equal to 1, the expressions of stress and crack surface displacement are derived. Then, the fracture process zone local energy criterion is proposed and based on which the formulas of cracking incubation time t

Experimental study of gaseous detonation propagation over acoustically absorbing walls

The paper presents results front an experimental investigation of the propagation of gaseous detonation waves over tube sections lined with acoustically absorbent materials. The measurements were compared with results from control tests in a smooth wall section. The results show the increasing effectiveness of a perforated steel plate, wire mesh and steel wool in attenuating detonation.

An investigation of electromagnetic wave propagation in plasma by shock tube

This paper presents the electromagnetic wave propagation characteristics in plasma and the attenuation coefficients of the microwave in terms of the parameters n(e), v, w, L, w(b). The phi800 mm high temperature shock tube has been used to produce a uniform plasma. In order to get the attenuation of the electromagnetic wave through the plasma behind a shock wave, the microwave transmission has been used to measure the relative change of the wave power. The working frequency is f = (2 similar to 35) GHz (w = 2pif, wave length lambda = 15 cm similar to 8 mm). The electron density in the plasma is n(e) = (3 x 10(10) similar to 1 x 10(14)) cm(-3). The collision frequency v = (1 x 10(8) similar to 6 x 10(10)) Hz. The thickness of the plasma layer L = (2 similar to 80) cm. The electron circular frequency w(b) = eB(0)/m(e), magnetic flux density B-0 = (0 similar to 0.84) T. The experimental results show that when the plasma layer is thick (such as L/lambda greater than or equal to 10), the correlation between the attenuation coefficients of the electromagnetic waves and the parameters n(e), v, w, L determined from the measurements are in good agreement with the theoretical predictions of electromagnetic wave propagations in the uniform infinite plasma. When the plasma layer is thin (such as when both L and lambda are of the same order), the theoretical results are only in a qualitative agreement with the experimental observations in the present parameter range, but the formula of the electromagnetic wave propagation theory in an uniform infinite plasma can not be used for quantitative computations of the correlation between the attenuation coefficients and the parameters n(e), v, w, L. In fact, if w < w(p), v(2) much less than w(2), the power attenuations K of the electromagnetic waves obtained from the measurements in the thin-layer plasma are much smaller than those of the theoretical predictions. On the other hand, if w > w(p), v(2) much less than w(2) (just v approximate to f), the measurements are much larger than the theoretical results. Also, we have measured the electromagnetic wave power attenuation value under the magnetic field and without a magnetic field. The result indicates that the value measured under the magnetic field shows a distinct improvement.

Crack propagation in structures subjected to periodic excitation

In the present paper, a simple mechanical model is developed to predict the dynamic response of a cracked structure subjected to periodic excitation, which has been used to identify the physical mechanisms in leading the growth or arrest of cracking. The structure under consideration consists of a beam with a crack along the axis, and thus, the crack may open in Mode I and in the axial direction propagate when the beam vibrates. In this paper, the system is modeled as a cantilever beam lying on a partial elastic foundation, where the portion of the beam on the foundation represents the intact portion of the beam. Modal analysis is employed to obtain a closed form solution for the structural response. Crack propagation is studied by allowing the elastic foundation to shorten (mimicking crack growth) if a displacement criterion, based on the material toughness, is met. As the crack propagates, the structural model is updated using the new foundation length and the response continues. From this work, two mechanisms for crack arrest are identified. It is also shown that the crack propagation is strongly influenced by the transient response of the structure.

Wave propagation and the frequency domain Green's functions in viscoelastic Biot/squirt (BISQ) media

In this paper, we examine the characteristics of elastic wave propagation in viscoelastic porous media, which contain simultaneously both the Biot-flow and the squirt-flow mechanisms (BISQ). The frequency-domain Green's functions for viscoelastic BISQ media are then derived based on the classic potential function methods. Our numerical results show that S-waves are only affected by viscoelasticity, but not by squirt-flows. However, the phase velocity and attenuation of fast P-waves are seriously influenced by both viscoelasticity and squirt-flows; and there exist two peaks in the attenuation-frequency variations of fast P-waves. In the low-frequency range, the squirt-flow characteristic length, not viscoelasticity, affects the phase velocity of slow P-waves, whereas it is opposite in the high-frequency range. As to the contribution of potential functions of two types of compressional waves to the Green's function, the squirt-flow length has a small effect, and the effects of viscoelastic parameter are mainly in the higher frequency range. Crown Copyright (C) 2006 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wave pattern characteristics of a two-phase nozzle flow by shock propagation

In this paper, the wave pattern characteristics of shock-induced two-phase nozzle Hows with the quiescent or moving dusty gas ahead of the incident-shock front has been investigated by using high-resolution numerical method. As compared with the corresponding results in single-phase nozzle flows of the pure gas, obvious differences between these two kinds of flows can be obtained.

Dynamic analysis of arrest of buckle propagation on a beam on a nonlinear elastic foundation by FEM

Based on the dynamic governing equation of propagating buckle on a beam on a nonlinear elastic foundation, this paper deals with an important problem of buckle arrest by combining the FEM with a time integration technique. A new conclusion completely different from that by the quasi-static analysis about the buckle arrestor design is drawn. This shows that the inertia of the beam cannot be ignored in the analysis under consideration, especially when the buckle propagation is suddenly stopped by the arrestors.

Experimental investigation on low-temperature fatigue crack propagation in offshore structural steel A131 under random sea ice loading

An apparatus of low-temperature controlling for fatigue experiments and its crack measuring system were developed and used for offshore structural steel A131 under conditions of both low temperature and random sea ice. The experimental procedures and data processing were described, and a universal random data processing software for FCP under spectrum loading was written. Many specific features of random ice-induced FCP which differed with constant amplitude FCP behaviours were proposed and temperature effect on ice-induced FCP was pointed out with an easily neglected aspect in designing for platforms in sea ice emphasized. In the end, differences of FCP behaviours between sea ice and ocean wave were presented.

On the velocity of buckle propagation in a beam on a nonlinear elastic-foundation

The paper revisits a simple beam model used by Chater et al. (1983, Proc. IUTAM Symp. Collapse, Cambridge University Press) to examine the dynamics of propagating buckles on it. It was found that, if a buckle is initiated at a constant pressure higher than the propagation pressure of the model (P-p), the buckle accelerates and gradually reaches a constant velocity which depends upon the pressure, while if it is initiated at P-p, the buckle propagates at a velocity which depends upon the initial imperfection. The causes for the difference are also investigated.

Crack tip behavior and crack-propagation in ductile materials

Dilatational plastic equations, which can include the effects of ductile damage, are derived based on the equivalency in expressions for dissipated plastic work. Void damage developed internally at the large-strain stage is represented by an effective continuum being strain-softened and plastically dilated. Accumulation of this local damage leads to progressive failure in materials. With regard to this microstructural background, the constitutive parameters included for characterizing material behaviour have the sense of internal variables. They are not able to be determined explicitly by macroscopic testing but rather through computer simulation of experimental curves and data. Application of this constitutive model to mode-I cracking examples demonstrates that a huge strain concentration accompanied by a substantial drop of stress does occur near the crack tip. Eventually, crack propagation is simulated by using finite elements in computations. Two numerical examples show good accordance with experimental data. The whole procedure of study serves as a justification of the constitutive formulation proposed in the text.

An asymptotic analysis for one dimensional stress wave propagation in damaged viscoelastic media

A regular perturbation technique is suggested to deal with the problem of one dimensional stress wave propagation in viscoelastic media with damage. Based upon the first order asymptotic solution obtained, the characteristics of wave attenuation are studied. In fact, there exist three different time-dependent phenomena featuring the dynamic response of the materials, the first expressing the characteristics of wave propagation, the second indicating the innate effect of visco-elastic matrix and the third coming from the time dependent damage. The comparision of first order asymptotic solution with the numerical results calculated by a finite difference procedure shows that the perturbation expansion technique may offer a useful approach to the problem concerned.