abstract: Fatigue is a degradation process of materials that would lead to failure when materials are subjected to cyclic loadings. During past centuries, various of approaches have been proposed and utilized to help researchers understand the underlying theories of fatigue behavior of materials, as well as design engineering structures so that catastrophic disasters that arise from fatigue failure could be avoided. The stress-life approach is the most classical way that academia applies to analyze fatigue data, which correlates the fatigue lifetime with stress amplitudes during cyclic loadings. Fracture mechanics approach is another well-established way, by which people regard the cyclic stress intensity factor as the driving force during fatigue crack nucleation and propagation, and numerous models (such as the well-known Paris’ law) are developed by researchers. The significant drawback of currently widely-used fatigue analysis approaches, nevertheless, is that they are all cycle-based, limiting researchers from digging into sub-cycle regime and acquiring real-time fatigue behavior data. The missing of such data further impedes academia from validating hypotheses that are related to real-time observations of fatigue crack nucleation and growth, thus the existence of various phenomena, such as crack closure, remains controversial. In this thesis, both classical stress-life approach and fracture-mechanics-based approach are utilized to study the fatigue behavior of alloys. Distinctive material characterization instruments are harnessed to help collect and interpret key data during fatigue crack growth. Specifically, an investigation on the sub-cycle fatigue crack growth behavior is enabled by in-situ SEM mechanical testing, and a non-uniform growth mechanism within one loading cycle is confirmed by direct observation as well as image interpretation. Predictions based on proposed experimental procedure and observations show good match with cycle-based data from references, which indicates the credibility of proposed methodology and model, as well as their capability of being applied to a wide range of materials. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Materials Science and Engineering 2018

L’électrostimulation (EMS) est l’envoi d’impulsion électrique par le biais d’électrodes. Ces électrodes de surface sont posées sur la zone musculaire à stimuler. Cette technique est de plus en plus utilisée dans la rééducation musculaire lors de blessures, de pertes de mouvement ou d’atrophie. Ces EMS sont généralement combinées avec l’électromyogramme (EMG) qui enregistre l’activité électrique du muscle. Le but de la thèse est d’optimiser les paramètres de stimulation en temps réel lors d’une EMS. Pour ce faire, de nouvelles stratégies de contrôle robustes sont à développer. Nous avons convenu durant la thèse de travailler sur un modèle spécifique. / This project aims to optimize smart electromyostimulators for the muscular reeducation. The electrostimulator optimization aims to improve the electrostimulation sessions (EMS) by obtaining informations on the muscular electical stimulations and the control application in real time in order to control the muscular response. Various control methods of the muscular force are been developed and applied on an accurate model. In first, the techniques will be applied on the partial model without taking into account the muscular fatigue then in second in taking into account the presence of fatigue and its effects. Theses control methods act on the stimulation parameters in frequency and in amplitude in function of the muscular response.

The goal of this study is to investigate the microstructure and microstructure-based fatigue (MSF) model of additively-manufactured (AM) metallic materials. Several challenges associated with different metals produced through additive manufacturing (Laser Enhanced Net Shaping – LENS®) have been addressed experimentally and numerically. Significant research efforts are focused on optimizing the process parameters for AM manufacturing; however, achieving a homogenous, defectree AM product immediately after its fabrication without postabrication processing has not been fully established yet. Thus, in order to adopt AM materials for applications, a thorough understanding of the impact of AM process parameters on the mechanical behavior of AM parts based on their resultant microstructure is required. Therefore, experiments in this study elucidate the effects of process parameters – i.e. laser power, traverse speed and powder feed rate – on the microstructural characteristics and mechanical properties of AM specimens. A majority of fatigue data in the literature are on rotation/bending test of wrought specimens; however, few studies examined the fatigue behavior of AM specimens. So, investigating the fatigue resistance and failure mechanism of AM specimens fabricated via LENS® is crucial. Finally, a microstructure-based MultiStage Fatigue (MSF) model for AM specimens is proposed. For calibration of the model, fatigue experiments were exploited to determine structure-property relations for an AM alloy. Additional modifications to the microstructurally-based MSF Model were implemented based on microstructural analysis of the fracture surfaces – e.g. grain misorientation and grain orientation angles were added to the MSF code.

The diploma thesis deals with the sphere of solder joints reliability. The narrower focus is use of lead-free solder alloy SAC305 in the production process and parameters of its reliability. The text describes the main factors, which have the influence on the reliability of solder joints under conditions of thermal cycling. These factors also relate with choice of substrates and technological processes of preparation, which are characterized and described. Another part is devoted to estimating the reliability of soldered connections and are listed the fatigue model to estimate reliability. These fatigue models are categorized based on different physical mechanisms that operate in the soldered joints during operation. Based on the comparison of different models is selected the most appropriate model and in conjunction with simulation in ANSYS is estimated reliability. For this purpose is selected soldered connection of the FR-4 substrate and ceramic substrate via SMD component. They are manufactured test kits and subjected to conditions of temperature cycling. Results obtained from experimental measurements are compared with results obtained by simulation and calculation.

Fatigue analysis is a critical stage in the design of any structural component. Typically fatigue is analysed during post-processing, but as the size of the analysed component increases, the amount of data stored for the analysis increases simultaneously. This increases the computational and memory requirements of the system, intensifying the work load on the engineer. A continuum mechanics approach namely ’Continuous time fatigue model’, for fatigue analysis is available in a prior study which reduces the computational requirements by simultaneously computing fatigue along with the stress. This model implements a moving endurance surface in the stress space along with the damage evolution equation to compute high-cycle fatigue. In this thesis the continuous time fatigue model is compared with conventional model (ie.Cycle counting) to study its feasibility. The thesis also aims to investigate the continuous time fatigue model and an evolved version of the model is developed for non-proportional load cases to identify its limitations and benefits.

<p><a href="">This work investigates the effect of surface features such as roughness, pits, and cracks on the tribological and fatigue behavior of machine components. It comprises of three main investigations: (i) effect of roughness on non-contacting fatigue, (ii) lubricated contact fluid structure interaction (FSI) behavior in presence of surface cracks, and (iii) the equivalence between non-contacting and contacting fatigue and the effect of roughness.</a></p><p>For the first investigation, a novel microstructure-based approach was developed to model surface roughness. It used a finite element fatigue damage model to predict the effects of roughness on tensile fatigue. AISI 4130 steel specimens with different surface finishes were fabricated and tested in axial fatigue using an MTS machine. The experimental results demonstrated the detrimental effect of roughness on fatigue lives, which was predicted by the model accurately.</p><p>In the second investigation, a partitioned CFD-FEM based FSI solver was developed using Ansys Multiphysics software to model and investigate elastohydrodynamically lubricated contacts typical in gears and cylindrical roller bearings. The FSI model relaxes Reynolds assumptions, and uses Navier-Stokes equations to determine the lubricant flow and utilizes finite element method to model the structural response. The FSI model was evaluated for robustness under various operating conditions. The effect of material plasticity, subsurface features, etc. were also investigated. The model was then extended to investigate the effects of surface cracks in rolling/sliding EHL line contacts. Using CFD based approach enabled the investigation of surface cracks with inclined geometries, overcoming the limitations of standard Reynolds-based solvers. The effects of crack geometry parameters such as crack location, crack length, crack width, crack tip radius and crack orientation on fluid pressure distribution were studied. This investigation identified the crack geometries that affect the contact fatigue behavior by predicting the location and severity of stress concentrations in the material.</p><p>Finally, the relationship between contacting fatigue and non-contacting fatigue was investigated. A test rig was designed and developed to simulate rolling contact fatigue (RCF) surface damage. Experimental investigation revealed that the RCF surface damage stress-life (SN) results can be predicted using torsional fatigue results 10 times faster. A computational contact mechanics model was developed to incorporate the effect of roughness in this prediction, and corroborated against experimental RCF results at different roughness levels.</p>

Worker fatigue has been the focus of research for many years. However, there is limited research available on the evaluation and measurement of fatigue for prolonged mentally demanding activities. The objectives of the study are (1 )to evaluate fatigue for prolonged, mentally demanding work-tasks by considering task-dependent, task-independent and personal factors, (2) to identify effective subjective and objective fatigue measures, (3) to establish a relationship between time and factors that affect fatigue (4) to develop models to predict fatigue. A total of 16 participants, eight participants with western cultural backgrounds and eight participants with eastern cultural backgrounds, currently employed in mentally demanding work-tasks (e.g., programmers, computer simulation experts, etc.) completed the study protocols. Each participant was evaluated during normal working hours in their workplace for a 4-hour test session, with a 15-minute break provided after two hours. Fatigue was evaluated using subjective questionnaires (Borg Perceived Level of Fatigue Scale and the Swedish Occupational Fatigue Index (SOFI)); and objective measures (change in resting heart rate and salivary cortisol excretion). Workload was also assessed using the NASA-TLX. Fatigue and workload scales were collected every 30 minutes, cortisol at the start and finish of each 2-hour work block, and heart rate throughout the test session. Fatigue significantly increased over time (p-value <0.0001). All measures, except cortisol hormone, returned to near baseline level following the 15-minute break (p-value <0.0001). Ethnicity was found to have limited effects on fatigue development. Poor to moderate (Rho = 0.35 to 0.75) significant correlations were observed between the subjective and objective measures. Time and fatigue load (a factor that impacts fatigue development) significantly interact to explain fatigue represented by a hyperbolic relationship. Predictive models explained a maximum of 87% of the variation in the fatigue measures. As expected, fatigue develops over time, especially when considering other factors that can impact fatigue (e.g. hours slept, hours of work), providing further evidence of the complex nature of fatigue. As the 15-minute break was found to reduce all measures of fatigue, the development of appropriate rest breaks may mitigate some of the negative consequences of fatigue.

The desire for energy and resource savings brings magnesium alloys as lightweight materials with high specific strength more and more into the focus. Most structural components are subjected to cyclic loading. In the course of computer aided product development, a numerical prediction of the fatigue life under these conditions must be provided. For this reason, the mechanical properties of the considered material must be examined in detail. Wrought magnesium semifinished products, e.g. magnesium sheet metals, typically reveal strong basal textures and thus, the mechanical behavior considerably differs from that of the well-established magnesium die castings. Magnesium sheet metals reveal a distinct difference in the tensile and compressive yield stress, leading to non-symmetric sigmoidal hysteresis loops within the elasto-plastic load range. These unusual hysteresis shapes are caused by cyclic twinning and detwinning. Furthermore, wrought magnesium alloys reveal pseudoelastic behavior, leading to nonlinear unloading curves. Another interesting effect is the formation of local twin bands during compressive loading. Nevertheless, only little information can be found on the numerical fatigue analysis of wrought magnesium alloys up to now. The aim of this thesis is the investigation of the mechanical properties of wrought magnesium alloys and the development of an appropriate fatigue model. For this purpose, twin roll cast AM50 as well as AZ31B sheet metals and extruded ME21 sheet metals were used. Mechanical tests were carried out to present a comprehensive overview of the quasi-static and cyclic material behavior. The microstructure was captured on sheet metals before and after loading to evaluate the correlation between the microstructure, the texture, and the mechanical properties. Stress- and strain-controlled loading ratios and strain-controlled experiments with variable amplitudes were performed. Tests were carried out along and transverse to the manufacturing direction to consider the influence of the anisotropy. Special focus was given to sigmoidal hysteresis loops and their influence on the fatigue life. A detailed numerical description of hysteresis loops is necessary for numerical fatigue analyses. For this, a one-dimensional phenomenological model was developed for elasto-plastic strain-controlled constant and variable amplitude loading. This model consists of a three-component equation, which considers elastic, plastic, and pseudoelastic strain components. Considering different magnesium alloys, good correlation is reached between numerically and experimentally determined hysteresis loops by means of different constant and variable amplitude load-time functions. For a numerical fatigue life analysis, an energy based fatigue parameter has been developed. It is denoted by “combined strain energy density per cycle” and consists of a summation of the plastic strain energy density per cycle and the 25 % weighted tensile elastic strain energy density per cycle. The weighting represents the material specific mean stress sensitivity. Applying the energy based fatigue parameter on modeled hysteresis loops, the fatigue life is predicted adequately for constant and variable amplitude loading including mean strain and mean stress effects. The combined strain energy density per cycle achieves significantly better results in comparison to conventional fatigue models such as the Smith-Watson-Topper model. The developed phenomenological model in combination with the combined strain energy density per cycle is able to carry out numerical fatigue life analyses on magnesium sheet metals.

Fatique life extension of nuclear powerplants lies in the search for project reserves. This work deals with the evaluation of low-cycle fatigue of nuclear installations of the VVER type and the assessment of the influence of the computational model level. Fatigue tests of austenitic steel using optical method of digital image correlation for which the evaluation procedure is designed and used is performed. Selected model of plasticity with kimenatic (Chaboche) and combinated hardening (Chaboche, Voce) are calibrated from the obtained data. Subsequently, the durability of the test specimen is determined by computational modeling for different material models. From the comparison of the results of fatigue tests with the calculation, the material models suitable for the description of fatigue life and their validity are determined.

The desire for energy and resource savings brings magnesium alloys as lightweight materials with high specific strength more and more into the focus. Most structural components are subjected to cyclic loading. In the course of computer aided product development, a numerical prediction of the fatigue life under these conditions must be provided. For this reason, the mechanical properties of the considered material must be examined in detail. Wrought magnesium semifinished products, e.g. magnesium sheet metals, typically reveal strong basal textures and thus, the mechanical behavior considerably differs from that of the well-established magnesium die castings. Magnesium sheet metals reveal a distinct difference in the tensile and compressive yield stress, leading to non-symmetric sigmoidal hysteresis loops within the elasto-plastic load range. These unusual hysteresis shapes are caused by cyclic twinning and detwinning. Furthermore, wrought magnesium alloys reveal pseudoelastic behavior, leading to nonlinear unloading curves. Another interesting effect is the formation of local twin bands during compressive loading. Nevertheless, only little information can be found on the numerical fatigue analysis of wrought magnesium alloys up to now. The aim of this thesis is the investigation of the mechanical properties of wrought magnesium alloys and the development of an appropriate fatigue model. For this purpose, twin roll cast AM50 as well as AZ31B sheet metals and extruded ME21 sheet metals were used. Mechanical tests were carried out to present a comprehensive overview of the quasi-static and cyclic material behavior. The microstructure was captured on sheet metals before and after loading to evaluate the correlation between the microstructure, the texture, and the mechanical properties. Stress- and strain-controlled loading ratios and strain-controlled experiments with variable amplitudes were performed. Tests were carried out along and transverse to the manufacturing direction to consider the influence of the anisotropy. Special focus was given to sigmoidal hysteresis loops and their influence on the fatigue life. A detailed numerical description of hysteresis loops is necessary for numerical fatigue analyses. For this, a one-dimensional phenomenological model was developed for elasto-plastic strain-controlled constant and variable amplitude loading. This model consists of a three-component equation, which considers elastic, plastic, and pseudoelastic strain components. Considering different magnesium alloys, good correlation is reached between numerically and experimentally determined hysteresis loops by means of different constant and variable amplitude load-time functions. For a numerical fatigue life analysis, an energy based fatigue parameter has been developed. It is denoted by “combined strain energy density per cycle” and consists of a summation of the plastic strain energy density per cycle and the 25 % weighted tensile elastic strain energy density per cycle. The weighting represents the material specific mean stress sensitivity. Applying the energy based fatigue parameter on modeled hysteresis loops, the fatigue life is predicted adequately for constant and variable amplitude loading including mean strain and mean stress effects. The combined strain energy density per cycle achieves significantly better results in comparison to conventional fatigue models such as the Smith-Watson-Topper model. The developed phenomenological model in combination with the combined strain energy density per cycle is able to carry out numerical fatigue life analyses on magnesium sheet metals.