No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

Mechanical cyclic variations in mean stress and strain amplitude is a well-known occurrence for metals even at room temperature. Many fatigue analysis procedures ignore these variations. Fatigue analysis which included both time and cycle dependent mechanical material behavior for metals at room temperature had not been previously studied except for the case of creep. An investigation studying transient mechanical effects on Ti-6Al-4V titanium and 7475-T651 Al alloys was done to determine how great an effect transients at room temperature would have on fatigue life under cyclic conditions. The mechanical material response was modeled using viscoplasticity constitutive laws and Neuber’s rule eliminating the need for finite element modeling of uniaxially loaded notched members. However, the Nenber’s modeling may be used with any material constitutive law. The procedures for fatigue damage used cycle counting to compute strain amplitude and mean stress. Since a large amount of fatigue data is reported as strain-life curves, the fatigue analysis was developed using this fatigue data although it did not include transients. If favorable results are obtained, development of modeling and testing to include transients in strain-life fatigue data could be avoided, and the existing fatigue data base utilized. Experimental work was undertaken and nonlinear optimization techniques used to compute model constants for the two alloys. However, small amounts of rate dependence was found for cyclic strain control testing. The viscoplasticity models became stiff when rate dependence was low causing numerical problems, and model constants for the viscoplastic constitutive law could not be determined since convergence was not achieved. Also, only small amounts of transient static stress relaxation was observed for extended hold periods. Finally, experimental verification was done for the local surface stresses in a notched member under load using advanced x-ray stress equipment. Measurements during brief pauses were made over a cycle. From the x-ray results, an anomalous surface behavior was observed. The surface yielded before the bulk material with the lower surface yielding seeming to be time dependent in nature. Since rolled plates of the alloys were used, texture was measured and studied in the form of pole figures, and extreme texture was found for both alloys. However. successful x-ray measurements were made for the alloys studied even though assuming linear <i>d</i>-spacing versus <i>sin²ψ</i>. Finally. x-ray measurements for a cycled notched member, exhibited relaxation of mean stress and not relaxation of residual stress. / Ph. D.

Welded steel pipes are an essential structural part of any power plant. Longer lifetimes and higher pressures in the pipes cause an increased probability of failure due to creep damage. To maintain safe operation, nondestructive evaluation techniques to detect creep damage are needed. Nonlinear acoustic techniques employing longitudinal waves have been proven to be sensitive to creep damage. The objective of this research is to develop a robust experimental procedure to reliably measure the acoustic nonlinearity parameter using longitudinal waves, and then to validate the procedure on samples of different materials and sizes. Finally the technique is applied to characterize creep damage levels around the weld of a welded steel pipe. While the experimental technique presented can only measure the relative nonlinearity, it is accurate enough to detect changes in nonlinearity due to creep damage. Measurements show an increase in nonlinearity in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Experiments after annealing the creep damaged specimen show a decrease in nonlinearity in accordance with a decrease in dislocation density. Measurements on an undamaged welded A36 steel component suggest that the heat itself is not responsible for the increase in nonlinearity.

Bibliography: leaves 243-256. / xi, 258 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / In this thesis, time-independent thermoelastoplastic and time-dependent creep stress and damage analysis of thick-walled cylinders are investigated using incremental theory of plasticity in conjunction with improved material elastoplastic and creep constitutive models. The results are validated experimentally and numerically. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 1996

Thesis (MTech (Mechanical Engineering))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2005 / The objective of this project was to monitor the high temperature creep behaviour of 441 stainless steel. Two different alloys of 441 were investigated; the main difference between them being the Niobium content. Particularly imporlant to the project was how the Niobium content and grain size affected the creep resistance of the material. Creep tests were performed using purpose built constant load creep test rigs. Initially the rigs were not suitable for the testing procedures pertaining to this project. This was due to persistent problems being experienced with regards the reliability and reproducibility of the rigs. After various modifications were made the results produced from the rigs were consistent. Creep test data was used in order to determine the mechanism of creep that is operative within the material (at a predetermined temperature) under a predetermined load. Particular attention was paid to the resulting stress exponents. in order to identify the operative creep mechanism. The identification of the operative creep mechanisms was also aided by microscopical analysis. This analysis was also necessary to monitor how the grain size had altered at various annealing temperatures. Heat treatment was used as a method to alter the high temperature strength and microstructure of the material. Heat treatments were performed at various temperatures in order to determine the ideal temperature to promote optimum creep resistance of 441. All heat treatments were performed in a purpose designed and built high temperature salt bath furnace. The commissioning of the salt bath formed part of the objectives for this project. Sag testing was also conducted, using purpose built sag test rigs. It was necessary to design and manufacture a sag test rig that could be comparable to the industry accepted method of sag testing known as the two-point beam method, as this method is believed to produce inconsistent results. Conclusions have been drawn from the results of the data and from previous research on the subject matter.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Engineering in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Technology in Mechanical Engineering 2005 / The objective of this project was to monitor the high temperature creep behaviour of 441 stainless steel. Two different alloys of 441 were investigated; the main difference between them being the Niobium content. Particularly imporlant to the project was how the Niobium content and grain size affected the creep resistance of the material. Creep tests were performed using purpose built constant load creep test rigs. Initially the rigs were not suitable for the testing procedures pertaining to this project. This was due to persistent problems being experienced with regards the reliability and reproducibility of the rigs. After various modifications were made the results produced from the rigs were consistent. Creep test data was used in order to determine the mechanism of creep that is operative within the material (at a predetermined temperature) under a predetermined load. Particular attention was paid to the resulting stress exponents. in order to identify the operative creep mechanism. The identification of the operative creep mechanisms was also aided by microscopical analysis. This analysis was also necessary to monitor how the grain size had altered at various annealing temperatures. Heat treatment was used as a method to alter the high temperature strength and microstructure of the material. Heat treatments were performed at various temperatures in order to determine the ideal temperature to promote optimum creep resistance of 441. All heat treatments were performed in a purpose designed and built high temperature salt bath furnace. The commissioning of the salt bath formed part of the objectives for this project. Sag testing was also conducted, using purpose built sag test rigs. It was necessary to design and manufacture a sag test rig that could be comparable to the industry accepted method of sag testing known as the two-point beam method, as this method is believed to produce inconsistent results. Conclusions have been drawn from the results of the data and from previous research on the subject matter.