Concepts and Techniques for Helicopter Airframe Fatigue Tests

1966 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 45-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter A. Lane

Between February 1961 and June 1963, Sikorsky Aircraft, under the sponsorship of the U. S. Navy Bureau of Naval Weapons, performed the first laboratory fatigue test of a full scale helicopter airframe. This paper presents the concepts and techniques developed by Sikorsky for such tests. Airframe fatigue test concepts are directed toward defining modes of fatigue cracking, measuring rates of crack propagation, and demonstrating the adequacy of recommended inspection techniques and intervals to provide “fail safe” structural integrity. The experimental design includes consideration of the test article configuration, acceleration of test loads, loading spectra, and evaluation of test fractures. The design of the SH‐3A airframe fatigue test facility to provide automatic simulation of flight and landing loads, and the development problems encountered in achieving this capability are described. The facility and techniques to be used for CH‐53A airframe fatigue tests reflect improvements resulting from SH‐3A test experience. Correlation of airframe fatigue test results and service experience demonstrates the validity of the test concepts and techniques as well as the “fail safe” characteristics of the SH‐3A airframe.

2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-98 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Szydło ◽  
K. Malicki

Abstract The bonding state of the asphalt layers in a road pavement structure significantly affects its fatigue life. These bondings, therefore, require detailed tests and optimization. In this paper, the analyses of the correlation between the results of laboratory static tests and the results of fatigue tests of asphalt mixture interlayer bondings were performed. The existence of the relationships between selected parameters was confirmed. In the future, the results of these analyses may allow for assessment of interlayer bondings’ fatigue life based on the results of quick and relatively easy static tests.


2014 ◽  
Vol 891-892 ◽  
pp. 273-277
Author(s):  
Josef Volák ◽  
Zbynek Bunda

This paper describes the fatigue properties of the steel P92. This material is widely used in the energy industry, especially for pipes and pipe bends of supercritical steam turbines. Steel P92 is alloyed with 2 % of tungsten compared to steel P91. This increases a creep strenght of the material. It is possible to reduce wall thickness of the P92 pipe up to about 20%. Fatigue tests were carried out on standard samples and compared with SFT samples (Small Fatigue Test). Using the device SSam 2 made by company Rolce Royce, it is possible to gently remove a samples from energy component without power plant shutdowns. Consider these correlations, i tis possible to determine mechanical properties of the material from small amount of removed experimental material.


Author(s):  
H. T. Harrison ◽  
Robert Gurdal

For Class 1 components, the consideration of the environmental effects on fatigue has been suggested to be evaluated through two different methodologies: either NUREG/CR-6909 from March 2007 or ASME-Code Case N-761 from August 2010. The purpose of this technical paper is to compare these two methods. In addition, the equations from Revision 1 of the NUREG/CR-6909 will be evaluated. For these comparisons, two stainless steel component fatigue test series with documented results are considered. These two fatigue test series are completely different from each other (applied cyclic displacements vs. insurge/outsurge types of transients). Therefore, they are producing an appropriate foundation for these comparisons. In general, the severities of the two methods are compared, where the severity is defined as the actual number of cycles from the fatigue tests, including an evaluation of the scatter, divided by the number of design cycles from the two methods. Also, how stable the methods are is being evaluated through the calculation of the coefficient of variation for each method.


1981 ◽  
Vol 103 (2) ◽  
pp. 126-132 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. F. Mowbray ◽  
E. V. Giaquinto ◽  
F. J. Mehringer

This paper reports the results of fatigue tests on two nickel-base alloys, hot-cold-worked and stress-relieved nickel-chrome-iron Alloy 600 and mill-annealed nickel-chrome-moly-iron Alloy 625 in which S-N data were obtained in the life range of 106 to 1010 cycles. The tests were conducted in air at 600°F, in the reversed membrane loading mode, at a frequency of ~ 1850 Hz. An electromagnetic, closed loop servo-controlled machine was built to perform the tests. A description of the machine is given.


2008 ◽  
Vol 378-379 ◽  
pp. 3-16
Author(s):  
Henning Agerskov

Fatigue damage accumulation in steel structures under random loading has been studied in a number of investigations at the Technical University of Denmark. The fatigue life of welded joints has been determined both experimentally and from a fracture mechanics analysis. In the experimental part of the investigation, fatigue test series with a total of 540 fatigue tests have been carried through on various types of welded plate test specimens and full-scale offshore tubular joints. The materials that have been used are either conventional structural steel or high-strength steel. The fatigue tests and the fracture mechanics analyses have been carried out using load histories, which are realistic in relation to the types of structures studied, i.e. primarily bridges, offshore structures and chimneys. In general, the test series carried through show a significant difference between constant amplitude and variable amplitude fatigue test results. Both the fracture mechanics analysis and the fatigue test results indicate that Miner’s rule, which is normally used in the design against fatigue in steel structures, may give results, which are unconservative, and that the validity of the results obtained from Miner’s rule will depend on the distribution of the load history in tension and compression.


Author(s):  
Carol Johnston

The offshore environment contains many sources of cyclic loading. Standard design S-N curves, such as those in DNVGL-RP-C203, are usually assigned to ensure a particular design life can be achieved for a particular set of anticipated loading conditions. Girth welds are often the ‘weak link’ in terms of fatigue strength and so it is important to show that girth welds made using new procedures for new projects that are intended to be used in fatigue sensitive risers or flowlines do indeed have the required fatigue performance. Alternatively, designers of new subsea connectors, used for example in tendons for tension leg platforms, mooring applications or well-heads which will experience cyclic loading in service, also wish to verify the fatigue performance of their new designs. Often operators require contractors to carry out resonance fatigue tests on representative girth welds in order to show that girth welds made using new procedures qualify to the required design S-N curve. Operators and contractors must then interpret the results, which is not necessarily straightforward if the fatigue lives are lower than expected. Many factors influence a component’s fatigue strength so there is usually scatter in results obtained when a number of fatigue tests are carried out on real, production standard components. This scatter means that it is important first to carry out the right number of tests in order to obtain a reasonable understanding of the component’s fatigue strength, and then to interpret the fatigue test results properly. A working knowledge of statistics is necessary for both specifying the test programme and interpreting the test results and there is often confusion over various aspects of test specification and interpretation. This paper describes relevant statistical concepts in a way that is accessible to non-experts and that can be used, practically, by designers. The paper illustrates the statistical analysis of test data with examples of the ‘target life’ approach (that is now included in BS7608:2014 + A1) and the equivalent approach in DNVGL-RP-C203, which uses the stress modification factor. It gives practical examples to designers of a pragmatic method that can be used when specifying test programmes and interpreting the results obtained from tests carried out during qualification programmes, which for example, aim to determine whether girth welds made using a new procedure qualify to a particular design curve. It will help designers who are tasked with specifying test programmes to choose a reasonable number of test specimens and stress ranges, and to understand the outcome when results have been obtained.


Author(s):  
Fujie Zhou ◽  
Pravat Karki ◽  
Soohyok Im

Current Superpave® PG specification uses parameter | G*|sin(δ) to quantify asphalt binder fatigue resistance. The parameter’s effectiveness has been debated for a long time. AASHTO recently adopted the linear amplitude sweep test as a provisional standard, AASHTO TP 101-12. The authors evaluated the sensitivity of this standard to different aging conditions: unaged original binders, rolling thin-film oven-aged binders, and 20- to 80-h pressure aging vessel–aged binders. Test results showed, in many cases, longer predicted fatigue lives for more-aged binders. Thus this study developed a simple fatigue cracking test for asphalt binders. In this new test, the pure linear amplitude sweep (PLAS) test, peak shear strain was increased linearly from 0% to 30% over a course of 3,000 oscillatory cycles. A new fatigue parameter, the fatigue resistance energy index (FREI), was derived with fracture mechanics. The PLAS test and FREI parameter were sensitive to both binder aging conditions and rejuvenator type and dosage. Four laboratory mixtures were employed to evaluate the correlation between this new binder fatigue test and the two mixture cracking tests: the Texas overlay test and the Illinois flexibility index test. The results showed that the PLAS and FREI correlated well with the mixture cracking tests. Additionally, the proposed method was preliminarily verified with the FHWA accelerated loading facility test, and a fair relationship with the full-scale fatigue test data was observed. It is obvious that the PLAS and associated FREI need further validation through more field test sections.


1954 ◽  
Vol 58 (521) ◽  
pp. 361-366 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Kennedy

It is now the usual practice in Great Britain to estimate the “ safe ” life of an aircraft wing from fatigue tests which are carried out on specimens representing the more highly stressed portions of the tension boom or booms. Such tests are designed to produce a tensile load in the boom equal to that produced in steady flight, and superimposed on this, a small fluctuating load corresponding to that which would be produced by an up gust immediately followed by a down gust of the same magnitude.


Author(s):  
Øystein Gabrielsen ◽  
Kjell Larsen ◽  
Oddgeir Dalane ◽  
Hans B. Lie ◽  
Svein-Arne Reinholdtsen

Abstract Fatigue of mooring chain is for many floating offshore installations a limiting factor in design. With aging installations and the need for field life extension beyond the original design life, questions on mooring chain endurance are raised. Current SN curves utilized in fatigue limit state (FLS) calculation are based on full scale testing of new chain, performed at a high mean load level (20% of the chains minimum breaking load (MBL)). The high mean load level in the tests do not correspond to the conditions for many chains in operation, as mean load in fatigue relevant seastates are often significantly less than mean load used in the new chain fatigue tests. Mooring chains in operation also experience different degree of corrosion, both general corrosion and pitting. Surface roughness and corrosion pits contribute to crack initiations, and thus reduce fatigue capacity. Fatigue tests with new chain condition cannot be assumed representative for corroded chains. As part of mooring integrity programs, Equinor has been replacing mooring chains since year 2000. To assess actual fatigue capacity, many chain segments have been full scale fatigue tested. First tests started in 2011, and the tests cover different degrees of corrosion. The tests have been performed at typical mean load levels relevant for operation of the installations, which for most cases are less than 20%MBL. From these tests it is observed that fatigue capacity in some cases are better than expected for new chain, even for chain segments with significant corrosion. Fatigue test results show a large effect of the mean load. For test cases with significant corrosion and high mean load (20%MBL), a significant reduction in fatigue capacity compared to new chains is found. This paper presents some of the fatigue test results on used chain, highlighting the effect of the mean load for the given chain conditions. Effect of corrosion at mean load of 20%MBL is also included. The paper discusses some of the underlaying causes for the mean load dependency.


1998 ◽  
Vol 120 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-156 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Higuchi ◽  
A. Nakagawa ◽  
K. Iida ◽  
M. Hayashi ◽  
T. Yamauchi ◽  
...  

The authors conducted fully reversed four-point bending fatigue tests on socket-welded joints 20 to 50 mm in nominal diameter, and rotating bending fatigue tests on socket-welded joints 20 mm in nominal diameter. S-N curves for 33 series of different types of specimens were obtained. Examination was made of the effects of various parameters listed in the forthcoming on fatigue strength such as steel types (carbon and stainless steels), diameter, pipe thickness (Sch), fillet shape, slip-on gap, and root defects. Bending fatigue test results indicated fatigue strength for socket-welded joints to be less for longer life regions than reported in the literature by Markl and George (1950). Fatigue strength for socket joints of 50 mm nominal diameter at 107 cycles of fatigue life was 46 MPa for carbon steel and 60 MPa for stainless steel with nominal bending stress on the pipe surface. Cracks generally originated from the toe when stress amplitude was high with shorter fatigue life and from the root when amplitude was small with longer life. Fatigue strength was greater for smaller diameter, larger Sch (thicker pipe wall), final welding pass on the toe of pipe side, and in the absence of a slip-on gap. From fatigue test results of socket joints with weld defects at the roots, an empirical equation for the relation of defect size with decrease in fatigue strength was established. Fatigue strength was found to decrease to 60 percent the original level for defect size 25 percent of leg length.


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