Experimental Evidence of Specimen-Size Effects on EN-AW6082 Aluminum Alloy in VHCF Regime

The present paper investigates the influence of the specimen size of EN-AW6082 wrought aluminium alloy subjected to very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) tests. The hourglass specimens were tested under fully reversed loading condition, up to 109 cycles, by means of the ultrasonic fatigue testing machine developed by Italsigma® (Italy). Three specimens groups were considered, with a diameter in the middle cross-section ranging from 3 mm up to 12 mm. The stress field in the specimens was determined numerically and by strain gauge measurements in correspondence of the cross-section surface. The dispersion of experimental results has been accounted for, and data are reported in P-S-N diagrams. The decrease in fatigue resistance with increasing specimen size is evident. Theoretical explanation for the observed specimen-size effect is provided, based on Fractal Geometry concepts, allowing to obtain scale independent P-S*-N curves. The fatigue life expectation in the VHCF regime of the EN-AW6082 aluminium alloy full-scale components is rather overestimated if it is assessed only from standard small specimens of 3 mm in diameter. Experimental tests carried out on larger specimens, and a proper extrapolation, are required to assure safe structural design.

Experimental Evidence of Specimen-Size Effects on EN-AW6082 Aluminum Alloy in VHCF Regime

The present paper investigates the influence of the specimen size of EN-AW6082 wrought aluminium alloy subjected to very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) tests. The hourglass specimens were tested under fully reversed loading condition, up to 10^9 cycles, by means of the ultrasonic fatigue testing machine developed by Italsigma® (Italy). Three specimens groups were considered, with a diameter in the middle cross-section ranging from 3 mm up to 12 mm. The stress field in the specimens was determined numerically and by strain gauge measurements in correspondence of the cross-section surface. The dispersion of experimental results has been accounted for, and data are reported in P-S-N diagrams. The decrease in fatigue resistance with increasing specimen size is evident. Theoretical explanation for the observed specimen-size effect is provided, based on Fractal Geometry concepts, allowing to obtain scale independent P-S*-N curves. The fatigue life expectation in the VHCF regime of the EN-AW6082 aluminium alloy full-scale components is rather overestimated if it is assessed only from standard small specimens of 3 mm in diameter. Experimental tests carried out on larger specimen, and a proper extrapolation, are required to assure safe structural design.

Experimental and Numerical Investigations of Ultimate Strength of Imperfect Stiffened Plates of Different Slenderness

The objective of this study is to analyse the behaviour of compressed stiffened plates of different slenderness using experimental and numerical methods. The presented results are part of a long-term project to investigate the ultimate strength of geometrically imperfect structures subjected to different degradation phenomena, including corrosion degradation and locked cracks. Several specimens were subjected to a uniaxial compressive force, and the most important quantities related to the structural behaviour were captured and analysed. A finite element model, accounting for material and geometrical nonlinearities and initial geometrical imperfections, was developed using the commercial software ANSYS. The residual welding-induced stresses were measured in the middle cross-section for two specimens. The initial imperfection was identified by employing a close-range photogrammetry approach. It was concluded that the numerical analyses, based on the finite element model, predict the ultimate strength of stiffened plates accurately, although some deviations were also observed. The detailed analysis with the indication of possible uncertainty is presented, and several conclusions are derived.

Circumferential Material Flow in the Hydroforming of Overlapping Blanks

The hydroforming of the overlapping blanks is a forming process where overlapping tubular blanks are used instead of tubes to enhance the forming limit and improve the thickness distribution. A distinguishing characteristic of the hydroforming of overlapping blanks is that the material can flow along the circumferential direction easily. In this research, the circumferential material flow was investigated using overlapping blanks with axial constraints to study the circumferential material flow in the hydroforming of a variable-diameter part. AISI 304 stainless steel blanks were selected for numerical simulation and experimental research. The circumferential material flow distribution was obtained from the profile at the edge of the overlap. The peak value located at the middle cross-section. In addition, the circumferential material flow could be also reflected in the variation of the overlap angle. The variation of the overlap angle kept increasing as the initial overlap angle increased but the improvement of the thickness distribution did not. There was an optimal initial overlap angle to minimize the thinning ratio. An optimal thickness distribution was obtained when the initial angle was 120° for the hydroforming of the variable-diameter part with an expansion of 31.6%.

Evaluation of Residual Stresses in PVD Coatings by Means of Strip Substrate Length Variation and Curvature Method of Plate Substrate

The aim of the study was to determine macroscopic residual stresses in Physical Vapor Deposits (PVD) coatings through measurement of the length variation of the strip substrates coated on both sides. The length change of the strip was reduced to the deflection of the middle cross-section of the elastic element and was recorded by four strain gauges. For validating the obtained results, the conventional curvature method was used. As an application, residual stresses in hard AlCrN PVD coatings were investigated. The coatings were nanolayered to achieve better coating toughness for blanking and punching applications. The steel strips and steel plates with two thicknesses were used as the substrate. The values of the compressive residual stresses, determined by both methods for the investigated coatings, were very high (3.3 -3.6 GPa) independent of coating thickness and practically equal within the measurement uncertainty of the method. Good agreement between the experimental results obtained with both methods suggests that the presented method, strip length variation, is applicable for determination of residual stresses in coatings. Compressive stresses in coatings are desirable as they strengthen the coating.

Numerical Simulation of the Effects of Preheating on Electron Beam Additive Manufactured Ti-6Al-4V Build Plate

In an earlier study, a 3-D thermomechanical coupled finite element model was built and experimentally validated to investigate the evolution of the thermal residual stresses and distortions in electron beam additive manufactured Ti-6Al-4V build plates. In this study, an investigation using this robust and accurate model was focused on an efficient preheating method, in which the electron beam quickly scanned across the substrate to preheat the build plate prior to the deposition. Various preheat times, beam powers, scan rates, scanning paths and cooling times (between the end of current preheat scan/deposition layer and the beginning of the next preheat scan/deposition layer) were examined, and the maximum distortion along the centerline of the substrate and the maximum longitudinal residual stress along the normal direction on the middle cross-section of the build plate were quantitatively compared. The results show that increasing preheat times and beam powers could effectively reduce both distortion and residual stress for multiple layers/passes components.

Hybrid Optimization and Anti-Optimization of a Stochastically Excited Beam

Random vibrations of the damped Bernoulli–Euler beam with two supports and subjected to a stationary random excitation are studied. The supports are symmetrically placed with respect to the middle cross-section of the beam. We investigate the mean square displacement of the beam with the goal of determining the optimum location of supports in order to minimize the maximum probabilistic response. This study falls in the category of hybrid optimization and anti-optimization, since we are looking for the worst maximum response, constituting the anti-optimization process; subsequently, we are looking for optimization of the structure to make the maximum response minimal by properly the spacing supports.

Three Dimensional Flow Simulation in Yarn Duct of Interlacers with Various Cross-Sectional Shapes

This goal of this paper was to determine the flow characteristics of compressible airflow in the yarn duct of an interlacer using numerical simulations to study the effects of cross-sectional shapes of yarn duct on the performance of interlacers. A CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) software package ANSYS CFX was used to calculate the flow patterns in the yarn duct. The relationship between the performance of the interlacer and the distribution of the velocity vector, the airflow speed and the particle trace of flow were examined in order to propose a better design of interlacers. From the results of the calculations, if the vortices on the middle cross-section of the yarn duct make the filaments revolve continuously, then a large number of entanglements can be achieved. The velocity at the central point of the yarn duct was the deciding factor as to a sufficient opening for the filaments. However, too high of a velocity makes the filaments stay on the wall, hindering them from entangling with each other.

Finite Element Analysis of the Hydraulic Pressure in a Large Heat Exchanger

By the use of ANSYS common finite element software, the finite element entity model for the heat exchanger is built. The strength analysis of the heat exchanger in the Hydraulic pressure condition is done. The analysis results show that the maximum stress concentrates at the transition the sharp corner of the saddle and the maximum displacement location is the middle cross section of the heat exchanger. According to JB4732-1995, the surplus of material needed is large, the design is safe and meet the strength requirement. The analysis results can be used as useful reference data to design and manufacture in the large heat exchanger.

Wrinkling Identification and Wrinkle Distribution of a Tube in Hydroforming with Radial Crushing

Hollow parts with variable cross-section are widely used in the area of automotive and aerospace industries due to their excellent properties. Wrinkling is one of the most common forms of instability in the process of manufacturing the parts. The minimum curvature of the cross-section profile of bugled workpieces is proposed in this paper to as a wrinkling indicator to characterize the form and extent of the wrinkle. The wrinkle distribution of 1Cr13Mn9Ni1N stainless steel tube in hydroforming with radial crushing under linear and constant hydraulic pressures is analyzed and the influence of the bulging methods on the wrinkling is investigated via finite element simulation. The results indicate that wrinkling under constant hydraulic pressure is more obvious than that under linear one, wrinkling in hydroforming with radial crushing is more serious than that in free hydro-bugling, wrinkling on the cross-section away from the middle cross-section is more distinct and the wrinkling on the side edge is obvious than that on the bottom of the bugled workpiece.