A computational approach for fatigue crack propagation in ship structures under random sequence of clustered loading

The authors have developed a simulation program, CP-System, for multiple cracks propagating in a three-dimensional stiffened panel structure, where through-the-thickness crack propagation is formulated as a two-dimensional in-plane problem, and the crack propagation behavior is simulated by step-by-step finite element analyses. In order to evaluate the fatigue lives of marine structures accurately, it is necessary to take into account the load histories induced by sea waves, which may be composed of a random sequence of certain clustered loads with variable stress range. In the proposed crack growth model, the crack opening and closure behavior is simulated by using the modified strip yielding model, and the effective tensile plastic stress intensity range, ΔK _RP, is calculated by considering the contact of plastic wake along the crack surfaces. The adequacy of the proposed crack growth model is examined by comparison with fatigue tests under non-constant-amplitude loading. The usefulness of the developed method is demonstrated for a ship structural detail under certain simulated load sequences. It is shown that the fatigue crack growth of a ship structure is significantly retarded due to the load interaction effects, so that the conventional method for fatigue life assessment may predict a relatively conservative fatigue life of a structure.     

基于奇异强度理论的疲劳特性评估方法

疲劳是海洋结构物破坏的重要因素,为简化舰船结构疲劳评估方法,基于线弹性断裂力学和切口应力强度理论,针对典型薄板结构研究拐角节点处的应力强度,分析结构形式,利用ANSYS有限元模拟和MathCAD函数拟合,分别给出计算应力强度因子的＂奇异权函数法＂和＂奇异等效裂纹法＂的研究方法,同时给出简便算法和经验公式。进而应用Paris裂纹扩展法则进行结构奇异强度疲劳特性评估,并结合S-N曲线分析拐角节点处的应力集中,得到与结构尺寸相关的＂奇异应力集中系数＂函数。最后,针对切口应力,提出有限元分析所需要的＂奇异应力等效取值点＂的参考位置。希望能将奇异强度理论纳入船舶结构疲劳强度校核规范中做参考。     

基于裂纹扩展的海洋平台疲劳可靠性分析

文章基于裂纹疲劳基本理论,针对在役导管架平台出现初始裂纹状态下结构承载力进行分析,考虑结构损伤与腐蚀等因素,建立了典型导管架平台整体结构模型和局部子模型,分析了在该工况下平台整体结构的疲劳强度,并确定了平台结构的疲劳关键部位。采用几何应力外插法计算了热点应力,基于疲劳裂纹扩展的疲劳分析方法,计算了疲劳关键节点的疲劳寿命与疲劳可靠度。该方法能够为海洋平台结构的维护和保养提供一定参考。     

疲劳裂纹扩展规律的正切模型

为了用解析方法合理地描述疲劳裂纹扩展的三个阶段,提出了一种新的疲劳裂纹扩展模型——正切模型。该模型驱动力使用应力强度因子幅值K,能够描述裂纹扩展的三个阶段,且只有四个参数需要确定。通过非线性拟合确定疲劳裂纹扩展正切模型中的四个参数。研究了门槛值Kth和失稳值Kf与应力比R的关系,以及四个参数对裂纹扩展速率的影响。最后比较了试验值、九参数模型和正切模型在疲劳裂纹扩展速率曲线和裂纹扩展长度变化曲线等方面的差别,发现正切模型结果与试验数据较为吻合。该模型描述的裂纹扩展长度变化曲线能够较好地用于疲劳寿命评估。     

Numerical simulation of fatigue crack propagation under superimposed stress histories containing different frequency components with several mean stress conditions

Fatigue crack propagation behavior under superimposed stress histories containing different frequency components with several mean stress conditions was investigated. Numerical simulation of fatigue crack propagation based on an advanced fracture mechanics approach using the RPG (Re-tensile Plastic zone Generating) stress criterion for fatigue crack propagation was improved to extract the effective part from the applied stress history for fatigue crack propagation. The parameter, which is based on the plastic hysteresis energy consumed in the vicinity of a crack tip, was applied and implemented into the numerical simulation code of fatigue crack propagation. Fatigue crack propagation tests under various superimposed stress conditions with several mean stress conditions were performed and compared with the fatigue crack propagation histories obtained from the improved numerical simulations. These comparisons show the validity of the proposed procedure for extracting the effective stress history from the superimposed stress histories with different frequency components and mean stresses. Additionally, practical fatigue strength evaluations based on the linear cumulative fatigue damage parameter were conducted to investigate the tendency of the fatigue damage value under these stress conditions.     

A study of fatigue crack propagation at a web stiffener on a longitudinal stiffener

Predicting fatigue crack growth after its detection during in-service inspection is necessary to prevent a loss of serviceability, such as the oil and/or water tightness of critical compartments. This paper focuses on the most typical fatigue cracks that start at the weld joint between a flat bar stiffener on a transverse web frame and the flange of a longitudinal stiffener on a bottom plate or inner bottom plate. An experiment is carried out to observe the fatigue crack propagation for two kinds of flat bars at the abovementioned connection. The experimental results, especially the surface crack growth on the flange (which dominates during the total fatigue life of the longitudinal stiffener), are compared with crack growth curves predicted using a few existing formulas. Based on the comparative study, a formula that shows the best agreement with the experiment results is selected. Weld toe magnification factors for the web stiffener are computed from the crack propagation rates measured in the experiment, and two equations for the magnification factors versus crack depth are developed for two types of web stiffeners. The selected existing formula and the proposed equations are applied to two connections at the inner bottom and side longitudinal bulkhead of an LNG carrier. The equivalent stress approach based on a long-term distribution is employed to avoid the complexity involved in dealing with the actual stress history. Using this prediction, the remaining service life until an oil or water leakage occurs at a tank boundary can be estimated when a fatigue crack at the connection is detected.     

Simulation-based fatigue crack management of ship structural details applied to longitudinal and transverse connections

It is of continuing importance for ship structural design to establish a system to compute the growth behavior of fatigue cracks propagating in structural details. In the present paper, a simulation program is developed for multiple fatigue cracks propagating in a three-dimensional stiffened panel structure, where it can predict fatigue crack lives and paths by taking into account the interaction of multiple cracks, load shedding during crack propagation and welding residual stress. Various fatigue crack propagations in longitudinal stiffeners of ship structures are investigated by both the present simulation method and experiments. From these results, it is found that the crack propagation may considerably change, depending on the loading conditions, structural details and residual stress distributions. This means that one could possibly manage to avoid fatal damage of the skin-plate by properly designing the structural details. Furthermore, these results may imply a possibility to realize a rational fatigue crack management if one can estimate the fatigue crack-propagation behavior during the ship lifecycle. The present simulation program may offer a useful numerical tool for this purpose.     

随机海况下的船体结构疲劳裂纹扩展

传统的疲劳问题一般都是采用S—N曲线及Miner累计损伤理论进行的,文章在基于断裂力学的基础上,通过权函数法来计算应力沿裂纹面的非线性效应力强度因子,鉴于船舶在海洋环境中受到载荷的随机性,充分考虑加载次序、过载峰和应力比等对裂纹扩展的影响,给出了船舶结构疲劳裂纹在随机载荷下的扩展寿命的计算过程。     

Numerical simulation of fatigue crack propagation under biaxial tensile loadings with phase differences

Fatigue crack propagation under the biaxial tensile loading, which loading directions are normal and parallel to the initial crack position, is highlighted in this study. Most of in-service structures and vessels are subjected to many types of loading. Generally, these loadings have different axial components with different phases. However, the structural integrities of structures and vessels are evaluated according to design codes based on theoretical and experimental investigations under a uniaxial loading condition. Most of these codes are based on the S–N curves approach. An approach that does not use S–N curves has been favored by researchers, with the fracture mechanics approach preferred for evaluating the fatigue life of structures. An advanced fracture mechanics approach was developed based on the Re-tensile Plastic zone Generating (RPG) stress criterion for fatigue crack propagation. In this study, fatigue crack propagation tests under biaxial loading with six different phase and loading conditions are performed and the effect of the phase difference under biaxial loading is evaluated. A numerical simulation method of fatigue crack propagation based on the RPG stress criterion under different biaxial loading phase conditions is presented and compared to measured data.     

基于累积塑性破坏的船体板低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命研究

船体板的总体断裂破坏往往是低周疲劳破坏与累积塑性破坏两种破坏模式耦合作用的结果,故在船体板低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命评估中,其基于累积塑性应变的船体板低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命分析能够更为符合实际地评估船体板的总体断裂承载能力。船体板低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命由宏观可检测裂纹扩展到临界裂纹而发生破坏这段区间的寿命。船体在实际航行中受到多次波浪外载作用而使其进入塑性变形不断累积或不断反复的破坏过程,并最终导致低周疲劳裂纹的萌生及扩展而使结构破坏,其破坏形式分别对应于增量塑性变形破坏（或棘轮效应）或交变塑性变形破坏（或低周疲劳）。局部塑性变形的累积会加剧低周疲劳裂纹不断扩展,因而基于累积塑性破坏研究船体板低周疲劳扩展寿命更为合理。文中以船体板单次循环载荷后塑性应变大小为基础,依据累积递增塑性破坏过程及弹塑性理论,计算经过N次变幅循环载荷后船体板累积塑性应变值,结合循环应力—应变曲线获得相应的稳定的迟滞回线,确定裂纹尖端应力应变曲线及确定相关塑性参量并依据选取的断裂判据判定裂纹扩展。建立循环载荷下基于累积递增塑性破坏的船体板低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命的计算模型考虑应力比对此裂纹扩展寿命计算模型的影响。由该方法计算出的疲劳裂纹扩展寿命将对正确预估船舶结构的低周疲劳强度从而提高船舶安全性有重要意义。     

沥青路面结构两阶段寿命预估

基于传统疲劳强度理论，用修正系数的方法来估计裂缝扩展阶段的寿命没有任何的理论依据。提出两阶段方法预估沥青路面结构的疲劳寿命，运用有限元方法对沥青路面进行疲劳断裂分析，研究沥青路面裂缝的扩展规律。     

含裂纹船用气瓶安全评价及剩余寿命预测

针对船用气瓶使用过程中出现的疲劳失效问题,开展含裂纹气瓶安全评价及剩余寿命预测研究,通过疲劳裂纹扩展速率试验,得到疲劳裂纹扩展速率公式。对3种典型尺寸表面裂纹进行理论计算,获得船用气瓶安全评定结果和临界裂纹尺寸,并通过3种人工预制裂纹疲劳试验和安全评价验证理论公式的合理性。评定结果表明：当初始裂纹深度[a]≤1.5 mm,长度[2c]≤10 mm时,船用气瓶可安全使用至下一周期。     

考虑塑性损伤的船体裂纹板低周疲劳裂纹扩展行为研究

船舶结构的扩展断裂失效往往是低周疲劳破坏和累积递增塑性破坏耦合作用的结果,疲劳裂纹的扩展就是裂纹尖端前缘材料刚度不断降低延展性不断耗失而逐渐分离的结果.基于弹塑性断裂力学理论,文章提出了考虑累积塑性损伤的低周疲劳裂纹扩展速率预测模型.通过低周疲劳裂纹扩展试验拟合出模型相关材料参数并验证预测模型的合理性.通过系列有限元计算对平均应力及应力幅值的影响因素进行了数值分析.该模型的计算结果与已有实验结果基本吻合;对合理预估船体裂纹板的常幅低周疲劳裂纹扩展寿命有重要意义.     

复杂应力场中裂纹疲劳扩展寿命预报

船舶作为一种大型焊接结构,其疲劳热点部位的应力应变场分布很复杂,要预报这些部位的裂纹疲劳扩展寿命,必须解决复杂场中裂纹的应力强度因子计算及其裂纹扩展方向问题.该文对船舶肘板处两种不同原因产生的裂纹的扩展路径、扩展速率进行了研究.裂纹扩展方向用第一主应力准则确定,在裂纹扩展方向上给定不同的裂纹增量,得到不同长度裂纹的复合裂纹等效应力强度因子,并拟合这些计算结果得出船舶肘板的应力强度因子计算式.结合裂纹扩展率单一曲线模型对肘板裂纹扩展寿命进行了预报,预报结果与实验结果符合得较好,说明所采用的方法可行.对建立船舶典型节点的裂纹扩展寿命预报方法有参考价值.     

变幅载荷作用下焊接接头疲劳寿命预测方法

船舶与海洋结构物在其服役过程中受到波浪等载荷的交变作用而引起结构的疲劳损伤.检测结果表明船舶及海洋结构的疲劳热点部位大多数是在构件相互连接的焊缝焊趾处.因此,研究典型接头表面裂纹应力强度因子统一计算方法以及变幅载荷作用下表面裂纹扩展规律对船舶与海洋结构物的寿命预测是十分重要的.本文讨论了裂纹闭合及开口比的计算,在Newman有效应力强度因子计算方法的基础上,提出了考虑因素更全面的有效应力强度因子幅计算式以及变幅载荷作用下船舶与海洋结构物典型焊接接头疲劳裂纹扩展寿命预测模型.     

一种复杂载荷作用下船舶结构疲劳裂纹扩展预报方法

风暴模型是Tomita等提出的用来评估船舶结构疲劳强度的一种随机波浪载荷简化模型,它能表达波浪载荷是与时间相关的随机过程。文中介绍了风暴模型及波浪诱导应力短期分布的基本特征。将风暴模型和裂纹扩展率单一曲线模型及焊趾表面裂纹应力强度因子的计算方法结合起来,探讨了复杂载荷作用下船舶结构疲劳裂纹扩展预报方法。并用权函数法计算了给定残余应力分布的表面裂纹应力强度因子。预报了对接焊接接头焊趾处表面裂纹在风暴波浪载荷作用下的疲劳裂纹扩展行为,结果表明风暴的大小、顺序,初始裂纹尺寸及残余应力对裂纹扩展行为影响明显。合理的风暴模型参数及初始裂纹尺寸的确定对船舶结构的疲劳寿命预报是非常重要的。     

钛合金疲劳裂纹扩展速率试验及预报方法

本文针对深海载人潜水器耐压壳用钛合金,开展疲劳性能试验研究,得到该类型钛合金的室温断裂韧性,载荷比R=0.1下的疲劳裂纹扩展门槛值及疲劳裂纹扩展速率,基于选用的疲劳裂纹扩展预报模型,对载荷比R=0.1下的钛合金疲劳裂纹扩展行为进行了预报研究。结果表明:在载荷比不变的前提下,应力强度因子范围是疲劳裂纹扩展速率的主要影响因素,应力强度因子范围的增加会导致疲劳裂纹扩展速率增加;考虑小裂纹效应的疲劳裂纹扩展预报模型可对钛合金的疲劳裂纹扩展行为进行准确预报。     

大结构模型中多裂纹种类并行疲劳试验方法研究

大结构模型低周疲劳试验周期较长,成本高,一般情况只能通过一只或少量的模型研究裂纹的形成机理和扩展规律,确定裂纹的形成寿命和扩展寿命.文章通过开展裂纹尖端的应力场研究,提出了一种在大结构模型中预制多种裂纹类型同时进行低周疲劳试验的并行疲劳试验方法.利用该方法开展了锥柱结合壳结构模型疲劳试验,得到了该模型的多种裂纹类型的裂纹形成寿命和裂纹扩展寿命试验结果,验证了并行疲劳试验方法的可行性和可信性.     

Remaining fatigue life assessment of corroded mooring chains using crack growth modelling

Failures caused by the combined actions of fatigue, corrosion and wear are important safety concerns for mooring chains used on floating structures in the oil and gas industry. Prediction of remaining corrosion fatigue life based on surface condition could therefore be a useful tool for the continued safe operation of corroded chains. This paper investigates the use of crack growth modelling for estimating the remaining corrosion fatigue life of mooring chains that exhibit significant pitting corrosion damage. A crack growth modelling approach is used to produce remaining fatigue life estimates for a selection of severely pitted mooring chains. Using fatigue crack growth rate test results for grade R4 high strength mooring chain steel, empirical crack growth laws are presented for free corrosion and cathodic protection conditions at load ratio R = 0.1. Two different methods for establishing equivalent cracks from surface scans of corrosion damage are presented. The mooring chains are proof loaded as part of their manufacturing process. Residual stresses introduced during this process have therefore been determined by finite element analysis and accounted for in the fatigue crack growth predictions. One of the equivalent crack models, accounting for the single dominant corrosion pit, provided quite accurate fatigue life predictions when compared with full scale test results.     

海洋结构物疲劳裂纹扩展寿命的一种工程预报方法

海洋结构物疲劳寿命的准确预报对海洋结构安全具有重要意义。基于裂纹扩展的寿命预报相比于常规的基于累积损伤理论的寿命预报方法,能够考虑载荷次序、初始缺陷等重要因素的影响,各大船级社极力推进裂纹扩展理论在海洋工程中的应用。文章从裂纹扩展法则、应力强度因子求解、疲劳载荷谱模拟上对裂纹扩展理论的工程应用进行研究,试图找出准确、合理且相对简单的方法。结合裂纹扩展的单一曲线模型、基于有限元子模型技术的应力强度因子求法以及基于谱分析的疲劳载荷谱产生方法,对某半潜式钻井平台典型焊接节点进行基于裂纹扩展疲劳寿命预报,并讨论了初始裂纹尺寸对疲劳寿命的影响。结果表明,该半潜平台焊接结构符合设计寿命的要求,初始裂纹尺寸对疲劳寿命影响很大,可为海洋结构物基于裂纹扩展的疲劳寿命预报提供参考。