Short Answer Questions

UNIT -II
1. Draw the structure of a fatigue fracture specimen and show the various regions on it.
ANS.

1. Crack initiation
2. Crack propagation
i.Stage I crack growth
1. In this stage high shear stresses acts on the slip plane.
ii.Stage II crack growth
1. In this stage high tensile stresses acts on tensile plane.
3. Final fracture

2. Define fatigue. What are the factors affecting fatigue.

ANS. Fatigue - Failures occuring under conditions of dynamic or alternate loading conditions
are called fatigue.
Factors affecting fatigue:-
A. Grain size - Fatigue strength increases when the grain size is decreased.
B. Environmental conditions - Corrosion decreases the fatigue life.Increase in temperature
also decreases the fatigue life.
C. Residual stresses - Certain operations like welding,machining,etc. will produce residual
stresses which decreases the fatigue strength.
3. What is Low cycle fatigue ?
ANS. Low cycle fatigue - Low cycle fatigue behavior of material will be considered in the
design of nuclear pressure vessels, steam turbine and other equipment which will be working at
high temperature.
Because of high temperature the thermal stresses are going to be developed and thermal
expansion of the material takes place. Hence, plastic strain induced in the material during a
specified period is important than stress cycles.
Low cycle fatigue curve can be plotted as the plastic strain range Vs. number of cycles.

4. What is Cumulative fatigue ?

ANS. Cumulative fatigue - According to cumulative damage theory, each series of stress cycle
is responsible for a certain fraction of total damage. When all these fractions add up to unity then
total damage occurs. The fraction of total damage by one series of stress cycle
5. State and explain Fick’s laws of diffusion.
ANS. Fick’s I law: - It is used for steady state flow, unidirectional flow of atoms.
Fick’s II law :- It is used for unsteady flow.

6. Write the applications of Diffusion in the field of mechanical engineering.

ANS.
a. Metal joining - In welding , brazing and soldering.
b. In doping of semi – conductors
c. In homogenization treatment.
d. In oxidation of metals.
e. In power metallurgy.

7. Explain stress rupture curve.

ANS. Stress rupture curve: - stress rupture tests are conducted upto failure of the specimen in
this test the time required to fracture the specimen at a specified stress and temperature are
measured and recorded. The stresses is plotted against time in log – log scale ( stress and time
are in logaritham values).
8. What are the metallurgical variables effecting the fatigue life?
ANS.
a. Geomentry - All sharp corners, edges and notches act as stress concentration points
where fatigue cracks initiates.
b. Surface quality - Surface roughness causes microscopic stress concentration which
lowers fatigue strength.
c. Material type - The fatigue life and the behaviour during cyclic loading will different
for different materials.
d. Environmental conditions - Corrosion decreases the fatigue life. Increasing in
temperature also decreases the fatigue life.