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High cycle fatigue initiation

Two primary causes From stress concentrations, such as pores, inclusions, initial cracks etc. There will be a local increase of the stress levels Due to a pile-up of dislocations, which will form slip bands, which will grow to form cracks Cracks form due to a local decrease in the fatigue strength Which of this two mechanisms that will dominate depends on the purity of the material, the nature of the loading, etc.

Solid Mechanics

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

2 (8)

Fatigue life at different stress levels

a Stress
For some materials, there is a stress amplitude below which no fatigue failures will occur This is called the fatigue limit steel The fatigue limit can be considered to be a material parameter

amplitude

FL

Finite fatigue life

aluminum Infinite fatigue life N 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

10 10 10 10 10 10 10

Stress cycles to failure

Designing for infinite life is to assure that no stress levels exceeds the fatigue limit But how do we translate the fatigue limit to other types of loading?
Solid Mechanics

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

3 (8)

The Whler (S-N) curve

a Stress
amplitude

The Whler curve shows fatigue life corresponding to a certain stress amplitude It is also called a S-N-curve

FL

Finite fatigue life

The diagram is primarily valid aluminum for uniaxial loading Infinite fatigue life The curve does not take into N 1 2 3 4 7 5 6 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 account any effects of the mid Stress cycles to failure value of the stress during a stress cycle

steel

Consequently, the curve is only valid for loading with a certain R-ratio There are also Whler curves for entire components (e.g. chains, wheel axles). Then, fatigue life is normally plotted against applied load
Solid Mechanics

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

4 (8)

Using the Whler (S-N) curve

This slope on the Whler curve can be described by the equation

m a Nf = K

Given stress amplitude

Gives allowable stress amplitude

The Whler diagram can be used to design for finite (and infinite) life
steel

FL

Gives pertinent fatigue life No fatigue damage is induced, the component can sustain an infinite number of load cycles Given service life

aluminum

This can be done either for a given service loading or a given service life N

10
Solid Mechanics

10

10

10

10

10

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Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

5 (8)

How to Construct a Whler Diagram

a FRA
For alternating loading,

FRA = UTS

For pulsating loading

FRA = UTS 2

1000 0.9 UTS

FL
For low strength wrought steel

Note that the Whler curve is only valid for a certain R-value ( R = min max ) For steel, the fatigue limit corresponds to 106 <N<107

FL 0.5 UTS
N
4 5 6 7

10
Solid Mechanics

10

10

10

10

10

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Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

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The Haigh diagram

a
Y

The fatigue limits for two cases fully reversed tension/compression (or bending) pulsating tension (or bending) and the yield limit, are needed to create the diagram

FL

FLP

The diagram is only valid for uniaxial loading The diagram is valid for different R-ratios Plasticity

Y
Solid Mechanics

UTS

m
Anders Ekberg

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

7 (8)

Reduction of the Haigh Diagram

Reduction is made on the amplitude axis Reduction is normally made with respect to Surface roughness (taking also the effect of corrosion into account) Size of the raw material Loaded volume (no reduction in the case of a notch)

Fatigue notch factor K f

The reduction factors are taken from diagrams (see Material Fatigue, p.9-12) The fatigue notch factor is determined from

Kf=1+q(Kt-1) where Kt is the stress concentration factor and q depends on the notch radius (q<1, which gives Kf< Kt)
Solid Mechanics

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue

Anders Ekberg

8 (8)

Using the Haigh Diagram

Create the Haigh diagram

Reduce the Haigh diagram

FL

FLP Y UTS m

FL

FLP

Y UTS
Check if your in the safe area. Calculate safety factors

Insert your service stress, P, in the reduced Haigh diagram

( K t m , Kf a )
P

Y
Solid Mechanics

m UTS

m
Anders Ekberg

Uniaxial High Cycle Fatigue