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(Fatigue Test) : Strength Lab Report Experiment #

1. The document summarizes a fatigue test experiment conducted on mild steel specimens. The experiment measured the relationship between cyclic load, stress, and number of cycles until failure. 2. Key results showed that as the load increased, fatigue strength increased but the number of cycles until failure decreased. The stress ratio also increased with higher loads. 3. Based on the S-N curve, the ultimate strength was 1140 MPa and the endurance limit was 900 MPa. This endurance limit can be used in machine design with a safety factor of 1.3-1.5.

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924 views

(Fatigue Test) : Strength Lab Report Experiment #

1. The document summarizes a fatigue test experiment conducted on mild steel specimens. The experiment measured the relationship between cyclic load, stress, and number of cycles until failure. 2. Key results showed that as the load increased, fatigue strength increased but the number of cycles until failure decreased. The stress ratio also increased with higher loads. 3. Based on the S-N curve, the ultimate strength was 1140 MPa and the endurance limit was 900 MPa. This endurance limit can be used in machine design with a safety factor of 1.3-1.5.

Uploaded by

john rozz bb
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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University of jordan

School of engineering
Mechanical department

Strength lab report


Experiment #

( fatigue test )
List of symbols used in this report :

M : moment

I : moment of inertia

σ:stress

N : number of cycles

P : load

S : fatigue strength

R: stress ratio

List of tables and figures :

Figure 1 : fatigue test apparatus Table 1 : collected data (P-N)


Figure 2 : Specimen Table 2 : calculated data (σ-S-R)
Figure 3 :S-N graph

Figure 4 : logS-logN graph


Introduction
Fatigue is the progressive, localized, permanent structural change that occurs in materials subjected to
fluctuating stresses and strains that may result in cracks or fracture after a sufficient number of
fluctuations. Fatigue fractures are caused by the simultaneous action of cyclic stress, tensile stress and
plastic strain. If any one of these three is not present, fatigue cracking will not initiate and propagate.
Fatigue could cause catastrophic failure when it happens, an example is plane crashing due to fatigue
near window openings, that’s why fatigue test is very important for defining the material’s endurance
limit and other properties that are used to determine whether a material is appropriate for a certain
design or not.

Objectives :

1-to make an introductory study using a Wohler rotating apparatus.

2- to know what the relationship between the test and the design operation (N,S) curve , to know how
much load (stress) could the material withstand without fracture .

Experimental procedure :
Apparatus :
Fatigue testing machine :

Figure 1 – fatigue test apparatus


Mild steel specimens

Figure2 - specimen
Theory :

1. From Latin "Fatigare" meaning "to tire."

2. Engineering terminology: - damage and failure of materials under cyclic loads.

3. Fatigue testing is defined as the process of progressive localized permanent structural change
occurring in a material subjected to conditions that produce fluctuating stresses and strains at
some point or points and that may culminate in cracks or complete fracture after a sufficient
number of fluctuations.

Nomenclature to describe the test parameters involved in cyclic loading 


Fatigue is the progressive, localized, permanent structural change that occurs in materials
subjected to fluctuating stresses and strains that may result in cracks or fractures after a
sufficient number of fluctuations. The cyclic stresses are normally well below the yield strength
of the material.
 

THE PROCESS OF FATIGUE CONSISTS OF THREE KEY STAGES:

1. Initial fatigue damage leading to crack nucleation and crack initiation,

2. Progressive cyclic growth of a crack (crack propagation) until the remaining un-cracked cross
section of a part becomes too weak to withstand the loads applied,

3. Final, sudden fracture of the remaining cross section.


 

TYPES OF FATIGUE FAILURE:

1. Mechanical Fatigue - fluctuations in externally applied stresses or strains.

2. Creep Fatigue - Cyclic loads at high temperatures.

3. Thermo mechanical Fatigue - fluctuations in temperature as well as 


stresses and strains.

4. Corrosion Fatigue - Cyclic loads in a chemically aggressive or embrittling 


environment.

5. Fretting Fatigue - Cyclic loads combined with frictional sliding. 


Fatigue Endurance Limit and Fatigue Strength

 
Cyclic loading generally produces failure however low the stress may be. However, with some
materials the S-N curve levels off, suggesting that for these materials a limit of stress (load) can
be specified - known as the fatigue limit - below which infinite life can be expected.

The fatigue life is thought to be associated with the phenomenon of strain ageing.
Most non ferrous alloys do not show a fatigue limit. Instead their S-N curves continue to drop at
a slow rate (dotted line).

For these types of materials, the fatigue strength is quoted. This is the value of stress to which
the material can be subjected to for a given number of cycles (10,000,000 cycles is the value
often used). 
Strain-Life Approach
Low cycle, high stress fatigue with appreciable plastic deformation. Uses the cyclic strain range
versus number of
cycles to failure.

Total life = crack initiation + crack propagation (90% of 


life can be crack initiation).
Failure = Typically a crack of predefined size.
The strain-life relationship is as follows:

 
 
 
WHERE THE CONSTANTS IN THE EQUATION ARE:
sf’ is the fatigue strength coefficient
E is the elastic modulus (Young's Modulus)
b is the fatigue strength exponent (Basquin’s exponent)
ef’ the fatigue ductility coefficient and c is the fatigue ductility exponent (the Coffin-Manson
exponent)
 

STRESS-LIFE APPROACH
High cycle, low stress fatigue.
Material deforms elastically.
Cyclic stress range vs number of cycles to failure (S-N Curve)
Total life = crack initiation + crack propagation
Failure = Total separation of specimen
First fatigue design method. Large amount of data available.
Damage-Tolerant Approach
Assumes defects present in material.
Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics approach ( da/dN vs delta K)
Resistance to Fatigue Crack Growth.
Useful Fatigue life = number of cycles to propagate a crack from an initial size to some critical
dimension.
Collected data :
Table 1 – readings

specimen load P d number of


No. cycles
1 195 0.00787 16543
2 200 0.00783 15215
3 220 0.00783 11072
4 240 0.00778 3714

Calculated data and results :


Table2- results

specimen load P d number of sress(MPA) fatigue R


No. cycles strength
1 195 0.0078 16543 448.245577 896.4911556 0.786396
7 8
2 200 0.0078 15215 466.820918 933.6418373 0.811862
3 6
3 220 0.0078 11072 513.503010 1027.006021 0.893049
3 5
4 240 0.0077 3714 571.055146 1142.110294 0.993139
8 9

Sample of calculations :
Specimen no1 :
P=195 , d=7.87mm , L=110mm

π d 4 π∗0.007874 −10
I= = =1.78∗10
64 64
M =F∗d=195∗0.110=21.45 N . m
21.45∗0.00787
M ∗y 2 = 448.25 MPa
σ= =
I 1.78∗10 −10
Plotted data : Ultimate strength

Endurance limit

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 14000 16000 18000

Figure 1 : S-N curve


Chart Title
2.4
2.38
2.36
2.34
2.32
2.3
2.28
2.26
2.24
2.94 2.96 2.98 3 3.02 3.04 3.06 3.08

Figure 2 : log(S)-log(N) curve

Besed on figure 1 : S(ult) = 1140 MPa


Endurance limit : 900 MPa
Discussion and conclusion :
From the results you can notice that :
- As the load applied increases fatigue strength increases while the number if cycles
passed until fatigue happens decrease .
- Stress ratio increases as load increases
- Number of cycles is HIGHLY affected by the change in load , notice how it is reduced to
almost 25% when the load in increased by 120%
-
Using endurance limit in machine design :
*For components made of ductile materials and those subjected to fluctuating forces ,
endurance limit is considered to be the criterion of failure . such components fail on account of
fatigue . fatigue failure depends upon the amplitude of fluctuating stresses and the number of
stress cycles, a number of factors affect endurance limit such as stress concentration , notch
sensitivity , surface finish and even the size of component . fatigue failure is sudden and total
and to account for dangerous aspects, the recommended factor of safety based on endurance
limit is usually 1.3 to 1.5 .

*Also, the design of certain components such as cam and follower , gears , rolling contact
bearings or rail and wheel is based on calculation of contact stresses by Hertz theory . failure of
such components is usually in the form of small pits on the surface of the component . pitting is
surface fatigue failure , which occurs when contact stress exceeds the surface endurance limit .
the damage surface endurance limit can be improved by increasing the surface hardness .
The recommended factor of safety for such components is 1.8 to 2.5 based on endurance limit .

Sources of error :
*Errors while measuring the specimens dimentions
*Errors in the machine, like vibrations.
*The load doesn’t act on the body’s axis precisely.
*Imperfect surface finishing.
*Not taking the number of load cycles directly when the specimen is ruptured

To improve the test :


-choose a specimen with better surface finish and well measured dimentions
-be quick and exact when you take the reading of number of cycles
-the specimen should be attached properly to the machine .

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