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The Presentation of Fatigue Data for Fatigue Life Calculations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  28 July 2016

C. L. Bore*
Affiliation:
Hawker Aircraft Ltd.

Summary

A simple and convenient “ endurance chart” for the presentation of basic fatigue data is described, where static failure is regarded as simply fatigue failure in one cycle of loading.

This chart shows the effects of mean stress, residual stress and pre-tension, and displays several interesting features of fatigue data. It is easily constructed directly from fatigue test results, and is very well suited to the calculation of stress concentration effects, including “ plastic relief ” effects.

With the aid of such charts the relative fatigue strengths and structural efficiencies of different materials may be readily compared, and it is clearly shown that in certain circumstances a “ high-strength” alloy may in fact have considerably less fatigue strength than a “ medium-strength ” alloy at a given life, or conversely a lower life at a given stress level.

It is demonstrated that the fatigue life of a component subjected to combined mean stress and alternating stress may be found only with a knowledge of the complete fatigue characteristics of the material (such as are presented in the endurance chart); and that attempts to estimate fatigue life from spot-value comparisons, such as the fatigue strength at an arbitrary given endurance, can be dangerously inaccurate. A chart of the form described thus forms a valuable step towards the accurate calculation of fatigue life.

The method is illustrated by the provision of endurance charts for 14S-T (L.65), 75S-T, and D.T.D.683; and with experimental results for notched components of L.65 and D.T.D.683.

An example illustrates the application of the chart to the calculation of the fatigue life for the case of two independent systems of loading acting on a pressure cabin with circular window cut-outs.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal Aeronautical Society 1956

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