Fatigue Assessment Method for Composite Wind Turbine Blade

Fatigue strength assessment of a horizontal axis wind turbine(HAWT)composite blade is considered.Fatigue load cases are identified,and loads are calculated by the GH Bladed software which is specified at the IEC61400 international specification and GL(Germanisher Lloyd)regulations for the wind energy conversion system.Stress analysis is performed with a 3-D finite element method(FEM).Considering Saint-Venant′s principle,a uniform cross section FEM model is built at each critical zone.Stress transformation matrixes(STM)are set up by applied six unit load components on the FEM model separately.STM can be used to convert the external load into stresses in the linear elastic range.The main material of composite wind turbine blade is fiber reinforced plastics(FRP).In order to evaluate the degree of fatigue damage of FRP,the stresses of fiber direction are extracted and the well-known strength criterion-Puck theory is used.The total fatigue damage of each laminate on the critical point is counted by the rain-flow counting method and Miner′s damage law based on general S-N curves.Several sections of a 45.3mblade of a 2 MW wind turbine are studied using the fatigue evaluation method.The performance of this method is compared with far more costly business software FOCUS.The results show that the fatigue damage of multi-axis FRP can be assessed conveniently by the FEM-STM method.And the proposed method gives a reliable and efficient method to analyze the fatigue damage of slender composite structure with variable cross-sections.

Vibration Analysis and Fatigue Assessment of Floors.Part I:Human Rhythmic Activities

Structural problems associated with excessive vibration of building floor systems when subjected to human rhythmic activities have been frequent.In this context,this research work aims to develop an analysis methodology to evaluate the human comfort and assess the fatigue performance of steel-concrete composite floors when subjected to human rhythmic activities(aerobics).The investigated structural model corresponds to a steel-concrete floor with dimensions of 10 m×10 m and a total area of 100 m^(2).The numerical model developed for the dynamic analysis of the floor adopted the usual mesh refinement techniques present in finite element method(FEM)simulations implemented in the ANSYS program.The investigated floor dynamic response was calculated through the consideration of people practicing rhythmic activities on the structure,in order to verify the occurrence of excessive vibration and to assess the human comfort.The fatigue assessment is based on a linear cumulative damage rule through the use of the Rainflow-counting algorithm and S-N curves from traditional design codes.The results indicated that,in several analysed situations,the investigated floor presents excessive vibration and user’s discomfort.On the other hand,the structure service life values were higher than those proposed by the design codes,ensuring that the members,connections and joints will not fail by fatigue cracking.

Vibration Analysis and Fatigue Assessment of Floors.Part II:Mechanical Equipment

Floors subjected to mechanical equipment loads frequently present problems associated with excessive vibration which can cause human discomfort or even reduce the structure service life.In this context,this work aims to develop an analysis methodology in order to assess the fatigue performance of steel-concrete composite floors,when subjected to vibrations induced by mechanical equipment.The studied structural model corresponds to a steel-concrete composite floor spanning 10 m by 10 m,with a total area of 100 m^(2).The numerical model developed for the dynamic analysis adopted the usual mesh refinement techniques present in finite element method(FEM)simulations implemented in the ANSYS program.The investigated floor dynamic response was calculated through the consideration of the dynamic loadings imposed by the mechanical equipment,simulated based on the use of harmonic forces applied on the concrete slabs.Furthermore,the dynamic structural response was performed considering several scenarios for the positioning of the equipment,in order to verify the occurrence of excessive vibration.The fatigue assessment is based on a linear cumulative damage rule through the use of the Rainflow-counting algorithm and S-N curves from traditional design codes.The results of this investigation indicated that the equipment position affects directly the floor dynamic structural response and also significantly influences the structure service life.

A critical review of wheel/rail high frequency vibration-induced vibration fatigue of railway bogie in China

Purpose–This review aims to give a critical view of the wheel/rail high frequency vibration-induced vibration fatigue in railway bogie.Design/methodology/approach–Vibration fatigue of railway bogie arising from the wheel/rail high frequency vibration has become the main concern of railway operators.Previous reviews usually focused on the formation mechanism of wheel/rail high frequency vibration.This paper thus gives a critical review of the vibration fatigue of railway bogie owing to the short-pitch irregularities-induced high frequency vibration,including a brief introduction of short-pitch irregularities,associated high frequency vibration in railway bogie,typical vibration fatigue failure cases of railway bogie and methodologies used for the assessment of vibration fatigue and research gaps.Findings–The results showed that the resulting excitation frequencies of short-pitch irregularity vary substantially due to different track types and formation mechanisms.The axle box-mounted components are much more vulnerable to vibration fatigue compared with other components.The wheel polygonal wear and rail corrugation-induced high frequency vibration is the main driving force of fatigue failure,and the fatigue crack usually initiates from the defect of the weld seam.Vibration spectrum for attachments of railway bogie defined in the standard underestimates the vibration level arising from the short-pitch irregularities.The current investigations on vibration fatigue mainly focus on the methods to improve the accuracy of fatigue damage assessment,and a systematical design method for vibration fatigue remains a huge gap to improve the survival probability when the rail vehicle is subjected to vibration fatigue.Originality/value–The research can facilitate the development of a new methodology to improve the fatigue life of railway vehicles when subjected to wheel/rail high frequency vibration.

A Rapid Estimation Method of Structural Fatigue Analysis for a 17k Ton DWT Oil Tanker

Fatigue cracks and fatigue damage have been important issues for ships and offshore structures for a long time.However,in the last decade,with the introduction of higher tensile steel in hull structures and increasingly large ship dimensions,the greater attention should be paid to fatigue problems.Most research focuses on how to more easily access the fatigue strength of ships.Also,the major classification societies have already released their fatigue assessment notes.However,due to the complexity of factors influencing fatigue performances,such as wave load and pressure from cargo,the combination of different stress components,stress on concentration of local structure details,means stress,and the corrosive environments,there are different specifications with varying classification societies,leading to the different results from different fatigue assessment methods.This paper established the Det Norske Veritas（DNV） classification notes ＂fatigue assessment of ship structures＂ that explains the process of fatigue assessment and simplified methods.Finally,a fatigue analysis was performed by use data of a real ship and the reliability of the result was assessed.

A Model for Predicting Construction Worker Fatigue

Fatigue impairs workers’judgment,reduces their productivity,and jeop­ardizes their safety.The paper presents a tool to predict workers’fatigue based on their vital signs.An experimental study was conducted in which the heart rate and sleep quality for three individuals were monitored using fitness trackers(wearable sensors).The data collected were used to develop two models based on regression analysis and Artificial Neural Networks(ANN),to predict their fatigue level.A Borg’s scale was used to estimate the Rating of Perceived Exertion(RPE)of the participants.The two models were able to satisfactorily predict the RPE(workers fatigue level)with an average validity of 75%and 80%for the regression ANN models,respec­tively.The developed models can provide project managers and superinten­dents with early warning to avoid potential worker overexertion,injuries,and fatalities.

System dynamics in structural strength and vibration fatigue life assessment of the swing bar for high‐speed maglev train

High‐speed maglev trains are subjected to severe dynamic loads,thus posing a failure hazard.It is necessary to account for the vehicle dynamics to improve the structural strength and fatigue life assessment approach under harsh routes and super high‐speed grades.As the most critical load‐carrying part between the vehicle body and levitation frames,the swing bar was taken as an example to demonstrate the significance of vehicle dynamics to integrate classical structural strength and fatigue life with the service conditions.A multiphysics‐coupled dynamic model of an alpha improvement scheme for an electromagnetic suspension maglev train capable of 600 km/h was established to investigate the complex dynamic loads and fatigue spectra.Using this model,the structural strength and fatigue life of the wrought swing bars were investigated.Results show only a slight effect on the structural strength and fatigue life of swing bars by the super high‐speed grades.The nonaxial bending moments caused by the uncompensated relative displacement between the vehicle body and bolsters are identified as the decisive factors.The minimum safety factor of the structural strength for wrought swing bars is 1.33,while the minimum fatigue life is 34 years.Both match the design requirements but are not conservative enough.Therefore,further verification and optimization are recommended to improve the design of swing bars.

A modified model of Lundberg-Palmgren rolling contact fatigue formula considering the effects of surface treatments

The Lundberg–Palmgren(L–P)fatigue life formula,as a statistical fatigue theory,has been widely used in the industry.However,its direct applicability is limited to the components treated by surface strengthening technologies.Rolling contact fatigue tests and surface integrity measurements of American Iron and Steel Institute(AISI)9310 rollers with several surface treatments were performed to address this issue.Based on these results,a modified L–P fatigue model was proposed,enabling the consideration of surface modification including surface roughness,residual stress,and hardening introduced by different surface treatments.Compared with the original L–P fatigue formula,its results are more accurate for surface strengthened specimens.Furthermore,this method can assess the contact fatigue life of gears treated by surface strengthening techniques.

Fatigue evaluation of steel-concrete composite deck in steel truss bridge—A case study

An innovative composite deck system has recently been proposed for improved structural performance.To study the fatigue behavior of a steel-concrete composite bridge deck,we took a newly-constructed rail-cum-road steel truss bridge as a case study.The transverse stress history of the bridge deck near the main truss under the action of a standard fatigue vehicle was calculated using finite element analysis.Due to the fact that fatigue provision remains unavailable in the governing code of highway concrete bridges in China,a preliminary fatigue evaluation was conducted according to the fib Model Code.The results indicate that flexural failure of the bridge deck in the transverse negative bending moment region is the controlling fatigue failure mode.The fatigue life associated with the fatigue fracture of steel reinforcement is 56 years.However,while the top surface of the bridge deck concrete near the truss cracks after just six years,the bridge deck performs with fatigue cracks during most of its design service life.Although fatigue capacity is acceptable under design situations,overloading or understrength may increase its risk of failure.The method presented in this work can be applied to similar bridges for preliminary fatigue assessment.

Degree of bending of concrete-filled rectangular hollow section K-joints under balanced-axial loadings

It has been found that the fatigue life of tubular joints is not only determined by the hot spot stress,but also by the stress distribution through the tube thickness represented as the degree of bending(DoB).Consequently,the DoB value should be determined to improve the accuracy of fatigue assessment for both stress-life curve and fracture mechanics methods.Currently,no DoB parametric formula is available for concrete-filled rectangular hollow section(CFRHS)K-joints,despite their wide use in bridge engineering.Therefore,a robust finite element(FE)analysis was carried out to calculate the DoB of CFRHS K-joints under balanced-axial loading.The FE model was developed and verified against a test result to ensure accuracy.A comprehensive parametric study including 190 models,was conducted to establish the relationships between the DoBs and four specific variables.Based on the numerical results,design equations to predict DoBs for CFRHS K-joints were proposed through multiple regression analysis.A reduction of 37.17%was discovered in the DoB,resulting in a decrease of 66.85%in the fatigue life.Inclusively,the CFRHS K-joints with same hot spot stresses,may have completely different fatigue lives due to the different DoBs.

Separation and extraction of bridge dynamic strain data

Through comparing the measured data of dynamic strains due to loading and temperature by the stain gauge and temperature sensor at the same location,the information in the strain data was divided into three parts in the frequency domain by using the defined index named power spectral density(PSD)-ratio index.The three parts are dominated respectively by temperature varying,stresses,and noises and thus can be distinguished from the determined the separatrix frequencies.Also,a simple algorithm was developed to separate the three types of information and to extract the strain caused mainly by structural stresses.As an application of the proposed method,the effect of strain deformation and noises on the fatigue assessment was investigated based on the separated data.The results show that,the determined values of separatrix frequencies are valuable for the monitoring data from other bridges.The algorithm is a multiresolution and hierarchical method,which has been validated as a simple and effective method for data analyses,and is suitable for the compression and preprocessing of the great amount monitoring data and easy to be integrated into the structural health monitoring(SHM)soft system.The strain due to temperature varying attributes a little to the errors of fatigue assessment;however,the noises or random disturbance existed in the monitoring data have much responsibility for the errors,and the main reason is that the random disturbance shifts the real strain/stress amplitude picked up by real structural stress or strain.