Example of Fatigue Failure

A die, as shown below, is designed for

making superconducting alloys
The dimensions of the die are:
ri=6.4mm
ro=38mm
a=1.2mm
The hardness of the die is:
H=6000 MPa
And: σy=2000 MPa
Kc=22 MN/m3/2

UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

In order to increase the pressure in the
die, a special steel was used which
could be heat-treated in order to have a
very high yield strength to permit high
working pressures

It failed on the first run, at about half of
the “safe” design load due to a
thumbnail crack at the inner surface
UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

Why did failure occur?

Low Kc value for this steel

High yield strength usually accompanies a
very low toughness

UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

For a thick-walled cylindrical pressure
1 1
vessel: σ = p  r + r  (a tensile stress)
2
o
2

t
1 1
 2 − 2 
 ri ro 
1 1
 2 − 2 
r ro 
σr = −p  (a compressive stress)
1 1
 2 − 2 
 ri ro 

UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

From the first equation, the tensile
stress, tending to open the crack,
evaluated at r=ri, yields: σ t = 1.06 p

Designing against plastic yield, with a
safety factor of 3, the maximum
σ
pressure is: 1.06 × 3 = 630MPa
=
y
p

UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

It failed at about one-half of the
maximum pressure, by fast fracture
from the thumbnail crack

The die pressure at which a flaw of size
a=1.2mm becomes unstable is:
K c = σ πa = 1.06 p πa
Kc
p= = 338MPa
1.06 πa
UCLA MAE256F
Example of Fatigue Failure

The steel was improperly heat-treated,
resulting in a low Kc value

The steel contained abnormally large
defects

Therefore, either heat-treat the steel to
raise Kc (at some loss of σ ) or use a
y

steel designed for pressure vessels

UCLA MAE256F