Fatigue Analysis

Prepared by Y.T Kim

Offshore Engineering Lab. Seminar No. 3
1/16
1. S-N curve- Introduction
Engineering fatigue data is normally represented
by means of S-N curve, a plot of stress S
against the number of cycle, N
S-N curve is concerned with fatigue failure at
high numbers of cycles (N>10^5 cycles)High
cycle fatigue (HCF)
N<10^4Low cycle fatigue (LCF)
N increases with decreasing stress level
Fatigue limit (endurance limit) is normally defined at 10^7 or 01^8 cycles.
Nonferrous metal, i.e., aluminium, do not have fatigue limit fatigue strength is defined at ~10^8
cycles
The construction of S-N curve normally requires ~8-12 specimens by first testing at a high level of
stress ~2/3 of the tensile strength of the material
Figure 4: typical fatigue curves
2/16
2.S-N curve statistical nature of fatigue
Because the S-N fatigue data is normally
scattered, it should be therefore represented on
a probability basis
Considerable number of specimens are used to
obtain statistical parameters.
At
1 ,
1% of specimens would be expected to fail at N
1
cycles.
50% of specimens would be expected to fail at N
2
cycles.

Figure 4: Fatigue data on a probability basis
For engineering purpose, it is sufficiently accurate to assume a logarithmic normal distribution of
fatigue life in the region of the probability of failure of P=0.10 to P=0.90

3/16
3. Fatigue Failure Criteria for fluctuating Stress (1)
Goodman diagram show the variation of the
limiting range of stress (
max
-
min
) on mean stress
Considerable number of specimens are used to
obtain statistical parameters.
As the mean stress becomes more tensile the
allowable range of stress is reduced.
At tensile strength,
u
, the stress range is zero.

Figure 4: Modified Goodman diagram showing
all the strengths and the limiting values of all
the stress components for a particular midrange
stress
Tension Compression
max min
max min
2
2
2
m
a
r a
o o
o
o o
o
o o
+
=

=
=
min
max
R
o
o
=
4/16
Figure 4: Plot of fatigue failures for midrange stresses in
both tensile and compressive regions. Normalizing the data
by using the ratio of steady strength component to tensile
strength S
m
/S
ut
, steady strength component to compressive
strength S
m
/S
uc
and strength amplitude component to
endurance limit S
a
/S
e
enables a plot of experimental results
for a variety of steels.
Figure 4: Master diagram created for AISI 4340 steel having
S
ut
=158 and S
y
=147 kpsi.
Ex1: A fatigue limit of the notched specimen at
max
=120 kpsi
and
min
=0 kpsi ?
Ex2: Draw sinusoidal graph of the stress component at A.
3. Fatigue Failure Criteria for fluctuating Stress (2)
5/16
Figure 4: Fatigue diagram showing various criteria at failure.
For each criterion, points on or above the respective line
indicate failure. Some point A on the Goodman line, for
example, gives the strength S
m
as the limiting value of
m
corresponding to the strength S
a
, which, paired with
m,
is the
limiting value of
a

Goodman relationship
may be expressed by
1
x
m
a e
u
o
o o
o
(
| |
( =
|
(
\ .

Where
x=1 for the Goodman line
x=2 for the Gerber parabola
3. Fatigue Failure Criteria for fluctuating Stress (3)
6/16
Deterministic Fatigue Analysis-most popular, time domain, commonly know as deterministic
fatigue analysis
Spectral Fatigue Analysis-frequency domain, called stochastic fatigue analysis
4. Fatigue Analysis Method
7/16
Deterministic Fatigue Analysis
Fatigue loads should be expressed as a finite number of discrete events.
Discrete number of events having waves of varying height and period (c.f. wave scatter
diagram)
Analysis procedures:
1. Identifying all the physical phenomena effecting fatigue life of a structure over its entire
life (Loads due to installation, transportation, wave and current)
2. Translating into loads on structural member (commonly using specialized offshore
structural computer analysis)
3. Translating loads in structural members into localized joint stresses. (e.g. hot spot stress
concentration factors can be used to determine the localized stress at various points around
the joint)
4. Choose S-N curve describing the relevant structural detail, appropriate codes and standards
provide a range of S-N curves.
5. Calculate fatigue damage using Miners rule, cumulatively fatigue damage may be
summed for each wave direction.
6. The fatigue life of each detail (or hot spot) should be compared with the design life applying
safety factor.

5. Deterministic Fatigue Analysis
8/16
Spectral Fatigue Analysis
Random nature of the wave height with period model the process statistically
Figure shows random series can be expressed as an energy spectrum.


Figure 1: The relationship between time domain and frequency
domain representation of ocean waves. (FaltinsenO.M., 1990)
Figure 2: A random load x(t) and its energy spectrum
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
9/16
A number of sinusoidal wave components can be represented by a Fourier series.

1
(t) cos( )
N
i i i
i
x a t e |
=
=

2
1
2
( )
i
i
a
S e
e
=
A
i
e
i
a e A
: discrete frequency
: amplitude of the cycles in the frequency band
The component of the response at the same frequency
() = () ()
: transfer function
()
The excitation process is typically the wave height spectrum.

The energy spectrum of the response:
2
( ) ( ) ( ) S
y x
T S e e e =
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
10/16
Transfer function
( ) T e
Transfer function relates the response of the system to the excitation force.
2 2 2
1/
(j )
(1 ) (2 )
K
T e

=
O + O
2 2 2
1
(1 ) (2 )
Q

=
O + O
: =

1
=



:
: =

2
=



Figure 2. Magnification factor with frequency ratio
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
11/16
Figure 2. the transfer function T(f) relates the
excitation spectrum Sx(f) and the response
spectrum Sy(f)
2
( ) ( ) ( ) S
y x
T S e e e =
2
( ) ( ) ( ) S
y x
f T f S f =
Develop fatigue stress spectrum with frequency
Calculate fatigue damage by calculating the zero
and second order moments of the stress spectrum
as follows;
The moments of an energy spectrum are defined as:
0
m ( )
n
n x
S f f df

=
}
Therefore the zero order moment an second order moment are
0
0
m ( )
x
S f df

=
}
2
2
0
m ( )
x
S f f df

=
}
,
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
12/16
For a narrow-banded process, the mean zero upcrossing period may be approximated as:
The number of stress cycles, n, in a total time of T seconds is therefore given by:
0
2
z
m
T
m
z
T
n
T
=
Assuming that the stress range within each short term seastate can be described by the
Rayleigh distribution, the fatigue damage for each seastate may be calculated as:
/ 2
0 2
2
(8 ) 2
2
m
m m m
D T
m K
+ | |
= I
|
\ .
Where
T - time period in seconds
K - constants describing the S-N curve
M- the slope of the material S-N curve
- the incomplete gamma function:
( 1)
0
( ) x
g x
g e dx

I =
}
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
13/16
The fatigue damage may be summed linearly over all sea states and all wave directions.
If T is the number of seconds in 1 year, then the fatigue life of the hot spot in years will be 1/D.
The spectral fatigue analysis approach is illustrated below figure.

Step 1: Sea states are
applied by direction sector
scatter diagrams
Step 2: A scatter diagram
summarizing the relative
occurrence rate of individual
sea state conditions for one
direction
Step 3: The wave spectrum
for one sea state
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
14/16
Step 4: Stress transfer
function for one inspection
point for one wave incidence
sector
Step 5: Stress response
spectrum at the inspection
point for one sea state
step5=step3*(step4)^2
Step 6: the occurrence of
stress peaks at the
inspection point in the sea
state
6. Spectral Fatigue Analysis
15/16
Simplified Fatigue Analysis-used as a first step for structures in deep water

Detailed Fatigue Analysis-calculate cumulative fatigue damage, design fatigue
sensitive locations that may not follow the assumptions inherent in the simplified
analysis
7. Another approach to Fatigue Analysis
16/16
Fatigue Analysis by Design Codes and Standards
Effect of VIV to Fatigue Damage
8. Future Plan