Some Studies in the Fundamental Parameters of Fatigue

Citation

Valluri, Sitaram Rao (1954) Some Studies in the Fundamental Parameters of Fatigue. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/5Y4Z-CW45. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechETD:etd-01292004-104442

Abstract

A torsional fatigue testing machine of the resonant vibrator type has been designed in order to investigate the fatigue and internal friction properties of 3S-O aluminum. This machine uses an elastic restraint on an a-c motor to create resonant conditions and uses a photocell electronic system for the measurement of internal friction by the method of measuring the logarithmic decrement of free oscillations. It has been established that for 3S-O aluminum at torsion stress levels below 112 psi, the stress history does not affect damping and that, for an annealed specimen, the material exhibits a maximum value of internal friction at 375[degrees]F. "Temporary mobility" aspects of the slip bands have been investigated and in addition, variation of internal friction as a function of stress amplitude in repeated torsional loading, temperature, and number of reversals has been obtained. At room temperature (75[degrees]F) the internal friction increases with the number of stress reversals in the 0 to 10[superscript 5] range. This increment in general increases with increasing amplitude of stress. At test temperatures of 225[degrees] and 525[degrees]F it was found that this increment does not show any regular variation with stress. In addition, however, it was found that at 375[degrees]F the internal friction decreases with stress reversals in the 0 to 10[superscript 5] range for all stresses. The variation of internal friction with stress history after a large number of stress reversals of the order 10[superscript 6] cycles, is quite complex, giving rise to random patterns of increase and decrease. This work is exploratory in nature and suggestions for further work are indicated.

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