• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.17 no.2
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• pp.185-198
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• 2014

Carbon-manganese steel A42 (French standards) is used in steam generator pipes of nuclear center and subject to low cycle fatigue (LCF) loads. In order to obtain the material LCF behavior, the tests are implemented in a hydraulic fatigue machine. The LCF plastic deformation and cyclic stress in macroscope have been influenced by the accumulated low cycle fatigue damage. The constitutive kinematic and isotropic hardening modeling is modified with coupling fatigue damage to describe the fatigue behavior. The improved model seems to be good agreement with the test results.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.57-71
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• 2013

The prediction of the low cycle fatigue (LCF) life of beam-column connections requires an LCF model that is developed using specific geometric information. The beam-column connection has several geometric variables, and changes in these variables must be taken into account to ensure sufficient robustness of the design. Previous research has verified that the finite element model (FEM) can be used to simulate LCF behavior at the end plate moment connection (EPMC). Three critical parameters, i.e., end plate thickness, beam flange thickness, and bolt distance, have been selected for this study to determine the geometric effects on LCF behavior. Seven FEMs for different geometries have been developed using these three critical parameters. The finite element analysis results have led to the development of a modified LCF model for the critical parameter groups.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.479-489
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• 2019

Low-cycle fatigue (LCF) tests were performed for Alloy 690 and 316 SS in a simulated pressurized water reactor (PWR) environment. Alloy 690 showed about twice longer LCF life than 316 SS at the test condition of 0.4% amplitude at strain rate of 0.004%/s. Observation of the oxide layers formed on the fatigue crack surface showed that Cr and Ni rich oxide was formed for Alloy 690, while Fe and Cr rich oxide for 316 SS as an inner layer. Electrochemical analysis revealed that the oxide layers formed on the LCF crack surface of Alloy 690 had higher impedance and less defect density than those of 316 SS, which resulted in longer LCF life of Alloy 690 than 316 SS in a simulated PWR environment.

• Steel and Composite Structures
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.35-51
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• 2020

Integral abutment bridges (IABs) are those bridges without expansion joints. A single row of steel H-piles (SHPs) is commonly used at the thin and stub abutments of IABs to form a flexible support system at the bridge ends to accommodate thermal-induced displacement of the bridge. Consequently, as the IAB expands and contracts due to temperature variations, the SHPs supporting the abutments are subjected to cyclic lateral (longitudinal) displacements, which may eventually lead to low-cycle fatigue (LCF) failure of the piles. In this paper, the potential of using finite element (FE) modeling techniques to estimate the LCF life of SHPs commonly used in IABs is investigated. For this purpose, first, experimental tests are conducted on several SHP specimens to determine their LCF life under thermal-induced cyclic flexural strains. In the experimental tests, the specimens are subjected to longitudinal displacements (or flexural strain cycles) with various amplitudes in the absence and presence of a typical axial load. Next, nonlinear FE models of the tested SHP specimens are developed using the computer program ANSYS to investigate the possibility of using such numerical models to predict the LCF life of SHPs commonly used in IABs. The comparison of FE analysis results with the experimental test results revealed that the FE analysis results are in close agreement with the experimental test results. Thus, FE modeling techniques similar to that used in this research study may be used to predict the LCF life of SHP commonly used in IABs.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.3 no.5
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• pp.222-225
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• 2004

A portable RF HTS SQUID-based susceptometer was applied to the measurement of fatigue behavior for type 316L(N) stainless steel containing 0.04% to 0.15% nitrogen content. Strain-controlled low cycle fatigue (LCF) tests were conducted at RT and $600^{\circ}C$ in air an atmosphere, and the magnetic moments were measured after the fatigue test using HTS SQUID. The magnetic moment of an as-received sample is higher than that of a fatigued sample in all the temperature ranges irrespective of the nitrogen content. The fatigue life decreased with an increasing test temperature up to $500^{\circ}C$, but increased at $600^{\circ}C$. The change of the magnetic moments by LCF test is attributed to the stress induced micro defects.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.122-128
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• 2014

Generally, the mechanical components and structures are joined by many welding techniques, and therefore the welded joints are inevitable in the construction of structures. The Alloy 617 was initially developed for high temperature applications above $800^{\circ}C$. It is often considered for use in aircraft and gas turbines, chemical manufacturing components, and power generation structures. Especially, the Alloy 617 is the primary candidate for construction of intermediate heat exchanger (IHX) on a very high temperature reactor (VHTR) system. In the present paper, the low cycle fatigue (LCF) life of Alloy 617 base metal (BM) and the gas tungsten arc welded (GTAWed) weld joints (WJ) are evaluated by using the previous experimental results under strain controlled LCF tests. The LCF tests have been performed at room temperature with total strain ranges of 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5%. The LCF lives for the BM and WJ have been evaluated from the Coffin-Manson and strain energy based life methods. For both the BM and WJ, the LCF lives predicted by both Coffin-Manson and strain energy based life methods was found to well coincide with the experimental data.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Heat Treatment
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.131-136
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• 2010

The LCF (low cycle fatigue) behavior and the serration phenomena in the plastically deformed and non-deformed 5052 Al alloy were investigated. The plastic deformation was performed by 1 pass or 4 passes in ECAP (equal channel angular pressing) followed by annealing. Only cyclic hardening continued from the beginning until fracture at all strain amplitudes during LCF in the non-deformed alloy, which was caused by the increase in dislocation density during fatigue. Slight cyclic hardening followed by plateau until fracture was observed during LCF in the ECAPed alloy, which was caused by the slight increase in dislocation density in the beginning and then keeping constant in dislocation density afterward until fracture by forming subgrains in this stage of fatigue. The serrations on the stress-strain curves of this alloy were observed, which indicate that the dynamic strain aging (DSA) is occurring during plastic deformation. The variation in amplitudes of serration was studied by changing the strain rate in tensile or fatigue tests.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.19 no.8
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• pp.71-76
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• 2002

In this study low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of 12Cr steel at high temperature are described. Secondly, comparisons between predicted lives and experimental lives are made for the several sample life prediction models. Two minute hold period in either tension or compression reduce the number of cycles to failure by about a factor of two. Twenty minute hold periods in compression lead to shorter lives than 2 minute hold periods in compression. Experiments showed that life predictions from classical phenomenological models have limitations. More LCF experiments should be pursued to gain understanding of the physical damage mechanisms and to allow the development of physically-based models which can enhance the accuracy of the predictions of components. From a design point-of-view, life prediction has been judged acceptable for these particular loading conditions but extrapolations to thermo-mechanical fatigue loading, for example, require more sophisticated models including physical damage mechanisms.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.9
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• pp.1897-1904
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• 2002

Monotonic torsional and pure torsional low cycle fatigue(LCF) test with artificial degradation were performed on duplex stainless steel(CF8M). CF8M is used in pipes and valves in nuclear reactor coolant system. It was aged at 430$^{\circ}C$ for 3600hrs. Through the monotonic and LCF test, it is found that mechanical properties(i.e., yield strength, strain hardening exponent, strength coefficient etc.) increase and fatigue life(N$\sub$f/) decreases with degradation of material. The relationship between shear strain amplitude(${\gamma}$$\sub$a/)and N$\sub$f/ was proposed.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.115-121
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• 2014

Alloy 617 is the one of the leading candidate materials for intermediate heat exchangers(IHX) of a very high temperature reactor(VHTR) system. Some of the components are joined by many welding techniques and therefore the welded joints are inevitable in the construction of systems. In the present paper, the low cycle fatigue(LCF) behaviors of Alloy 617 base metal(BM) and the gas tungsten arc welded (GTAWed) weld joints(WJ) are investigated experimentally under strain controlled LCF tests. Fully axial total-strain controlled tests have been conducted at room temperature with total strain ranges of 0.6, 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5%. The weld joints have shown a lower fatigue lives compared with base metals at all the testing conditions. The weld joints have shown a higher cyclic stress response behavior than base metal. Both BM and WJ exhibited cyclic strain hardening behavior, depending on the total strain range. In addition, the strain-life parameters for BM and WJ were determined, based on Coffin-Manson equations.