Fatigue life under random load history derived from exceedance curves using different algorithms

Abstract

Low cycle fatigue life and crack growth rates were analytically estimated for random load sequences, generated from three combat aircraft load exceedance curves using different algorithms, including simulated rainflow cycle count, extreme-to-extreme excursions, upper to lower bound excursions and unrestricted peak-trough excursions. Also, the response of a fatigue meter to a random load sequence was simulated. Fatigue damage for the different load histories was computed using material constants for an Al-Cu alloy. Computed fatigue damage was relatively insensitive to the algorithm used for load sequence generation from combat aircraft load exceedance curves. Fatigue meter data based damage estimates were, however, sometimes unconservative.