A new cyclic cohesive zone model for fatigue damage analysis of welded vessel

Abstract

A new cyclic cohesive zone fatigue damage model is proposed to address the fatigue problem spanning high and low cycle stages. The new damage model is integrated with the damage extrapolation technique to improve calculation efficiency. The model's effectiveness in regulating the low-cycle fatigue evolution rate, overall fatigue damage evolution rate, and stress level at the fatigue turning point is assessed through the comparison of the S-N curves. The fatigue damage model's high precision is proved based on the minor deviation of stress at the turning point of the S-N curve from the actual scenario. Finally, the fatigue damage evolution is simulated considering the effects of pre-load pressure and welding residual stress. It is observed that laser welding induces a significant residual tensile stress, accelerating fatigue damage evolution, while compressive loading impedes fatigue damage progression.

Keywords

• Cyclic cohesive zone model
• Fatigue crack propagation
• Welding residual stress
• Low-cycle fatigue
• Welded vessel