Numerical Analysis of Crack Propagation in an Aluminum Alloy under Random Load Spectra

This study develops a rapid algorithm coupled with the finite element method to predict the fatigue crack propagation process and select the enhancement factor for the equivalent random load spectrum of accelerated fatigue tests. The proposed algorithm is validated by several fatigue tests of an aluminum alloy under the accelerated random load spectra. In the validation process, two kinds of panels with different geometries and sizes are used to calculate the stress intensity factor, critical crack length, and crack propagation life. The simulated and experimental findings indicate that when the aluminum alloy is in a low plasticity state, the crack propagation life exhibits a linear relationship with the acceleration factor. When the aluminum alloy is in a high plasticity state, this study proposes an empirical formula to calculate the equivalent stress intensity factor and crack propagation life. The normalized empirical formula is independent of the geometry and size of different samples, although the fracture processes are different in the two kinds of panels used in our study. Overall, the numerical method proposed in this paper can be applied to predict the fatigue crack propagation life for the random spectrum of large samples based on the results of the simulated accelerated crack propagation process and the accelerated fatigue tests of small samples to reduce the cost and time of the testing.