MET410 Fracture Mechanics Question Paper
MET410 Fracture Mechanics Question Paper
MET410 Fracture Mechanics Question Paper
Q1a) A long pipe has an outer diameter (OD) of 90 mm, an inner diameter (ID) of 70 mm and works at a pressure (p) of 40 MPa. Valve
failure downstream in the pipe caused a pressure surge which burst the pipe. Examination of the fracture surface revealed a metallurgical
defect at the inner surface of the pipe which was semi-elliptical in shape with a depth of 1.6 mm and a surface length of 4.5 mm. This
flaw was orientated perpendicular to the hoop stress in the pipe. What pressure would have caused this failure? b) A new pipe was
manufactured from the same alloy and subjected to NDT prior to installation. This showed that the pipe contained a similarly orientated
flaw, 1.5 mm deep, but with a semicircular shape. Assuming normal operating conditions, i.e. no pressure surges and a daily evacuation
to zero pressure, will the pipe last for its desired lifetime of 30 years? Assume that the geometry correction factor has a constant value
of 0.7 in this second part of the question and note that a fatigue crack growth rate of 6.25x10-8 mm/cycle corresponds to an applied delta
K value of 10 MPa √m. The Paris law exponent m is 4. [5M]
Q2. The CTS test piece as shown in figure is from a 1.2 GPa (Yield Stress) steel. If the failure load is 10
kN, what fracture toughness is indicated? Is the result valid? Specimen dimensions in mm. Note that
width and crack size are reckoned from the load's line of action [5M]
Q3. The toughness of a 700 MPa yield structural steel is estimated to be 140 MPa√m. What size and mass of SEN bend test specimen
is necessary, and what capacity of testing machine would be required? Assume an a/W = 0.5 and steel density = 7.9 gm/cc. [5M]
Q4. A structure contains a critical component made from A514 steel. After fabrication of the structure, a welding defect 7.6 mm deep
is discovered in this steel plate. The flaw is essentially an edge crack under tension loading, and the required cyclic life of the structure
is 100000 cycles. The component is subject to a fluctuating load which causes a stress variation from 172 MPa to 310 MPa. Given:
Material properties for the A514 steel are: yield stress = 689 MPa, K1C = 165 MPa m½ geometry correction factor Y = 1.12, and the
Paris law is:
i) Calculate the fatigue life of this component based on attaining a critical defect size for fast fracture. ii)
Accurately construct the curve showing crack length against number of applied load cycles. iii) Discuss the
various measures that could be adopted to extend the life of the structure to 100000 cycles. iv)What is the
effect of reducing the initial defect size to 5 mm (by weld repair with better control of process parameters)? Explain this result in terms
of the shape of the curve of crack length versus cyclic life. [5M]
Q5. A JIc test is performed on steel with the following properties: E = 207 GPa; YS= 360 MPa and UTS= 560 MPa ; poison’s ratio of
0.28. For this purpose a 3-point bend specimen is used with the following dimensions: W = 50 mm; B = 20 mm; a = 30 mm. The load
is found to increase linearly with displacement. At the onset of crack extension the load is 25 kN, while the displacement is 4 mm. a)
What value follows for JIC, if this is defined as J at the onset of crack extension? b) Is this value acceptable according to ASTM standard
E 813? c) What is the corresponding value for KIc? d) What thickness should the specimen be for a valid KIc determination? [5M]
Q6. For a large welded steel vessel the following data are available: service stress = 200 N/mm2, yield strength of weld metal YS = 450
N/mm2, Young's modulus weld metal E = 205 000 N/mm2. Due to shrinkage after the welding process, residual stresses develop in the
weld seam which can be as high as the yield strength of the weld metal. By means of a heat treatment these stresses can be reduced. It
is required that the vessel can withstand a crack in the weld metal with half crack size a = 60 mm. Furthermore the CTOD value in this
case may not exceed 0.5 mm. [5M]
Q7. For materials with a moderate toughness (e.g. aluminium alloys) K1ccan be determined from J1c. Express the minimum required
thickness for the J1ctest (Bj) in terms of the minimum required thickness for the K1c test (Bk). Given: Young's modulus E = 70 000
MPa; yield strength YS = 345 MPa; tensile strength = 500 MPa ; E' for plane strain = E (for plane stress). [5M]
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