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Session 2426

Low Cycle and Finite Life Fatigue Experiment Bijan Sepahpour, Shou-Rei Chang Department of Engineering The College of New Jersey Ewing, New Jersey 08628-0718

ABSTRACT An experiment for examination of fatigue failure theories is presented for potential adaptation at undergraduate mechanical and civil engineering programs. The focus of the experiment is placed on Low Cycle and Finite Life Fatigue. Design of the experiment and its associated apparatus allows for both symmetric (fully reversed) and non-symmetric reversed loading with different magnitudes applied to an array of cantilever beams. Several scenarios using beams with different lengths, sections, stress concentrations, and materials are proposed for destructive/fatigue failure testing. Other specimen with interesting features may be easily added to the package if desired. The time factor for conducting fatigue testing in an educational environment has been incorporated in the design process. Availability of the blueprints of all components of the robust apparatus, its cost effectiveness, ease of manufacture, and a proposed outline of the experiment make it an ideal addition to the archives of experiments in undergraduate engineering programs.

I- INTRODUCTION Laboratory experimentation is a critical final link for a thorough understanding and appreciation of scientific and engineering theories. Every possible effort should be made not to deprive the future engineers or educators from this vital component of their education [1]. It is therefore necessary to continue development of effective and efficient pedagogical methods and techniques for the engineering laboratory experience [2].

Laboratory apparatus is generally expensive due to low production levels, specialized features and significantly higher Design Costs built into the final cost. For example, the range of cost for a typical educational fatigue testing apparatus is from $28,500 to $32,500. These units are basically adaptations of the R. R. Moore Industrial Fatigue testing devices which cost in excess of $100,000.

Such high costs may lead to lack of vital laboratory apparatus and in turn deprive the engineering students from being sufficiently exposed to important concepts such as verification of the theory through experimentation, interpretation and analysis of data and gaining sufficient background for designing experiments. However, if blueprints of the designs of a (desired) apparatus are available, and on site machining capabilities exists, a major cut may be expected in the final cost. Such designs and blueprints may be generated in-house in collaboration with undergraduate engineering students [3]. The authors hope that the colleagues in other engineering programs would find this effort worthy of potential adaptation in their program.

Proceedings of the 2005 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2005, American Society for Engineering Education

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Sepahpour, B. (2005, June), Low Cycle And Finite Life Fatigue Experiment Paper presented at 2005 Annual Conference, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--14828