Welding residual stress effects on fatigue life of hydraulic support top beam
摘要
This study examines the early failure of welds in hydraulic support top beams subjected to cyclic loading. By integrating welding and fatigue life theory, we examine the impact of welding residual stress on fatigue performance using a hybrid simulation and experimental methodology. A simulation of the welding process, based on real-world methods, is conducted to determine the residual stress distribution in the upper beam. Secondly, operational load data for the support column and balancing jack are acquired using subterranean measurements. This data is included in a spatial mechanical model to ascertain the precise load spectrum for the upper beam. A fatigue life simulation is performed by integrating the load spectrum with residual stress data and utilizing the rain-flow counting method, treating residual stress as a beginning condition. The suggested model’s reliability is ultimately proven using compressive testing. The findings indicate that the residual stress from welding is predominantly localized at the weld and clamping positions of each structural component. The welding residual stress influences the stress distribution of the hydraulic support’s top beam; the stress range under load with welding residual stress of the top beam (40–825 MPa) is significantly larger than the stress range under load without welding residual stress (5–549 MPa). The static loading test gathers and processes data from each measurement location. The comparison reveals that the simulated results, following the application of welding residual stress, correspond more accurately with the measured values. The cyclic loading test indicates that point 2 cracks after 34,000 load cycles, designating it as the initial failure point, in alignment with the failure sequence of the simulation results. The error rate for experimental and simulation failures is 3.39%, which is within an acceptable margin of error. The residual stress resulting from welding substantially influences the stress and fatigue lifespan of the upper beam. Therefore, the simulation must consider the influence of welding residual stress. The contrast between the test and simulation adequately illustrates the model’s reliability.