Experimental and Numerical Studies on Inelastic Dynamic Behavior of Stainless Steel Elbow Under Harmonic Base Excitation

Abstract

In the present work, inelastic dynamic behavior of a pressurized stainless steel elbow is studied under harmonic base excitation with the emphasis on strain accumulation known as ratcheting. Initially, sine sweep test is carried out on the long radius stainless steel (SS 304L) elbow to evaluate the free vibration characteristics. Then, incremental harmonic base excitation with the first resonant frequency is applied to the elbow till failure and the resulting response is studied. The tested elbow is analyzed using a simplified method and the simulated ratcheting strain is compared with experimental results. The effect of thickness variation in the elbow on strain accumulation is also studied. Levels of base excitation corresponding to different failure criteria are evaluated and the details are provided in the paper.