Investigation of Residual Stress Development During Swage Autofrettage, Using Finite Element Analysis

Abstract

Swaging is one method of autofrettage, a means of prestressing highpressure vessels to increase their fatigue lives and load bearing capacity. Swaging achieves the required deformation through physical interference between an oversized mandrel and the bore diameter of the tube, as it is pushed through the tube. A finite element model of the swaging process was developed, in ansys, and systematically refined, to investigate the mechanism of deformation and subsequent development of residual stresses. A parametric study was undertaken, of various properties such as mandrel slope angle, parallel section length, and friction coefficient. It is observed that the axial stress plays a crucial role in the determination of the residual hoop stress and reverse yielding. The model, and results obtained from it, provides a means of understanding the swaging process and how it responds to different parameters. This understanding, coupled with future improvements to the model, potentially allows the swaging process to be refined, in terms of residual stresses development and mandrel driving force.