Efficient fatigue testing of tubular joints
Tubular joints are intensively used in off-shore structures for shallow waters. Depending on the sea conditions and the type of structure, the design can be fatigue driven. This is particularly the case for off-shore wind turbines, where turbulences are generating a fatigue loading. Any improvement...
Published in: | Volume 4: Materials Technology |
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Main Authors: | , , , , , |
Format: | Conference Object |
Language: | English |
Published: |
ASME
2015
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7022778 http://hdl.handle.net/1854/LU-7022778 https://doi.org/10.1115/OMAE2015-41740 https://biblio.ugent.be/publication/7022778/file/7022779 |
Summary: | Tubular joints are intensively used in off-shore structures for shallow waters. Depending on the sea conditions and the type of structure, the design can be fatigue driven. This is particularly the case for off-shore wind turbines, where turbulences are generating a fatigue loading. Any improvement of the fatigue performance of the tubular joint would be beneficial to reduce the weight and the cost of the structure. To assess efficiently the fatigue resistance of the tubular joint, a testing method has been developed based on the resonance principle. The complete circumference of the welded joint can be loaded, successively in the in-plane and out-of-plane modes at a frequency close to 20hz. Finite element computations were used to investigate the feasibility of the concept. Then, an X-node was made and successfully tested to investigate the stress distribution along the weld. The experimental results were compared with finite element computations, giving a good agreement. |
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