Study on Dynamic Strength Evaluation Method of Mechanical Members Based on Energy Balance

In Japan, mechanical structures installed in nuclear power plants, such as piping and equipment, are usually designed statically in an elastic region. Although these mechanical structures have sufficient seismic safety margin, understanding the ultimate fatigue endurance is very important in order to improve the seismic safety reliability for unexpected severe earthquakes. Moreover, clarifying a margin of seismic resistance of mechanical structures that suffered a severe earthquake is being required. In this study, the energy balance equation that is one of valid methods for structural calculation is applied to the above-mentioned issues. The main feature of the energy balance equation is that it explains accumulated information of motion. Therefore the energy balance is adequate for the investigation of the influence of cumulative load such as seismic response. The investigation is implemented by forced vibration experiments. The experiment models are simple single–degree-of-freedom models that are made of stainless steel and carbon steel. In the experiment, random waves having predominant frequency similar to natural frequency of the experimental model are input in order to obtain adequate response not only in the elastic region but also in the plastic region. As a result, experimental models vibrate under resonance condition, so response acceleration is approximately seven times as big as the input. The excitation is continued until the experimental models fracture, and is carried out with various input levels. In the experiment, models suffered cracks at the bottom end, and fractured finally. As a result, input energy for failure increases as time for failure. In other words, more input energy for failure is needed in case of small input. Moreover the correlation between increment in input energy and input energy for failure is investigated. It was confirmed that input energy for failure is inversely proportional to increment in input energy per unit time. Additionally energy for failure of stainless steel is about twice as big as carbon steel. The correlation between fatigue failure and energy is confirmed from the vibration experiment. Therefore it is expected that time for fatigue failure can be evaluated by the energy balance equation.