Fracture Determination Method for Metal Structures

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional methods for determining fracture risk in metal structures during deformation, such as in automotive collision or press forming, struggle to accurately assess the risk when the structure transitions from a plastic to an elastic state, leading to inaccurate fracture predictions.

Innovation Solution

A fracture determination method and apparatus that simulate deformation sequences using finite element methods, allowing for accurate fracture risk assessment by extracting and analyzing deformation states at arbitrary steps, including those where the structure returns from a plastic to an elastic state, using stress and strain calculations to determine fracture limits and risks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If conventional fracture prediction methods are used, then fracture risk can be evaluated in simple deformation cases, but accurate fracture determination becomes difficult when the metal structure returns from plastic state to elastic state

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefracture risk evaluation accuracyVSAvoidapplicability to complex deformation paths
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The invention changes the evaluation parameter from stress-based criteria to plastic strain-based criteria. By using equivalent plastic strain as the fracture evaluation parameter and comparing it with the formation limit diagram, the method remains accurate whether the material is in elastic or plastic state, and regardless of deformation path complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention performs preliminary calculation of the formation limit diagram based on material properties before the actual fracture evaluation. This pre-computed limit diagram serves as a reference for comparing equivalent plastic strain at any deformation stage, enabling accurate fracture risk assessment without recalculating complex stress states.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of manufacture

If stress-based fracture criteria are used, then fracture limit can be determined in proportional deformation, but the method becomes complicated when deformation path changes

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesimplicity of fracture evaluationVSAvoidfracture prediction reliability
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The invention transitions from stress-based parameters to strain-based parameters for fracture evaluation. The equivalent plastic strain accumulates along the deformation path and can be directly compared with the formation limit diagram, providing both simplicity and reliability regardless of whether the deformation path is proportional or non-proportional.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The invention creates a formation limit diagram that represents the material's fracture boundary in strain space. This diagram serves as a universal reference that can be applied to any deformation scenario, eliminating the need to recalculate fracture limits for different deformation paths.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Measurement precision

If conventional methods evaluate fracture margin by distance to non-proportional formation limit value, then fracture risk can be assessed, but the calculation becomes complicated and time-consuming

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvefracture risk quantificationVSAvoidcalculation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The formation limit diagram is pre-calculated based on material properties before any specific deformation analysis. This diagram contains all necessary fracture limit information for different strain paths, allowing rapid comparison with actual equivalent plastic strain during deformation without time-consuming recalculations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

By using equivalent plastic strain as the evaluation parameter instead of stress components, the invention simplifies the fracture assessment to a single scalar comparison against the formation limit diagram, dramatically improving calculation efficiency while maintaining accuracy.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentEP3023764B1Fracture determination method, fracture determination apparatus, program, and computer readable recording medium
Publication Date: 2017.05.31 NIPPON STEEL & SUMITOMO METAL CORP
  • EP3023764B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3023764B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3023764B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A fracture determination method for determining a fracture of a metal structure includes: a deformation analyzing step of performing deformation analysis from start of deformation to end of deformation of the metal structure; and a fracture determination step of extracting a fracture determination target portion from a deformation state of the metal structure obtained in the deformation analyzing step, and when the extracted fracture determination target portion has returned from a plastic state to an elastic state, given that a stress when the portion returned to the elastic state is (x, y) = (σ2, σ1) (maximum principal stress: σ1, minimum principal stress: σ2) on a (x, y) coordinate plane and performing fracture determination of the fracture determination target portion using a re-yield stress determined by an intersection between a straight line satisfying a relation y = (σ1/σ2)x and an yield curve obtained from the plastic state of the fracture determination target portion, and in the fracture determination step, a fracture limit stress determined by an intersection between the straight line satisfying the relation y = (σ1/σ2)x and a fracture limit stress line of the fracture determination target portion is obtained, a fracture limit equivalent plastic strain corresponding to the fracture limit stress and an equivalent plastic strain corresponding to the re-yield stress are obtained using an equivalent stress-equivalent plastic strain curve, and a fracture risk of the fracture determination target portion is calculated using the fracture limit equivalent plastic strain and the equivalent plastic strain. Fracture determination can be performed with high accuracy even when the fracture determination target portion has returned from a plastic state to an elastic state.