Reliability Estimation of Transport Means Elements Under the Action of Cyclic Loads and Corrosive Environment

Abstract

The approach for determining the residual life of the vehicles’ thin-walled metal elements with cracks under the action of cyclic loads and corrosive environment is developed based on the first law of thermodynamics and the fracture mechanics principles. Based on the results of the mathematical description of electrochemical reactions and separate data of fracture mechanics, the equation describing the kinetics of the corrosion-fatigue cracks propagation is deduced. This equation and the initial and final conditions are a mathematical model for determining the residual life of structural elements. The correctness of the developed analytical models is confirmed by the experimental data known in the literature. The performance of this model is demonstrated on the example of determining the residual life of a plate made of 17G1S steel. The plate was diluted by a crack in a 3% NaCl solution and subjected to cyclic loading. An increase in the initial size of corrosion-fatigue cracks is significant to reduce the period of their subcritical growth.