Fracture Mechanics Evaluation of Fatigue Tests Using Shinkansen Vehicle Axles
with Artificial Flaws on Their Wheelseats
Hiromichi ISHIZUKA, Makoto AKAMA, Tatsusada HANAOKA, Yasuo SATOH,
Hiromi MOTOMATSU, Kazuhiko TEZUKA
The purpose of the fatige test is to evaluate the nonpropagating depth limit
of fretting fatigue cracks that can be initiated at the inner end of the wheelseat
of a Shinkansen vehicle axle by linear elastic facture mechanics. The difference in
crack growth behavior of artificial flaws created on the gear-side wheelseat and the
counter-gear-side wheelseat can be explained by the stress intensity factor range
Delta Kr. Delta Kr is calculated using the weight function method from the residual stress
distribution at the wheelseat and FEM analysis on the initiated stress distribution
during the fatigue test.