Fatigue Failure and Damage Analysis of an Anti-roll Bar Subjected to Fatigue Experiments

Abstract

The available fatigue theories have been examined using simple specimens subjected to bending or tension-compression loads. Therefore, the stress fields have been generally one or two dimensional. Anti-roll bar is a component belongs to the suspension system of the vehicles. In spite of having simple circular section, due to the having several curvatures, this component experiences a three-dimensional stress field. This component is usually under alternating bending and torsion loads and the fatigue phenomenon is the main cause of its breakage and failure. In the present paper, employing the finite element method and the prepared computer code, the accumulated fatigue damage analysis of the mentioned component is accomplished based on the modified version of the well-known critical plane- type theories for three-dimensional stress fields. Results of the proposed theories are compared with the experimental fatigue results.