Residual Stress Measurements in an Autofrettage Tube Using Hole Drilling Method

Relieved strains due to drilling hole in a ring sample cut from an autofrettage cylinder are measured. Measured strains are then transformed to residual stresses using calibration constants and mathematical relations of elasticity based on ASTM standard recommendations (American Society for Testing and Materials, ASTM E 837-08, 2008, “Standard Test Method for Determining Residual Stresses by the Hole-Drilling Strain-Gage Method,” American Society for Testing and Materials). The hydraulic autofrettage is pressurizing a closed-end long cylinder beyond its elastic limits and subsequently removing the pressure. In contrast to three-dimensional stress state in the autofrettage tube, the stress measurement in hole drilling method is performed on a traction free surface formed from cutting the ring sample. The process of cutting the ring sample from a long autofrettaged tube is simulated using finite element method (FEM) and the redistribution of the residual stress due to the cut is discussed. Hence, transformation of the hole drilling measurements on the ring slice to the autofrettage residual stresses is revealed. The residual stresses are also predicted by variable material properties (VMP) method (Jahed, H., and Dubey, R. N., 1997, “An Axisymmetric Method of Elastic-Plastic Analysis Capable of Predicting Residual Stress Field,” Trans. ASME J. Pressure Vessel Technol., 119, pp. 264–273) using real loading and unloading behavior of the test material. Prediction results for residual hoop stress agree very well with the measurements. However, radial stress predictions are less than measured values particularly in the middle of the ring. To remove the discrepancy in radial residual stresses, the measured residual hoop stress that shows a self-balanced distribution was taken as the basis for calculating residual radial stresses using field equations of elasticity. The obtained residual stresses were improved a lot and were in good agreement with the VMP solution.