Patent ID: 6704664
Filing Date: 2004-03-09
Classification: G01N,G06F

Abstract:
A method for determining the sensitivity of the fatigue life of a structural component with respect to specific design parameters comprising:obtaining an stress profile for a structural component under random excitation; establishing a relationship between the stress profile and the fatigue life of the structural component by creating an analytical representation of the structural component to identify areas of the structural component most suseptible to fatigue damage and to predict the fatigue life of the structural component; developing the sensitivity of the fatigue life with respect to the specific design parameters to determine which design parameter has the most significant impact upon the fatigue life of the component; and calculating a frequency response equation for a power spectral density response and using the frequency response equation and the power spectral density response to identify high stress levels in the structural component to identify areas of the structural component most susceptible to fatigue damage.