Patent Document ID: 20140067285
Application ID: 13985680
Patent Flag: 0

Claim One:
1. A method for predicting the time of mechanical failure of a composite material, wherein the composite material is solid-state and inhomogeneous; wherein the composite material is subject to cyclic loading; and wherein said method comprises the following steps: (a) measuring the temperature of the surface of the composite material, in the vicinity of the location of incipient mechanical failure, using a temperature sensor; (b) approximating the accumulated volumetric entropy production γ in the vicinity of the location of incipient mechanical failure of the composite material, using a processor to approximate the numerical value of γ, using a relationship that is equivalent to: γ = ∫ 0 t ′ ( w T + e d T )  t wherein t denotes the time, t′ denotes the particular time for which γ is being determined, T denotes the temperature of the surface of the composite material in the vicinity of the location of incipient mechanical failure, w denotes the rate of volumetric work of permanent deformation for the composite material, and e d denotes the damage energy; (c) predicting the time of mechanical failure of the composite material when a processor determines that γ is approaching the value of γ f , or is approaching a user-specified fraction of the value of γ f , wherein γ f denotes the mean volumetric fracture fatigue entropy for the composite material.