MULTIAXIAL RAINFLOW

A Consequent Continuation of Professor Tatsuo Endo's Work

A. Beste*, K. DreMer***, H. Kotzle**, W. Kriiger***,

B. Maier**, J. Petersen*
* AUDI AG, ** MERCEDES BENZ AG, *** TECMATH GmbH

Abstract: We present a new fatigue analysis data

reduction concept for general multidimensional
time series. The method is based on the Rainflow
method, the most successful one-dimensional
counting algorithm.
Keywords: Data-reduction, multiaxial fatigue,
Rainflow, non-proportinal loading

1. INTRODUCTION

We are convinced that there is no doubt, especially not in this conference, that
Professor Endo's Rainflow concept has been proven to be the most useful data
reduction concept in fatigue analysis. Therefore the Rainflow method is the
best base to approach the most severe shortcomings of all common counting
methods for time series, namely
the loss of real time information and
the restriction to the isolated analysis of each time-series by itself
(no correlation).
The first point is completely solved by the TECMATH-Rainflow-with-time
counting and reconstruction algorithm [3].
Of course, the second issue is much harder, since it needs a completely new
data-reduction concept. The object of analysis is no more a single time-series,
but a multidimensional non-proportional signal like that of figure 1:

31
 Y(t)
2
*

Figure 1

Possible reconstructions by an uncoupled Rainflow reconstruction could be as

bad as the following:

V,(t)
Y,A

Figure 2

To overcome those problems TECMATH, in cooperation with AUDI and

MERCEDES-BENZ, developped a Multiaxial-Rainflow-concept, which
retains all the advantages of the known 1-d Rainflow method and, in addition,
includes a great deal of information on the correlation between the signals.
Before we describe some aspects of the method let us clarify our aims:

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2. DATA-REDUCTION IN FATIGUE - WHY AND HOW?

There are three practical reasons to deal with data-reduction methods in fatigue
analysis:
Storage reduction - The most obvious, but not the most important
point.
Monitoring - Concentration on the relevant information, throwing out
information, which is not relevant with respect to fatigue, is the main
virtue of a data-reduction scheme.
Manipulation - A good data-reduction concept should allow
reconstruction with natural concepts for
Superposition,
Extrapolation and
Time-lapse.
The good properties of the 1-d Rainflow method with respect to monitoring
and manipulation are well known and understood (see [4],[5]). There is
TECMATH software for a whole Rainflow-based testing concept, which is in
use, e.g. at AUDI and MERCEDES-BENZ. Of course, we would like a
multiaxial data-reduction method to have similar good monitoring and
manipulation properties.

A serious approach to such a multiaxial generalization of Rainflow has to

include both a general consideration of the fatigue-relevant material
properties,such as
- Masing/memory
- general material memory coding / hysteresis
and more abstract mathematical investigations of
- non-linear elasticity with hysteresis operators
- axiomatic data reduction.
Considering all those points our investigations lead to a dimensionless abstract
generalization of one-dimensional Rainflow: The oszillation concept
Before describing this general concept in section 3.2 we prefer to present the
RiaD-method as a more practically oriented special variant.

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3. MULTIAXIAL RAINFLOW

3.1 The Rainflow-in-all-Directions Concept (RiaD)

We now analyze various signals Y (t),..., Y (t) simultaniously, i.e. we really

look at a d-dimensional process
t -* Y(t) = (Y1(t)f...rYd(t))

instead of d one-dimensional ones.

The d signals may be thought of either as load components G , G ,... or as
components of the local stress or strain tensor a^ ,£y, resp.,at a critical point.

G.(t)
a
ij-eii 4
►

Y\
GjCt)

G 2 (t)
1 G 3 (t)

Figure 3

There are many possibilities to combine our methods with detailed non-
proportional fatigue evaluations like the approach of [2] (see also [1]).
The idea now is to not only count Y , ..., Y Rainflow, but examine all linear
(and possibly some non-linear) combinations, i.e. all signals of the form

Ya(t)= <a,Y(t)> = £ a Y(t).

j= i

This means that we count not only in coordinate directions, but in all (or at
least in many) directions.
To see how powerful this approach is, assume for a moment that (in a local
situation) the stress tensor at the critical point x is a linear function of the loads

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G 1 ,...,G d ,i.e.

oij(t,x)= J aky(x)Gk(t).
k=l
Then a Rainflow-in-all-directions (RiaD) counting and reconstruction of
G , ..., G, gives correct reconstructions (w.r.t. Rainflow) of the a.., even
without explicitly knowing the coefficients ak..(x).

A simple example shows that the problem discussed in the introduction (see
figures 1 and 2) can be overcome by looking at just two additional directions,
e.g. Y +Y and Y -Y . So, in addition to the "cartesian coordinate classes"
we count in "diagonal classes":

<B a) ) €

U i
vP ! rjS
:di)y
di
d c b!; &j
v? :
hy
Y2f

(|Mf\^\4

Yi+Y2 / Yi-Y2\
Figure 4

Now the undesired reconstruction discussed in the introduction (figure 2) is no

more allowed, since its (Y +Y ) and (Y -Y ) counting are not the same as in
the original.
Cleary the use of RiaD is limited to the monitoring part unless there is a
theoretically clean reconstruction concept. The reconstruction problem is by
orders of magnitude harder than the one-dimensional Rainflow reconstruction,
because the strong correlation between the varions directions has to be handled.

35
However, as indicated in section 2 we succeeded in constructing a general data-
reduction concept, independent of dimensions, including both 1-d Rainflow and
RiaD. This more abstract view makes theoretical investigations easier and
finally leads to a successful reconstruction scheme:

3.2 The Oscillation Concept

This is a general counting concept for "continuous" curves Y with values in

some structured set A, e.g. t -> Y(t) E A .

Now for any pair (A,B) of disjoint subjects of A we define

Osc (A,B) = the number of switches of Y between A and B

= 3 in our picture.

Every choice of A and of a set M E P(A) X P(A) of admissable pairs of

subsets (A,B) defines a data-reduction method, the (A,M)-Oscillation method
(up to some technical details to include a kind of residual information).
The connection of the Oscillation concept to Rainflow and RiaD is given by the
following propositions:

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Proposition 1:
Let A = {1,...,N} and let M consist of all pairs of the form (A.,B.) =
({l,...,i},{j,...,N}), i < j . Then the corresponding (A,M)-Oscillation method
is equivalent to the 1-d symmetric Rainflow method.

Idea of the proof: OscY(A.,B.) = 2 £ RFMY(k,m)

k<i<j<m

+residuum half-cycles containing [i,j]

Proposition 2:
For each finite (> d) set of directions and each choice of classes in each of
those directions the corresponding Rainflow-in-many-directions (discrete RiaD)
counting is equivalent to some special Oscillation method (with special A and
M).

The resulting structure of A is generally that of a more or less complicated

2 2
graph. For example, dividing [0,4] G R in 4 classes in each of 4 directions
leads to the so-called RP243-structure:

Figure 6: Domain decomposition and graph of the RP243-scheme

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4. RESULTS

Using both general theoretical properties of the Oscillation concept and specific
features of the RiaD method we succeeded in developping a general
reconstruction algorithm for multiaxial Rainflow methods. That algorithm
contains the optimal 1-d Rainflow reconstruction (producing an equidistribution
of all possible reconstructions, compare [5]) as a special case. However, in the
general multiaxial situation it is by far more complicated. The needs on
computer capacity are much higher than in the 1-d case and strongly depending
on the number and arrangement of directions and the resulting graph-structure
of A. For example, a successful structure in a 3-d, 7-direction situation is a
grid consisting of cubes and decaoktahedra. This is the base for the so-called
RP373-algorithm. The name comes out of a systematic classification of
structures up to a certain complexity (details are explained in [6]).
The monitoring possibilities created by a multiaxial analysis are tremendous.
Given three load or stress components, one can not only examine their
Rainflow matrices (in more or less arbitrarily chosen coordinate directions) but
also the Rainflow matrices of all other directions. This makes monitoring
independent of the coordinate system and thus provides the optimal tool for
detecting critical planes.
For example, looking at the following x,y,z-pivot-pin-data (AUDI test),

Original Time Signal X —Y-Z

2.5A
0 5J

2.5 J
0 5J

2.5 -j -

1 500 1000 1550

Time

Figure 7

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we observe a special direction (-x-y+z) in which almost nothing happens. An
uncoupled Rainflow counting of x, y and z each for itself would completely
destroy this effect and lead to unrealistic fatigue on the test-stand. On the other
hand, the RP373 algorithm detects and reconstructs that special behaviour
automatically within its multiaxial reconstruction:

Regarding the manipulation properties there is still much work in progress:

The superposition is as easy as in 1-d. The time-lapse problem is also
completely settled, even though it is significantly more complicated than
"omission" in 1-d. This is due to the fact that small oscillations in one direction
may be necessary to perform bigger oscillations in another direction. The
extrapolation problem, which is already not so easy in 1-d, is not yet
completely solved, however, we are working on it.

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References

[1] Bannantine, J.A. and Socie, D.F. "A Variable Amplitude Multiaxial Fatigue Life
Prediction Method", Third Int. Conf. on Biaxial/Multiaxial Fatigue, p. 12.1-12.20,
Stuttgart 1989

[2] Hoffmann, M., Amstutz, H., Seeger, T. "Local Strain Approach in

Nonproportional Loading", Third Int. Conf. on Biaxial/Multiaxial Fatigue, p. 55.1-
55.20, Stuttgart 1989

[3] Keul, M. "Math. Modelle fur das Zeitverhalten stoch.

Beanspruchungszeitfunktionen", TECMATH report and report No 12 AGTM,
Universitat Kaiserslautern 1986

[4] Kriiger, W. and Petersen, J. "Verfahren zur Ermittlung von Bemessungsbeanspr. im

Automobilbau", 14th DVM conference on fatigue, p. 33-47, Russelsheim 1988

[5] Kriiger, W., Scheutzow, M., Beste, A., Petersen, J. "Markov- und
Rainflowrekonstr. stoch. Beanspruchungszeitfunktionen, VDI-report. series 18, No
22 (1985)

[6] Carmine, R., Dressier, K., Scheutzow, M. et a/.:TECMATH 1st and 2nd and 3rd
internal research report on multiaxial Rainflow, Kaiserslautern 1989 , 1990 and 1991

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