Int d Fatigue 13 No 6 (1991) pp 465-469

A modified rainflow counting

method
Nie H o n g

The rainflow counting method is commonly recognized to be a good cyclic counting

method in fatigue life prediction and for testing engineering components and
structures, However, it has some shortcomings, which are pointed out in this paper
in connection with the analysis of the stress-strain response. A modified rainflow
counting method is presented. Case studies show that all the cycles really existing
in the stress-strain response that cannot be counted by the rainflow counting method
can be counted by the modified rainflow counting method. So it can be said that
the modified rainflow counting method is a more reasonable cycling counting method
than the traditional rainflow counting method.

Key words: cyclic counting; stress-strain response

There are many cyclic counting methods used for the statistical
treatment of fatigue load spectra. The reasonableness of these
methods can be investigated by stress-strain response analyses,
in which the memory characteristics of the material are
considered, t-3 The rainflow counting method (RCM) has
been widely used for many years. It was designed to count
cycles (consisting of a pair of reversals) or half-cycles
(reversals) in accordance with the stress-strain response of
0 . ~
the material. However the RCM is not perfect. A simple
strain-time history along with its corresponding stress-strain
response is shown in Fig. 1, in which the typical memory
characteristics of materials are considered. No cycles, except
for four half-cycles o-a, a-b, b-c, c-d, are counted by the
RCM. However, in fact, a-b-a' should be a cycle according
to its stress-strain response.
A further analysis is demonstrated in Fig. 2 from which
we can find the following. A
t) For the history in Fig. 2(a) al-bl-a~ should be a cycle
=.:I/~~ c
that can be counted by the RCM.
2) For the histories in Figs 2(b) and (c), b3 is a symmetric
point of al about point o (ie the absolute value of b3
is equal to the absolute value of at), and b2 is less w

negative than b3. Therefore al-b2-a~ and at-b3-a~ o f J d Stroin

3)
should be cycles that cannot be counted by the RCM.
For the history in Fig. 2(d), b, is more negative than
b3. Therefore al-b4-a~ should not form a cycle and it
cannot be counted by the RCM.
The RCM does not give the correct counting result for
histories such as those shown in Figs 2(b) and (c). So it is
not perfect.
The shortcomings of the RCM may be compensated for
when a history is rearranged to begin and end with the
maximum peak or the minimum valley. For example, the
history shown in Fig. l(a) may be rearranged as in Fig. 3,
beginning and ending with peak c. The paths o-a-o' and c-
b-c' are counted as two cycles. Obviously this does not agree
with the actual situation shown in Fig. l(b). This method
b
,¢ /
Fig. 1 A simple strain-time history with its corresponding
stress-strain response
may be used in the second phase counting treatment for a
remanent history, which is discussed later.
The RCM was even improved in Refs 4 and 5, in which
the shortcomings shown in Fig. 2(b) and (c) can be overcome.
However, new problems are introduced. For instance, in Fig.
2(d), al-b4-a~ is not a cycle that will be counted as a cycle
by the rainflow counting algorithms presented in Refs 4 or

0142-1123/91/060465-05 (~ 1991 Butterworth-Heinemann Ltd

Int J Fatigue November 1991 465
 CI CI
-- OI Cl
Oi OI

/ "hi
O ~ Time "~ b° ; o

- V "°'

L_
A /1'
Fig. 2

stress peaks and valleys are imagined to be a series of pagoda

I C C* roofs. Several rules are imposed on rain dripping down these
roofs so that cycles and half-cycles can be counted. Rainflow
begins successively at the inside of each stress peak or valley,
and every part of the history is counted once and only once.
The rainflow initiating at each peak or valley is allowed
°m
O to drip down and continue except for the following circum-
dr. stances:
U~

1) if it initiates in a valley it must stop when it comes

, Time
Fig. 3 A possible rearrangement of the history shown in Fig.
l(a)
5. Another example is shown in Fig. 4. The path b-c-b'
should be a cycle rather than a-b-E, which is counted by the
algorithms in Refs 4 and 5.
A modified rainflow counting method
In order to improve the RCM a modified rainflow counting
method (MRCM) is presented here, and its rules are described
as follows (referring to Fig. 5).
The strain/stress-time history is plotted so that the time
axis is vertically downward, and the lines connecting the
opposite a valley more negative than the valley from
which it initiated, and the absolute value of the valley
that it comes opposite is greater than the absolute
value of the last peak that it has just gone down;
2) if it initiates at a peak it must stop when it comes
opposite a peak more positive than the peak from
which it initiated, and the absolute value of the peak
that it comes opposite is greater than the absolute
value of the last valley that it has just gone down;
3) the rainflow must stop if it meets the rain from a roof
above.
The wave mark demonstrates the difference of the MRCM
from the RCM.
For example, referring to Fig. 5, when the rainflow that
initiates at valley o comes opposite valley b it is allowed to
drip down and continue. This is because the absolute value
of valley b is not greater than the absolute value of peak a
though valley b is more negative than valley o. When the
r~inflow that initiates at valley d comes opposite valley f it

466 Int J F a t i g u e N o v e m b e r 1991

 Strain
0
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ig

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1:
Time" i I
t.
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d bib')
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Fig. 4 Time

Fig. 5 Rules of the modified rainflow counting method

will stop. This is because not only is valley f more negative

than valley d, but also the absolute value of valley f is greater
than the absolute value of peak e. When the rainflow that
initiates at peak a comes opposite peak c, it stops. This is not
only because peak c is more positive than peak a, but also
because the absolute value of peak c is greater than that of
valley b. When the rainflow that initiates at peak c comes
opposite peak e it is allowed to drip down and continue. This
is because the absolute value of peak e is not greater than the im
absolute value of valley d though peak e is more positive than
peak c.

The second-phase counting method for

remanent histories Fig. 6

After a strain/stress-time history is filtered by the MRCM,

by which cycles are counted, the divergent-convergent history
is a remanent part, see Fig. 6. The convergent component is
arbitrary, but the divergent component is absolute. This
means that in the divergent component the absolute value of -- oI o~'+2

a peak (or valley) must be greater than not only the absolute
values of preceding peaks (or valleys), but also those of
preceding valleys (or peaks), which is the difference between
calculating the remanent parts by the MRCM and the RCM.
Oi oi.Z
From the fatigue damage calculation or test point of view -- oi÷ ~
we may consider a remanent history as containing a series of a
half-cycles or cycles made up by the second-phase counting b
methods. One of the second-phase methods is mentioned Fig. 7

Int J Fatigue November 1991 467

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above, in which a remanent history is rearranged to begin
and end with the maximum peak or the minimum valley.
When filtered by the MRCM once again the rearranged
remanent history may make up a series of cycles.
obtained by the MRCM are in good agreement with those
found by the stress-strain response.
Conclusions

The MRCM in p r o g r a m m e form The studies show that there are some shortcomings in the
traditional rainflow counting method, which cannot count all
Using a programme for the history, the MRCM is executed the cycles really existing in the stress-strain response. Some
according to the following rules; refer to Fig. 7. algorithms presented in the past to improve the situation are
For the case shown in Fig. 7(a), if also not perfect. The modified rainflow counting method
(i) ai+3~ai+l presented in this paper is a more reasonable counting method
(ii) a;+2~a; or la;+,l~la;+2 I than those. We can obtain all the cycles that correspond to
cycle = a;+ t-ai+u-a~i+ 1 the closed hysteresis loops in the stress-strain response using
strain range = ABS(a/+2-ai+l) the rainflow counting method.
mean strata = (ai+l+ai+2)/2
discard points ai+l, ai+ 2
References
For the case shown in Fig. 7(b), if
1. Fuchs, H.O. and Stephens, R.I. Met Fatigue Eng (Wiley,
(i) ai+3~ai+l New York, 1980) pp 196-203
(ii) a,+2~a, or la;+,l~la,+21 2. Brose, W.R. 'Fatigue life prediction for a notched plate
cycle = ai+ 1-ai+ 2- a i+ 1 with analysis of mean stress and overstrain effects'
strain range = ABS(ai+2-ai+l) Fatigue Complex Loading, Anal Exp 6 (1977) pp 55-84
mean strata = (ai+l +ai+2)/2 3. Dowling, N.E. 'Fatigue failure prediction for complicated
discard points a;+l, ai+2 stress-strain history' Mater J 7 1 (1972) pp 71-87
4. Glinka, G. and Kam, J.C.P. 'Rainflow counting algorithm
The procedure of the MRCM is illustrated step by step for very long stress history' Int J Fatigue 9 3 (1987) pp
in Fig. 8, in which the history is the same as that in Fig. 5. 223-228
The remanent history filtered is shown in Fig. 8(d). Before 5. Dowling, S. and Socie, D.F. 'Simple rainflow counting
the second-phase cycle counting, the remanent history may algorithms' Int J Fatigue 4 1 (1982) pp 31-40
be rearranged as shown in Fig. 9. Using the MRCM for cycle
counting once again to the rearranged remanent, three cycles
Author
all-ao-a~l, alo-a3-a;o and aT-a6-a~ can be constructed.
The corresponding stress-strain response is shown in Nie Hong is with the Aircraft Engineering Department,
Fig. 10. It shows three closed hysteresis loops, A comparison Nanjing Aeronautical Institute, 210016, People's Republic of
of Fig. 8 with Fig. 10 indicates that the cycle counting results China.

Int J Fatigue November 1991 469