Fatigue strength of USP treated ASTM CA6NM for hydraulic turbine runner

Abstract

In order to investigate the effect of an ultrasonic shot peening (USP) treatment on the fatigue characteristics of structural materials for hydroelectric facilities, plane bending fatigue tests were carried out using USP treated ASTM CA6NM stainless cast steel. The results showed that the fatigue limit of the USP material was approximately 60% higher than that of the untreated material. Haigh's diagram evaluation suggested that an increase in crack initiation resistance associated with the high hardness and compressive residual stress by USP treatment was the main reason for the improvement in fatigue strength. Furthermore, the simulation of fatigue crack propagation implied that compressive residual stress leads to a low crack propagation rate compared with the untreated material. Consequently, it is clear that the USP treatment is an effective process for improving the fatigue properties of CA6NM.