Energy-analysis of fatigue damage by thermographic technique

The main aims of this paper are to describe the thermographic methodologies currently used in Italy for the rapid evaluation of the fatigue limit and to describe the local energy approach actually under development by the authors. Thermographic methodologies currently used in Italy for the rapid evaluation of the fatigue limit were applied to two stainless steels (AISI 304 atad AISI 409). All the experimental results here obtained are in good agreement with the respective values reported in literature. An experimental programme for the local energy approach is under development: its main characteristic consists in doing, besides the usual thermal measurements made by thermography, mechanical measurements in order to evaluate the mechanical energy locally dissipated inside the material. This experimental research is part of an interuniversity research programme and it is made on stainless steel (AISI 304) notched specimens.