A SIMULATION OF THE FATIGUE CRACK PROCESS IN TYPE 304 STAINLESS STEEL AT 538°C

— Quantitative information, such as the initiation period, growth and coalescence behaviour, statistical distributions of crack length, density of cracks, distribution patterns and crack growth properties, were obtained from fatigue tests on type 304 stainless steel at 538°C in a previous study. Using this information as input data and a condition for the connection and interactions of cracks, a statistical simulation and life prediction due to the high temperature fatigue crack growth process was performed and illustrated as output on a two-dimensional graphical display.