Interferometric strain/slope rosette for static and dynamic measurements

The interferometric strain/slope rosette (ISSR) is extended from the interferometric strain gage (ISG) and the interferometric strain rosette (ISR) for measuring three derivatives of out-of-plane displacements in addition to three derivatives of in-plane displacements. The ISSR can be used for both static and dynamic measurements. The principle of the measurement is a combination of diffraction and interference of laser beams. The miniature ISSR is applicable to complex geometries that are unaccessible to conventional sensors. As six displacement derivatives are measured, components of a strain tensor and rotation can be determined. The principle and image-processing system are described. Sensitivities to rigid-body translations are thoroughly studied. The technique is noncontacting, in contrast to resistance strain gages and accelerometers, which require attachment of transducers to specimen surfaces.     

The interferometric strain gage

The interferometric strain gage consists of two very shallow grooves ruled on a highly polished surface. The grooves are cut with a diamond and are 4×10^?5 in. deep and 5×10^?3 in. apart. Coherent, monochromatic light from a He?Ne gas laser incident upon these grooves will produce fringe patterns. A fringe pattern with the fringes parallel to the grooves is formed on each side of the impinging beam. The position of these patterns in space is related to the distance between the two grooves. As this distance changes, the fringes shift. Measurement of these fringe shifts enables one to determine the local strain of the specimen. In this paper, the theory of the measurement is developed first. The strain, ∈, is given by ∈=ΔFλ/d _o sin α _o where ΔF is the average fringe shift of the two patterns, λ is the wavelength of light,d _o is the initial distance between grooves, and α _o is the angle between the incident light beam and the fringe patterns. A procedure for making static measurements with the interferometric strain gage is presented. The sensitivity for these measurements is 0.5 percent strain per fringe shift, and the maximum strain is 4 percent. The method is evaluated by comparing its results with other accepted means of measuring large plastic strain. These other techniques are: post-yield foil gages, a 2-in. clip gage, and an Instron testing machine. The average percent difference among these techniques is less than 0.4 percent based on a full-scale measurement of 4-percent strain. The interferometric strain gage has the following features: a gage integral with the specimen surface, a very short gage length, relatively easy application, and the ability to measure large strains.     

Dynamic plastic response of foil gages

Little research has been devoted to the accuracy of the response of resistance strain gages to dynamic plastic strain because of the lack of an easy-to-use comparative strain-measuring technique. The dynamic interferometric strain gage provides a suitable standard of comparison. Foil-gage response is compared directly with interferometric strain-gage response in a longitudinal-impact experiment. The accuracy of the foil gage does not decrease with increasing maximum strain (up to 8 percent). The error in shape of the strain wave does not vary drastically with distance from the point of impact. In contrast to previous work, foil gages are found to be reasonably accurate strain transducers for dynamic plastic strain.     

The interferometric strain rosette technique

An interferometric strain rosette can be used to measure three in-plane strains. The strain rosette consists of three microindentations produced on an object surface. Upon illuminating the indentations with laser light, each pair of indentations acts as a two-point source generating a pair of Young's interference fringe patterns. When the object is deformed, the distance between the indentations is altered. By measuring the change of spacing of the Young's fringes, the strain in the direction of the separation of the indentations is measured. Three indentations are at the vertexes of an equilateral triangle to constitute a strain rosette. Each pair of the microindentations enables measurement of an axial strain in the indentation separation. The rosette measures simultaneously three in-plane strains in the directions of the triangular sides. As three in-plane strains are measured, the in-plane shear and two normal strains can be found. Compared with a resistance strain rosette, the interferometric strain rosette has great features such as non-contacting and a short gage length. In addition, the interferometric strain rosette can measure large elastoplastic strains and is applicable to measurements at elevated temperatures. The theory with experimental evaluation is presented. Measurement sensitivity of the technique is discussed. Potential applications and limitations of the technique are to be described as well.     

On the use of electrical-resistance metallic foil strain gages for measuring large dynamic plastic deformation

The use of electrical-resistance metallic foil strain gages for measuring large plastic strain in dynamic experiments in studied. The maximum nominal strains obtained in this investigation are 35 percent in compression, 25 percent in tension. A linear variation of gage factor with strain is found in this range. The corrected maximum strains are in excellent agreement with permanent strains measured after the tests. Thus foil strain gages can be effectively used to measure the large dynamic plastic strains.     

Attainable accuracy of strain measurements with thum-sevenson-weiss mechanical-inductive strain gages

This paper determines the accuracy that can be attained with the Thum-Svenson-Weiss mechanical-inductive strain-measuring method. After stating advantages and disadvantages of this measuring method, the strain gage, the electrical parts and the calibration equipment are described. The determination of accuracy is based on the laws of statistics considering all the errors as distributed completely at random. The behavior of the electrical parts, of the mechanical parts, of the strain gage and of the calibration equipment are separately investigated. It is evident from these investigations that the strain measurement with the Thum-Svenson-Weiss mechanical-inductive strain gages is one of the most accurate strain-measuring methods to date.     

Small attachable interferometric strain gages

Laser-based interferometry from two tiny reflective indentations can be used to measure in-plane strain/displacement over a very short gage length (on the order of 100 μm). If the specimen material is not reflective, then some other means of generating the interference patterns must be found. This paper describes two kinds of attachable gages: plated acetate replicas of indentations and reflective foils that are indented after application. In either case, the gage is applied with the techniques used for foil-resistance gages and the gage itself is very small. The manufacturing procedures are described. The results of experiments comparing the strain to that measured with foil-resistance gages are presented. Finally, the small interferometric gage is used to measure strain on one of the metal strips in a foil-resistance gage.     

Evaluation of high-elongation foil strain gages for measuring cyclic plastic strains

The behavior of a certain type of high-elongation foil strain gages (l/32-in. gage length) was checked against the indications of a clip-on extensometer under conditions of cyclic plastic strain (strain range 0.5 percent to 2.8 percent). The gages exhibited limited capability of measuring cyclic plastic strains. Transverse and axial strain measurements by means of the gages enabled determination of Poisson's ratio for elastic and plastic conditions. Results are tabulated and discussed.     

A ten-inch extensometer measuring small low-frequency strains

A strain gage is described for the measurement of small low-frequency dynamic strains in concrete structures. It is in the form of a demountable extensometer, and its sensitivity is attained by a combination of mechanical amplification, electronic amplification, the use of semiconductor gages and the adoption of suitable filters. The gage has been successfully used for measuring strain in the range 0.1–5.0 microstrain at about 3 Hz on a 10-in, gage length.     

The diffractographic strain gage

A method for measuring strain using diffraction of light from a single aperture is described, and results of a comparison tensile test with an electrical-resistance strain gage are presented. The “diffractographic strain gage” is shown to have high sensitivity, linearity, accuracy and temperature compensation and the ability to operate in a variety of hostile environments. It is furthermore simple, inexpensive, and the data can be collected by eye without assistance from further instrumentation.     

A Finite Element Analysis of a Tapered Flat Sheet Tensile Specimen

A uniaxial tension sheet metal coupon with a tapered instead of a straight gage section has been used for centering the location of diffuse neck and for measuring sheet stretchability in a non-uniform strain field. A finite element analysis of such a tensile coupon made of automotive steel sheet metals has been carried out to assess the effect of the tapered gage section geometry and material plastic strain hardening characteristics on the development of local plastic deformation pattern and local stress state, especially beyond the onset of diffuse necking but before localized necking. In particular, the finite element analysis was used in this study to evaluate the accuracy and reliability of an experimental data analysis method for estimating the post-necking effective plastic stress-strain curve based on the direct local surface axial plastic strain measurements for base metal, heat-affected zone, and weld metals of a dual-phase steel DP600. It is concluded that the estimated lower and upper bounds of the effective stress-strain curve at large strains are not satisfactory for low strain-hardening materials such as heat-affected zone and weld metals with the tapered tension coupons. A simple correction method utilizing only the additional local surface strain measurement in the transverse direction is proposed and it is shown to be effective in correcting the estimated effective stress-strain curve of dual-phase steel weld metals obtained for two tapered gage section geometries.     

应变片技术在动态力学测量中的应用

本文详细讨论了应变片技术,特别是半导体应变片技术在动态力学测量中的若干技术问题,主要有应变片及起动态应变仪的频率响应问题,应变片灵敏系数的动态标定问题。文章指出,随着数据处理微机化的日益普及,半导体材料所存在的非线性特性及拉压不对称性将不再影响到半导体应变片技术的推广使用。相反地,灵敏系数极高这一优良特性将使该项技术获得日益广泛的应用。     

准静态压缩应力-应变曲线测量方法的探索

本文介绍了用应变片直接测量材料的准静态应力-应变曲线的试验研究。在MTS810材料试验机上分别对93W、G50、砂浆等几种材料进行了准静态压缩试验。由于仪器的系统误差不能由MTSCod规准确的得到材料的真实的弹性变形。为此在试件的中部贴应变片得到材料的弹性变形,塑性变形仍旧由MTSCod规记录,从而得到试样的真实的应变,准确获得准静态压缩应力-应变曲线。试验结果表明:在试件中部贴应变片的方法能够准确得到该材料的杨氏模量;在试件两端垫块的刀口上安置Cod规可得到材料的应力应变曲线。两者的合理组合即可得到准确而完整的准静态压缩应力-应变曲线。试验中还发现准静态实验中试件的断面加工不平,偏心压缩等都会影响E的准确测量。     

In situ determination of adhesive shear moduli using strain gages

A new, convenient and cost-effective method of determining in situ adhesive shear moduli using strain gages is proposed and evaluated. Thick-adherend lap shear specimens with stacked gage rosettes at the center of the bond line are loaded in tension for adhesive shear strain measurement. Experimental and numerical results indicate that the test specimen has a nonuniform adhesive shear stress (or strain) distribution in the test section and that this distribution (except at the center point of the bond line) is greatly affected by load eccentricity. In addition to the nonuniformity in the shear stress distribution, the issue of material nonhomogeneity in the gage-covered region affects the strain gage measurement. By taking into account these two issues and assuming linear-elastic behavior, two approaches for converting the gage-measured shear strain into the adhesive shear strain are developed and verified by experiment. It is shown that the strain gage measurement associated with either of two conversion techniques can determine the in situ adhesive shear moduli, which are comparable with moiré experiment and KRG-1 extensometer measurements.     

A shear-compression specimen for large strain testing

A new specimen geometry, the shear-compression specimen (SCS), has been developed for large strain testing of materials. The specimen consists of a cylinder in which two diametrically opposed slots are machined at 45° with respect to the longitudinal axis, thus forming the test gage section. The specimen was analyzed numerically for two representative material models, and various gage geometries. This study shows that the stress (strain) state in the gage, is three-dimensional rather than simple shear as would be commonly assumed. Yet, the dominant deformation mode in the gage section is shear, and the stresses and strains are rather uniform. Simple relations were developed and assessed to relate the equivalent true stress and equivalent true plastic strain to the applied loads and displacements. The specimen was further validated through experiments carried out on OFHC copper, by comparing results obtained with the SCS to those obtained with compression cylinders. The SCS allows to investigate a large range of strain rates, from the quasi-static regime, through intermediate strain rates (1–100 s⁻¹), up to very high strain rates (2×10⁴s⁻¹ in the present case).     

Enhanced measurement of strain distributions

A theoretical approach is presented that uses multiple strain gages to accurately measure complicated strain distributions. The technique is based on the method of weighted residuals in conjunction with measured strain data and is applicable for arbitrary in-plane strain distributions. Conventional measurements using strain gages are shown to represent a particular case of the approach presented. The experimental characterization of unidimensional strain fields is discussed in detail. Two approaches are presented; these are based on linear and quadratic approximations of the strain field. The strain distribution for two important practical problems is evaluated assuming ideal conditions to assess the performance of the proposed approach. In both cases, the simulated results demonstrate that measurement error resulting from the finite size of a strain gage may be reduced. That is, a larger strain gage may be used for a given maximum admissible error. The method also allows a minimal error of measured nonlinear strains.     

Pressure effects on the response of foil strain gages

The effect of pressure on the gage factor (the strain coefficient of resistance) for a bonded constantan gage was investigated by measuring the compliance of single-crystal quartz in the direction of itsc-crystallographic axis as a function of pressure and by comparing these results with those derived from ocoustic-velocity data. The gage factor is indicated as increasing with pressure at a rate of approximately 0.4 percent per kilobar. This increase may be due to one or both of two factors: an increase in the resistivity-strain tensor or a thinning and stiffening of the gage cement.     

Errors in high-temperature strain measurements

The results of a technical evaluation of the accuracy of two types of commercially available high-temperature electric-resistance strain gages, and a special high-temperature gage under development at the Liquid Metal Engineering Center (LMEC) are presented. These gages, the BLH type HT 1212-5A, Microdot type SG420, and the LMEC gage, were selected for evaluation because of the need for reliable electric-resistance strain gages for high-temperature stress or strain measurements and process instrumentation in the temperature range of 900 to 1200° F. The BLH gage is rated by the manufacturer as a 1000 to 1200° F gage; the Microdot gage is rated as a 900° F gage. The special LMEC gage was made for use up to 1200° F. Instrumentation of this type is needed to determine or ensure component structural integrity and over-all system reliability of fast breeder reactors.     

M-shaped Specimen for the High-strain Rate Tensile Testing Using a Split Hopkinson Pressure Bar Apparatus

An experimental technique is proposed to determine the tensile stress–strain curve of metals at high strain rates. An M-shaped specimen is designed which transforms a compressive loading at its boundaries into tensile loading of its gage section. The specimen can be used in a conventional split Hopkinson pressure bar apparatus, thereby circumventing experimental problems associated with the gripping of tensile specimens under dynamic loading. The M-specimen geometry provides plane strain conditions within its gage section. This feature retards necking and allows for very short gage sections. This new technique is validated both experimentally and numerically for true equivalent plastic strain rates of up to 4,250/s.