4D-Fatigue
Themes: Water & Maritime, Structural Engineering
A TRL is a measure to indicate the matureness of a developing technology. When an innovative idea is discovered it is often not directly suitable for application. Usually such novel idea is subjected to further experimentation, testing and prototyping before it can be implemented. The image below shows how to read TRL’s to categorise the innovative ideas.
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Why?
This unique hexapod enables to compare multiaxial fatigue design models with each other and with the results of representative experiments. This reduces model uncertainty and thus increases safety. Ultimately, it leads to reduced costs, downtime and risks.
How?
Different load schemes are applied to a welded test piece, and per scheme the results are compared to estimates from different fatigue design models. The hexapod’s ability to apply multiaxial and non-proportional loading significantly increases the value of these results.
When?
The massive hexapod is installed at the TU Delft in 2017, enabling multiaxial and non-proportional loading of up to 1 MN on a test piece of 1 m3. Forces can be applied with a frequ ency of up to 30 Hz.