Detecting stress concentration, especially critical stress state leading to structure damage or failure, is one of the most important tasks of equipment diagnosis. Metal magnetic memory technique needs further research to evaluate stress concentration quantitatively due to ambiguous physical mechanism, though it has potential to detect early defects in ferromagnetic materials. Mild Q235 steel defective specimens in demagnetization state were loaded in tension up to visible necking, with magnetic memory signals measurement made at increasing stress levels. Magnetic signals varied greatly under first several loadings and subsequently tended to stability in the elastic region, which showed that the magnetization always approaches the anhysteretic magnetization curve and was explained by the theory of magnetomechanical effect. In the plastic stage, an abnormal wave occurred in the stress concentration zone and its height value was sensitive to plastic deformation levels and dependent on the distance between the probe and defect, in accordance with the simulation results based on the magnetic dipole model. Different magnetic signal characteristics in the elastic-plastic region indicate that the magnetic memory technique can identify macroyielding and early damage, which is of profound significance for ensuring safe operation of equipment in service.
To avoid the serious accidents caused by the failure fastening bolts on reciprocating compressor cylinder cover,a new nondestructive testing(NDT) technology,metal magnetic memory(MMM) testing,was applied to safety evaluating and failure analyzing for the fastening bolts.Based on the dynamic stress calculation of the failure bolts,MMM testing was carried out at workshop.Given are the MMM stress distribution characteristics of the failure bolts and fracture faces.It has been found that the MMM signal variation amplitude of the crack transition zone in the fracture surface is minimal,that of the crack initiation zone is in the middle,and that of the tear fracture zone is maximal.The failure reasons were analyzed with MMM effect.The results of the metallographic examination showed that the validity and feasibility of MMM testing and failure analysis.This means MMM technology is a new,fast and validity method of failure analysis.
