Proposal of a new low-cycle fatigue life model for cast iron with room temperature calibration involving mean stress and high-temperature effects

The paper presents and discusses a low-cycle fatigue life prediction energy-based model. The model was applied to a commercial cast iron automotive exhaust manifold. The total expended energy until fracture proposed by the Skelton model was modified by means of two coefficients which take into account of the effects of mean stress and/or mean strain, and the presence of high temperature. The model was calibrated by means of experimental tests developed on Fe–2.4C–4.6Si–0.7Mo–1.2Cr high-temperature-resistant ductile cast iron. The thermostructural transient analysis was developed on a finite element model built to overtake confidentiality industrial restrictions. In addition to the commercial exhaust manifold, the finite element model considers the bolts, the gasket, and a cylinder head simulacrum to consider the corresponding thermal and mechanical boundary conditions. The life assessment performance of the energy-based model with respect the cast iron specimens was compared with the corresponding Basquin–Manson–Coffin and Skelton models. The model prediction fits the experimental data with a good agreement, which is comparable with both the literature models and it shows a better fitting at high temperature. The life estimations computed with respect the exhaust manifold finite element model were compared with different multiaxial literature life models and literature data to evaluate the life prediction capability of the proposed energy-based model.