A Sequential Multiaxial Cycle Counting Algorithm Based on the Modified Wang–Brown Method

Abstract

Rainflow algorithm is an essential and reasonable method for multiaxial fatigue damage calculation in nonproportional (NP) load histories. The modified Wang–Brown (MWB) method is proposed by Meggiolaro and Castro, which corrects the problem of neglecting the most damaging event in the Wang–Brown method. An example in the paper explains the specific process of MWB multiaxial rainflow counting. Additionally, a modified pseudocode is presented to efficiently implement loading counting, ensuring it follows the same sequence as the original load histories. Based on the count results and fatigue damage accumulation rule, a new multiaxial life prediction method is proposed. The efficiency of the proposed method is validated by reasonable correlations with the experimental data from 316L steel tubular specimens subjected to various multiaxial fatigue loadings.