Fatigue strength analysis of aluminum alloy trimaran considering corrosion effects

  Objective  This study evaluates the fatigue strength of an aluminum alloy trimaran in a corrosive environment.

  Method  Taking a 120 m aluminum alloy trimaran as an example, the direct calculation method/spectral analysis method is used to calculate its fatigue life based on Miner's linear cumulative damage theory. At the same time, four types of corrosion model are established to compare the hot spot fatigue strength calculation results under different corrosion models and explore the effects of corrosion on the fatigue life of the trimaran.

  Results   The results show that the new corrosion model is closer to the actual corrosion process. The effects of different corrosion models on the hot spots of the aluminum alloy trimaran are related to corrosion years, and the fatigue strength of the connection between the cross-deck and the main and side bodies is strong.

  Conclusion  The results of this study have reference significance for the fatigue assessment of trimarans in corrosive environments.