Experimental Validation of Rotating Fatigue Test for Valves of Internal Combustion Engine

This paper describes an experimental method to correlate experimental and theoretical bending stress found in a rotating fatigue test for ICE valves. Specimens of actual engine valves were instrumented with strain-gages. The ICE valve fillet stress was measured and compared with theoretical values found by analytical method and finite element analysis. The test allows a fast and relative inexpensive way to study influences like surface finish on the valve fatigue limit. A careful design of the test fixture and load mechanism was necessary to assure pure bending and reduce deviations from test to test. With the result of the stress values correlation, it was carried out an analytical verification of pure bending phenomenon which allowed a stress loading test closer to real-world stress values found on the critical region of the ICE valves.