A physics-informed neural network method for identifying parameters and predicting remaining life of fatigue crack growth

Predicting the remaining life of fatigue cracks is crucial for planning maintenance and repair strategies to prevent untoward incidents. This paper proposes a novel physics-informed neural network (PINN) method for identifying parameters and predicting remaining fatigue crack growth life (FCGL). Initially, the relationship between crack length and fatigue cycles is established through a neural network, and the gradient of fatigue cycles with respect to crack length is obtained by automatic differentiation. Subsequently, a composite loss function is designed to incorporate this gradient within the confines of physical knowledge, ensuring that the established relationship not only aligns with observed data but also adheres to physical knowledge. Furthermore, during the network training, the parameters in physical models are simultaneously updated to better conform to the individuality of the monitored subject. All predicted remaining FCGLs fall within the 1.5 times error band. Compared to purely data-driven or physics-based methods, the proposed method offers more robust and accurate predictions of remaining FCGLs.