Impact of plasticity generated by Rayleigh waves on the residual stress behavior of structural components subjected to laser peening

Purpose - The impact of laser peening on curved geometries is not fully comprehended. The purpose of this paper is to explain the action of laser peening on curved components (concave and convex shapes for cylindrical and spherical geometries) by means of shock wave mechanics. Design/methodology/approach - An analytical formulation is derived based on the plasticity incurred inside the material and the results are compared with the prediction by numerical simulation. Findings - A near-linear relationship is observed between curvature and compressive residual stress; an increasing trend was observed for concave models and a decreasing trend was observed for convex models. The consistency in the analytical formulation with the simulation model indicates the behavior of laser peening for curved geometries. Originality/value - The differences observed in the residual stresses for spherical and cylindrical geometries are primarily due to the effect of Rayleigh waves. This paper illustrates the importance of understanding the physics behind laser peening of curved geometries.