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At least 523 records · Page 29

Damage Accumulation and Failure of Plasma-Sprayed Thermal Barrier Coatings under Thermal Gradient Cyclic Conditions

Thermal barrier coatings will be more aggressively designed to protect gas turbine engine hot-section components in order to meet future engine higher fuel efficiency and lower emission goals. A fundamental understanding of the sintering and thermal cycling induced delamination of thermal barrier coating systems under engine-like heat flux conditions will potentially help to improve the coating temperature capability. In this study, a test approach is established to emphasize the real-time monitoring and assessment of the coating thermal conductivity, which can initially increase under the steady-state high temperature thermal gradient test due to coating sintering, and later decrease under the thermal gradient cyclic test due to coating cracking and delamination. Thermal conductivity prediction models have been established for a ZrO2-(7- 8wt%)Y2O3 model coating system in terms of heat flux, time, and testing temperatures. The coating delamination accumulation is then assessed based on the observed thermal conductivity response under the combined steady-state and cyclic thermal gradient tests. The coating thermal gradient cycling associated delaminations and failure mechanisms under simulated engine heat-flux conditions will be discussed in conjunction with the coating sintering and fracture testing results.

Zhu, Dongming↗

Isothermal fatigue mechanisms in Ti-based metal matrix composites

Stress-controlled isothermal fatigue experiments were performed at room temperature (RT) and 548 C (in argon) on (0)8 SCS6/Ti 15-3 metal matrix composites (MMC's) with 15 and 41 volume percent SCS6 (SiC) fibers. The primary objectives were to evaluate the mechanical responses, and to obtain a clear understanding of the damage mechanisms leading to failure of the MMC's. The mechanical data indicated that strain ranges attained fairly constant values in the stress-controlled experiments at both RT and 538 C, and remained so for more than 85 percent of life. The fatigue data for MMC's with different volume fraction fibers showed that MMC life was controlled by the imposed strain range rather than the stress range. At RT, and at low and intermediate strain ranges, the dominant fatigue mechanism was matrix fatigue, and this was confirmed metallurgically from fractographic evidence as well as from observations of channel type dislocation structures in the matrix of fatigued MMC specimens. Reaction-zone cracks acted as important crack initiating sites at RT, with their role being to facilitate slip band formation and consequent matrix crack initiation through classical fatigue mechanisms. MMC life agreed with matrix life at the lower strain ranges, but was smaller than matrix life at higher strain ranges. Unlike the case of monotonic deformation, debonding damage was another major damage mechanism during fatigue at RT, and it increased for higher strain ranges. At high strain ranges at RT, fractography and metallography showed an absence of matrix cracks, but long lengths of debonds in the outer layers of the SCS6 fibers. Such debonding and consequent rubbing during fatigue is believed to have caused fiber damage and their failure at high strain ranges. Thus, whereas life was matrix dominated at low and intermediate strain ranges, it was fiber dominated at high strain ranges. At 538 C, the mean stain constantly increased (ratchetting) with the number of cycles. At high strain ranges, such ratchetting led to overload failure of the fibers, and debonding of the type at RT was very small. At intermediate strain ranges, fractography showed large areas of matrix cracks. However, in spite of this matrix dominated mechanism, the MMC life at elevated temperatures was significantly less than the matrix fatigue life at all strain ranges. The reason for this difference is still unclear, although metallographic and fractographic evidences suggest that internal crack initiation sites at Mo-ribbons and reaction-zone cracks may have played a critical role, with the former tending to dominate.

Majumdar, Bhaskar S.↗

Modal Acoustic Emission of Damage Accumulation in Woven SiC/SiC at Elevated Temperatures

Ceramic matrix composites exhibit significant nonlinear stress-strain behavior that makes them attractive as potential materials for many high temperature applications. The mechanisms for this nonlinear stress-strain behavior are all associated with various types of damage in the composites, e.g. transverse matrix cracks and individual fiber failures. Modal acoustic emission has been employed to aid in discerning the damage accumulation that occurs during elevated temperature tensile stress-rupture of woven Hi-Nicalon fiber, BN interphase, SiC matrix composites. It is shown that modal acoustic emission is an effective monitor of the relative damage accumulation in the composites and locator of the damage and failure events as a function of strain (stress), time at temperature, and temperature gradients along the length of the elevated temperature test specimen.

Morscher, G. N.↗

The effect of microstructure on the fatigue behavior of Ni base superalloys

Nickel-base superalloys are used in jet engine components such as disks, turbine blades, and vanes. Improvements in the fatigue behavior will allow the life to be extended or the payloads to be increased. The first part of the present investigation deals primarily with the effects of microstructural variations on the fatigue crack propagation (FCP) behavior of nickel-base alloys, while the second part is concerned with low-cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of Ni base systems. Waspaloy at low temperature is considered, taking into account material heat treatment and test procedures, a composite plot of Waspaloy FCP data, Paris law fatigue crack propagation constants, monotonic tensile data, and overload FCP test results for Waspaloy. It is found that the FCP and overload behavior of nickel-base alloys may be markedly improved by heat treating. Attention is given to effects of cyclic deformation on microstructure and substructure, environmental damage, and an environmental/deformation model of high temperature LCF.

Antolovich, S. D.↗

Advanced reinforcement systems for intermetallic applications

A 2-D axisymmetric model was employed to determine the magnitude of the radial, axial, and hoop stresses caused by the thermal expansion difference between fiber and matrix and which result from the fabrication temperature cycle. Finite element analysis was conducted for single fiber model systems based on SCS-6/Ti3Al+Nb and Al2O3/NiAl. The stress distribution due to the imposition of a graded intermediate layer for each system was determined and included variables of layer thickness and gradation in interlayer chemistry in order to vary the expansion gradient between fiber and matrix. Thermal cycling tests were conducted on sputter coated SCS-6 fibers selectively coated with Ti3Al+Nb, with and without an intermediate layer. Cracking of the Ti3Al+Nb layers was prevented by an interlayer based on Ti-TiN-Ti. The interlayer thickness appeared critical to its efficiency. Similarly, for the case of Al2O3/NiAl, an intermediate layer consisting of a Ni bond coat on the sapphire fiber followed by a graded Al2O3-NiAl layer did not crack when given a thermal excursion to 1100 C and then cooled to room temperature. Acoustic emission tests on single fiber specimens were unsuccessful in detecting load drops associated with the successive fracture of the fiber. For the SCS-6/Ti3Al system this was the result of several factors which included the matrix/fiber ratio and poor bonding of the matrix and fiber. In the case of the Al2O3/NiAl system brittle failure of the NiAl matrix precluded fiber breakdown during tensile loading.

Merrick, Howard F.↗

The kinetic and mechanical aspects of hydrogen-induced failure in metals

Premature hydrogen-induced failure observed to occur in many metal systems involves three stages of fracture: (1) crack initiation, (2) stable slow crack growth, and (3) unstable rapid crack growth. The presence of hydrogen at some critical location on the metal surface or within the metal lattice was shown to influence one or both of the first two stages of brittle fracture but has a negligible effect on the unstable rapid crack growth stage. The relative influence of the applied parameters of time, temperature, etc., on the propensity of a metal to exhibit hydrogen induced premature failure was investigated.

Nelson, H. G.↗

Design of thermal protection system for 8 foot HTST combustor

The combustor in the 8-foot high temperature structures tunnel at the NASA-Langley Research Center has encountered cracking over a period of 50-250 tunnel tests within a limited range of the required operating envelope. A program was conducted which analyzed the failed combustor liner hardware and determined that the mechanism of failure was vibratory fatigue. A vibration damper system using wave springs located axially between the liner T-bar and the liner support was designed as an intermediate solution to extend the life of the current two-pass regenerative air-cooled liner. The effects of liner wall thickness, cooling air passage height, stiffener ring geometry, reflective coatings, and liner material selection were investigated for these designs. Preliminary layout design arrangements including the external water-cooling system requirements, weight estimates, installation requirements and preliminary estimates of manufacturing costs were prepared for the most promissing configurations. A state-of-the-art review of thermal barrier coatings and an evaluation of reflective coatings for the gasside surface of air-cooled liners are included.

Moskowitz, S.↗

Energy absorption mechanisms during crack propagation in metal matrix composites

The stress distributions around individual fibers in a unidirectional boron/aluminum composite material subjected to axial and transverse loadings are being studied utilizing a generalized plane strain finite element analysis. This micromechanics analysis was modified to permit the analysis of longitudinal sections, and also to incorporate crack initiation and propagation. The analysis fully models the elastoplastic response of the aluminum matrix, as well as temperature dependent material properties and thermal stress effects. The micromechanics analysis modifications are described, and numerical results are given for both longitudinal and transverse models loaded into the inelastic range, to first failure. Included are initially cracked fiber models.

Murphy, D. P.↗

Bending strength studies on hot-pressed silicon carbide

The 4-point bending strength of 4 grades of hot-pressed SiC was determined at different temperatures. With a transgranular mode of fracture the values for bending strength are retained up to high temperatures. For intergranular fracture the decrease of strength is governed by subcritical crack growth. The intergranular fracture is caused by a high content of silicate glassy phase at the grain boundaries of hot-pressed SiC.

Kriegesmann, J.↗

Oxidation and low cycle fatigue life prediction

When a metallic material is exposed to a high temperature in an ambient atmosphere, oxidation takes place on the metallic surface. The formed oxides (both surface and grain boundary oxides) are mechanically brittle so that if the stress is high enough the oxides will be cracked. The grain boundary oxide formation in TAZ-8A nickel-base superalloy was studied. The effect of oxide crack nucleus on low cycle fatigue life will be analyzed. The TAZ-8A was subjected to high temperature oxidation tests in air under the stress-free condition. The oxidation temperatures were 600, 800, and 1000 C. The oxidation time varies from 10 to 1000 hours.

Oshida, Y.↗

Post-test examination of a pool boiler receiver

A subscale pool boiler test apparatus to evaluate boiling stability developed a leak after being operated with boiling NaK for 791.4 hr at temperatures from 700 to 750 C. The boiler was constructed using Inconel 625 with a type 304L stainless steel wick for the boiler and type 316 stainless steel for the condenser. The boiler assembly was metallurgically evaluated to determine the cause of the leak and to assess the effects of the NaK on the materials. It was found that the leak was caused by insufficient (about 30 pct.) joint penetration in a butt joint. There was no general corrosion of the construction materials, but the room temperature ductility of the Inconel 625 was only about 6.5 pct. A crack in the heat affected zone of the Inconel 625 near the Inconel 625 to type 316 stainless steel butt joint was probably caused by excessive heat input. The crack was observed to have a zone depleted of iron at the crack surface and porosity below that zone. The mechanism of the iron depletion was not conclusively determined.

Dreshfield, Robert L.↗

An Investigation of SiC/SiC Woven Composite Under Monotonic and Cyclic Loading

The desirable properties in ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), such as high temperature strength, corrosion resistance, high toughness, low density, or good creep resistance have led to increased use of CMCs in high-speed engine structural components and structures that operate in extreme temperature and hostile aero-thermo-chemical environments. Ceramic matrix composites have been chosen for turbine material in the design of 21 st-century civil propulsion systems to achieve high fuel economy, improved reliability, extended life, and reduced cost. Most commercial CMCs are manufactured using a chemical vapor infiltration (CVI) process. However, a lower cost fabrication known as melt-infiltration process is also providing CMCs marked for use in hot sections of high-speed civil transports. The scope of this paper is to report on the material and mechanical characterization of the CMCs subjected to this process and to predict the behavior through an analytical model. An investigation of the SiC/SiC 8-harness woven composite is ongoing and its tensile strength and fatigue behavior is being characterized for room and elevated temperatures. The investigation is being conducted at below and above the matrix cracking stress once these parameters are identified. Fractography and light microscopy results are being studied to characterize the failure modes resulting from pure uniaxial loading. A numerical model is also being developed to predict the laminate properties by using the constituent material properties and tow undulation.

Lang, J.↗

A Study of Solder Alloy Ductility for Cryogenic Applications

For aerospace applications it is important to understand the mechanical performance of components at the extreme temperature conditions seen in service. For solder alloys used in microelectronics, cryogenic temperatures can prove problematic. At low temperatures Sn-based solders undergo a ductile to brittle transition that leads to brittle cracks, which can result in catastrophic failure of electronic components, assemblies and spacecraft payloads. As industrial processes begin to move away from Pb-Sn solder, it is even more critical to characterize the behavior of alternative Sn-based solders. Here we report on initial investigations using a modified Charpy test apparatus to characterize the ductile to brittle transformation temperature of nine different solder systems.

solders↗

Thermal Cycling for Development of Hybrid Fuel for a Notional Mars Ascent Vehicle

A Mars Ascent Vehicle (MAV) would be a critical part of a potential Mars sample return campaign. As currently envisioned, the MAV would launch samples from Mars into Mars orbit. Challenging requirements would be placed on a MAV as it would need to be able to survive in the harsh Martian environment which can get as cold as -120°C in the winter. At these cold temperatures, survival heating could be necessary to keep the MAV within the allowable flight temperature range. Estimates for survival heating power show that a fuel capable of operating at low temperature would significantly reduce the total required energy of the MAV. This has led to consideration of a hybrid propulsion system due to its anticipated low temperature capability. A new wax-based fuel, SP7, has been developed for a notional MAV mission. Thermal modeling of the fuel in the Mars environment was completed in order to estimate the temperature response of the fuel during Mars diurnal temperature cycling. Preliminary thermal testing was conducted to determine the max temperature range, radial gradient, and ramp rate the fuel could tolerate without cracking. The modeling and preliminary testing was used to develop a comprehensive, 100-day thermal cycling campaign. A total of 200 cycles are planned that are representative of 200 Martian diurnal cycles, roughly one-third of a Martian year. After 150 cycles, the fuel samples show no signs of cracking that would jeopardize the rocket’s performance. Though not yet complete, this testing is showing that SP7 has the potential to successfully be used on a MAV mission.

Farias, Edgardo↗

Micromechanics-based Modeling of Laminated SiC/SiC Ceramic Matrix Composites

The behavior and response of ceramic matrix composites (CMCs), in particular silicon carbide fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix (SiC/SiC), is affected by many factors such as variation of fiber volume fraction, residual stresses resulting from processing of the composites at high temperature, random microstructures, and the presence of matrix flaws (e.g., voids, pores, cracks etc.) as well as general material nonlinearity and heterogeneity that occurs randomly in a composite. Residual stresses arising from the phase change of constituents are evaluated in this paper and it is shown that they do influence composite strength and need to be properly accounted for. Additionally, the microstructures (location of fiber centers, coating thickness etc.) of advanced CMCs are usually disordered (or random) and fiber diameter and strength typically have a distribution. They rarely resemble the ordered fiber packing (square, rectangular, or hexagonal) that is generally assumed in micromechanics-based models with periodic boundary conditions for computational expediency. These issues raise the question of how should one model such systems effectively? Can an ordered hexagonal packed repeating unit cell (RUC) accurately represent the random microstructure behavior? How many fibers need to be included to enable accurate representation? Clearly, the number of fibers within an RUC must be limited to insure a balance between accuracy and efficiency. NASA’s in-house micromechanics-based code MAC/GMC provides a framework to analyze such RUCs for the overall composite behavior and the FEAMAC computer code provides linkage of MAC/GMC to the commercial FEA code, ABAQUS. The appropriate level of discretization of the RUC as well as the analysis method employed, i.e., Generalized Method of Cells (GMC) or High Fidelity Generalized Method of Cells (HFGMC), is investigated in this paper in the context of a unidirectional as well as a cross-ply laminated CMC. Results including effective composite properties, proportional limit stress (an important design parameter) and fatigue are shown utilizing both GMC as well as HFGMC. Finally, a few multiscale analyses are performed on smooth bar test coupons as well as test coupons with features such as open-hole and double notches using FEAMAC. Best practices and guidance are provided to take these phenomena into account and keep a proper balance between fidelity (accuracy) and efficiency. Following these guidelines can account for important physics of the problem and provide significant advantages when performing large multiscale composite structural analyses.

Ceramic Matrix Composites↗

Fretting Wear of Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb

An investigation was conducted to examine the wear behavior of gamma titanium aluminide (Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb in atomic percent) in contact with a typical nickel-base superalloy under repeated microscopic vibratory motion in air at temperatures from 296-823 K. The surface damage observed on the interacting surfaces of both Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb and superalloy consisted of fracture pits, oxides, metallic debris, scratches, craters, plastic deformation, and cracks. The Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb transferred to the superalloy at all fretting conditions and caused scuffing or galling. The increasing rate of oxidation at elevated temperatures led to a drop in Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear at 473 K. Mild oxidative wear was observed at 473 K. However, fretting wear increased as the temperature was increased from 473-823 K. At 723 and 823 K, oxide disruption generated cracks, loose wear debris, and pits on the Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear surface. Ti-48Al-2Cr-2Nb wear generally decreased with increasing fretting frequency. Both increasing slip amplitude and increasing load tended to produce more metallic wear debris, causing severe abrasive wear in the contacting metals. Keywords

Miyoshi, Kazuhisa↗