Search Results (15)

The paper introduces a user material for Abaqus, detailing the modeling of elasto-viscoplasticity under diverse thermomechanical conditions. Converting constitutive equations into a robust code requires extensive efforts to solve numerous crucial numerical challenges. In addition to deriving the equations, detailing the code is also crucial for an efficient implementation of a rheological model. The algorithm for multiaxial Prandtl operator approach presented here provides both. The subroutines of the numerical code are explained in detail and solutions to ensure numerical stability are demonstrated. The multiaxial Prandtl operator approach allows a simple and effective calculation of fatigue damage, creep damage, e.g., or dissipated energy using available uniaxial methods. To demonstrate practical application, the paper illustrates the usefulness of the code by analyzing perforated plates under tension–compression and shear loading. This contribution enriches the computational modeling of elasto-viscoplasticity for the finite element method. Full article

In the technical literature examining P92 steel grade, a common material used for elements of power equipment with enhanced operating parameters, there are numerous studies on creep tests. However, there is a lack of information on the fatigue processes of such materials, especially thermo-mechanical fatigue. The presented article investigates certain aspects of this phenomenon, focusing on the behavioral aspect of P92 steel under time-varying mechanical and thermal load conditions. The analysis of the behavior of the high-pressure elements of power equipment focused on the operating parameters. These parameters lead to various stress and strain fields in the elements, allowing the determination of their fatigue life. The issue of selecting fatigue life criteria for materials and forecasting the durability of elements operating under mechanical loads and time-varying elevated temperatures was also examined. In this case, the material characteristics determined under laboratory conditions and the applicable standard used by designers of power equipment were utilized. Full article

High-chromium ferritic stainless HiperFer steels were developed for high-temperature applications in power conversion equipment. The presented research describes the precipitation behavior of the Laves phase after the thermomechanical treatment of Fe-17Cr-0.6Nb-2.4W HiperFer alloys with and without the addition of 55 ppm boron. The boron-alloyed variant was produced with the aim of enhancing grain boundary strengthening and consequently increasing creep resistance. The focus is set on the effect of boron on the thermomechanically induced precipitation of (Fe,Cr,Si)₂(Nb,W) Laves phase at grain boundaries. The addition of boron modifies the diffusion conditions in the area of grain boundaries. Consequently, the formation of Laves phase is promoted and the particle growth and coarsening process are suppressed. The impact of boron addition was validated by performing creep and thermomechanical fatigue testing in the standard processing state of HiperFer steel. In the B-alloyed variant, increased creep ductility through the modification of the particle-free zone widths at high-angle grain boundaries was encountered. Nevertheless, an optimized thermomechanical treatment is necessary to fully utilize the increased ductility effect for the creep strength optimization of the B-alloyed grade. Full article

Research on the creep-thermomechanical fatigue (CTMF) behaviors of austenitic stainless steel for nuclear power plant pipelines is reviewed in the present paper. The stress response behavior, the main damage mechanisms, including thermomechanical fatigue, creep, oxidation, and dynamic strain aging (DSA), as well as the effects of strain dwell type, dwell time, and temperature-strain phase angle on fatigue life behavior of austenitic stainless steel under CTMF loading conditions are systematically discussed, and the coupled effects of various damage mechanisms are revealed. It is emphasized that CTMF is closer to the actual service condition of nuclear power plant pipes. It is pointed out that the traditional method of life design based on the isothermal fatigue test data is not conservative. Finally, the research on CTMF behaviors of austenitic stainless steel for nuclear power plant is summarized and prospected. Full article

ASTM A213 T91 steel is widely used in power plants and petrochemical industry for long-term service components. Due to its high resistance to creep, thermomechanical fatigue and corrosion, the use of grade 91 steel allows usual plant service parameters to be raised up to ultra-supercritical conditions (600 °C, 300 bar) so that performances are remarkably increased. The strongest factors that affect performances are the time of exposure, the temperature and the applied stress: such parameters can dramatically decrease the service life of a plant component. The improved mechanical properties of grade 91 are strictly related to its specific microstructure: a tempered martensite matrix with fine precipitates embedded in. Two typologies of secondary phases are present: M₂₃C₆ carbides (where M = Cr/Fe/Mo/Mn) and finely dispersed MX-type carbonitrides (where M = V/Nb and X = C/N). This study is focused on the microstructure evolution of grade 91 steel under creep conditions. First, three sets of laboratory-aged specimens heated in oven at 550 °C, 600 °C and 650 °C were examined; the exposure time was up to 50,000 h. Furthermore, the influence of stress on the microstructure in two sets of samples was evaluated: a first batch of specimens cut from an ex-service tube of a petrochemical plant (over 100,000 h of service at 580 °C and 19–25 bar) and a second set of samples coming from another ex-service tube under ultra-supercritical conditions (605 °C, 252 bar) in a power plant. The microstructures were characterized by optical, scanning electron and transmission electron microscopy and the results were compared to the literature. Some interesting trends were evidenced, in terms of secondary phases precipitation and coarsening, as well as martensite recovery. Furthermore, the applied stress seems to influence size and number of Laves phase particles. Full article

Increased cyclic loading of components and materials in future thermal energy conversion systems necessitates novel materials of increased fatigue resistance. The widely used 9–12% Cr steels were developed for high creep strength and thus base load application at temperatures below 620 °C. At higher temperature, these materials present unstable grain structure, prone to polygonization under thermomechanical fatigue loading and limited resistance to steam oxidation. This seminal study compares thermomechanical fatigue resistance and long crack propagation of the advanced ferritic-martensitic steel grade 92 and Crofer^® 22H, a fully ferritic, high chromium (22 wt. %) stainless steel, strengthened by Laves phase precipitation. Crofer^® 22H features increased resistance to fatigue and steam oxidation resistance up to 650 °C. Both thermomechanical fatigue (crack initiation) and residual (crack propagation) lifetime of Crofer^® 22H exceeded that of grade 92. The main mechanisms for improved performance of Crofer^® 22H were increased stability of grain structure and “dynamic precipitation strengthening” (DPS). DPS, i.e., thermomechanically triggered precipitation of Laves phase particles and crack deflection at Laves phase-covered sub-grain boundaries, formed in front of crack tips, actively obstructed crack propagation in Crofer^® 22H. In addition, it is hypothesized that local strengthening may occur near the crack tip because of grain refinement, which in turn may be impacted by testing frequency. Full article

High performance ferritic (HiperFer) stainless steels constitute a new class of low-cost, heat resistant, hardenable materials which combine high creep and fatigue strength with increased steam oxidation and wet corrosion resistance. The fundamental relationships regarding the alloy composition, microstructure, and resulting mechanical properties are largely known and already published, while relevant commercialization issues, such as the effect of processing on the microstructure, have not yet been addressed. The current paper outlines the impact of the forming parameters on the resulting microstructure and the achievable creep properties. Thermomechanical treatment is demonstrated as an effective method for increasing the creep strength for a given chemical composition. This may constitute a key enabler for cost savings in component production, e.g., for the simple machining of “drop-in” turbine blades or bolts from forged bar stock material. Full article

Thermomechanical fatigue loadings (TMF) applied on components in a certain temperature range with a variable state of stress (tensile and/or compression) produce a localized concentration of plastic strains that results in crack initiation and propagation. The time evolution of plastic strains must be known a priori to predict the lifetime of a part submitted to TMF loadings, which requires an extensive campaign of mechanical characterization conducted at different temperatures and aging conditions. Such a campaign was proposed for the aluminum alloy AlSi7Cu3.5Mg0.15 (Mn, Zr, V), which is recognized as being creep resistant. Combined isothermal low-cycle fatigue and isothermal creep tests were performed on this alloy to determine the constitutive parameters based on the Lemaître and Chaboche (LM&C) viscoplastic model. These laws were implemented within the finite element simulation software (Z-set) to model the response of the alloy to a thermomechanical fatigue test. The results of TMF Z-Set simulations, using the LM&C model adapted for two aging conditions, were then compared with results obtained from “Out of Phase” thermomechanical fatigue testings (OP-TMF) performed on a Gleeble 3800 machine. The modelling of the OP-TMF test revealed the complexity of the mechanical behavior of the material induced by the temperature gradient prevailing along with the cylindrical specimen. It was found that a better prediction of the evolution of plastic strains requires taking into account a larger range of plastic strain rates conditions for the determination of the constitutive law and eventually includes the role of the microstructure in the evolution of the material behavior, starting first with the yield stress. Full article

This work assesses the crack propagation at the most critical point of a second stage of a gas turbine blade by means of linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM). The most critical zone where the crack may nucleate, due to a combination of thermo-mechanical loads, is detected with an uncracked finite element (FE) model pre-analysis. Then the sub-modelling technique is used to obtain more precise results in terms of stresses within the area of interest. Simulations of the state of stress at the crack apex are performed through an FE model, using the Fracture Tool within ANSYS Workbench, and the stress intensity factors (SIFs) are determined accordingly. The Fracture Tool was previously verified on a simple model, and the results were compared with its analytical solution. Finally, the evaluation of the crack growth due to fatigue stress, creep, and oxidation is performed through in-house software called Propagangui. The crack behavior is estimated along with the component life. Results show an unexpected decrease in KI with increasing crack length and slowing of the crack growth rate with crack propagation. A detailed analysis of this behavior emphasizes that the redistribution of the stresses at the crack apex means that unstable propagation is not expected. Full article

Instrument fracture ranks among the most crucial complications during the endodontic treatment of a tooth. In order to better understand the practical limits of the instrument, the relation between the cyclic fatigue resistance and physical properties such as hardness, modulus of elasticity, creep and surface roughness were explored. Cyclic fatigue testing in an artificial root canal at intracanal temperature, nanoindentation and 3D microscopy were used for evaluation of four commonly used thermomechanically treated NiTi endodontic instruments (Unicone Plus 6/025, Unicone 6/025, Reciproc Blue R25 and WaveOne Gold Primary). Cyclic fatigue results were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis, Mann–Whitney and Bonferroni corrections. The wear resistance of Unicone 6/025 instruments was significantly lower compared to all other instruments (p < 0.05). WaveOne Gold Primary was significantly less resistant than Unicone Plus 6/025 and Reciproc Blue R25, while the difference between Reciproc Blue R25 and Unicone Plus 6/025 was insignificant (p > 0.05). These results are in correlation with measurements of local mechanical properties (hardness, elastic modulus and their ratios H/E and H³/E²). Even though surface roughness, area of cross-section and shape of instruments are important factors affecting instruments behavior, thermal processing appears to be the most important. Full article

Alloys used for turbine blades have to safely sustain severe thermomechanical loadings during service such as, for example, centrifugal loadings, creep and high temperature gradients. For these applications, cast Ni-based superalloys characterized by a coarse-grained microstructure are widely adopted. This microstructure dictates a strong anisotropic mechanical behaviour and, concurrently, a large scatter in the fatigue properties is observed. In this work, Crystal Plasticity Finite Element (CPFE) simulations and strain measurements performed by means of Digital Image Correlations (DIC) were adopted to study the variability introduced by the coarse-grained microstructure. In particular, the CPFE simulations were calibrated and used to simulate the effect of the grain cluster orientations in proximity to notches, which reproduce the cooling air ducts of the turbine blades. The numerical simulations were experimentally validated by the DIC measurements. This study aims to predict the statistical variability of the strain concentration factors and support component design. Full article

Novel high-performance fully ferritic (HiperFer) stainless steels were developed to meet the demands of next-generation thermal power-conversion equipment and to feature a uniquely balanced combination of resistance to fatigue, creep, and corrosion. Typical conventional multistep processing and heat treatment were applied to achieve optimized mechanical properties for this alloy. This paper outlines the feasibility of thermomechanical processing for goal-oriented alteration of the mechanical properties of this new type of steel, applying an economically more efficient approach. The impact of treatment parameter variation on alloy microstructure and the resulting mechanical properties were investigated in detail. Furthermore, initial optimization steps were undertaken. Full article

In this study, the contribution of high thermomechanical fatigue to the gas turbine lifetime during a steady-state operation is evaluated for the first time. An evolution of the roughness on the surface between the thermal barrier coating and bond coating is addressed to elucidate the correlation between operating conditions and the degradation of a gas turbine. Specifically, three factors affecting coating failure are characterized, namely isothermal operation, low-cycle fatigue, and high thermomechanical fatigue, using laboratory experiments and actual service-exposed blades in a power plant. The results indicate that, although isothermal heat exposure during a steady-state operation contributes to creep, it does not contribute to failure caused by coating fatigue. Low-cycle fatigue during a transient operation cannot fully describe the evolution of the roughness between the thermal barrier coating and the bond coating of the gas turbine. High thermomechanical fatigue during a steady-state operation plays a critical role in coating failure because the temperature of hot gas pass components fluctuates up to 140 °C at high operating temperatures. Hence, high thermomechanical fatigue must be accounted for to accurately predict the remaining useful lifetime of a gas turbine because the current method of predicting the remaining useful lifetime only accounts for creep during a steady-state operation and for low-cycle fatigue during a transient operation. Full article

Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in the aeronautical industry, especially in components requiring excellent corrosion resistance, enhanced thermal fatigue properties, and thermal stability. Haynes 282 is a nickel-based superalloy that was developed to improve the low weldability, formability, and creep strength of other γ’-strengthened Ni superalloys. Despite the industrial interest in Haynes 282, there is a lack of research that is focused on this alloy. Moreover, it is difficult to find studies dealing with the machinability of Haynes 282. Although Haynes 282 is considered an alloy with improved formability when compared with other nickel alloys, its machining performance should be analyzed. High pressure and temperature localized in the cutting zone, the abrasion generated by the hard carbides included in the material, and the tendency toward adhesion during machining are phenomena that generate extreme thermomechanical loading on the tool during the cutting process. Excessive wear results in reduced tool life, leading to frequent tool change, low productivity, and a high consumption of energy; consequentially, there are increased costs. With regard to tool materials, cemented carbide tools are widely used in different applications, and carbide is a recommended cutting material for turning Haynes 282, for both finishing and roughing operations. This work focuses on the finishing turning of Haynes 282 using coated carbide tools with conventional coolant. Machining forces, surface roughness, tool wear, and tool life were quantified for different cutting speeds and feeds. Full article

Concentrated Solar Plants (CSPs) are used in solar thermal industry for collecting and converting sunlight into electricity. Parabolic trough CSPs are the most widely used type of CSP and an absorber tube is an essential part of them. The hostile operating environment of the absorber tubes, such as high temperatures (400–550 °C), contraction/expansion, and vibrations, may lead them to suffer from creep, thermo-mechanical fatigue, and hot corrosion. Hence, their condition monitoring is of crucial importance and a very challenging task as well. Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) are a promising, non-contact technology of transducers that has the potential to be used for the inspection of large structures at high temperatures by exciting Guided Waves. In this paper, a study regarding the potential use of EMATs in this application and their performance at high temperature is presented. A Periodic Permanent Magnet (PPM) EMAT with a racetrack coil, designed to excite Shear Horizontal waves (SH₀), has been theoretically and experimentally evaluated at both room and high temperatures. Full article