Papers by Keyword: Crack Initiation

Abstract: The aim of the article is piston damage evaluation of a highly exposed combustion engine. The analysed piston was made of an AlSi-based alloy. Atypical damage, which occurred relatively early in the lifetime of the component, was evaluated by metallographic and fractographic analyses. The analysis took into account influences of mechanical and thermal fatigue processes in relation to the microstructure of the material. The metallographic observations of the microstructure revealed the occurrence of cracks extending over the secondary phases and precipitates. Cracks were initiated on the coarser Si phase particles. The crack initiation site is located at the root of the bridge between the sealing piston rings. The damage of the piston was metallographically documented in wide range.

Abstract: Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) is a complex process where a part is build-up by localized melting of gas atomized powder layers by a concentrated laser beam followed rapid solidification. The microstructure of DMLS produced material is substantially different from that of conventionally manufactured materials, although the ultimate strength is similar. However, yield strength and elongation and especially fatigue behavior may vary considerably according to the process parameters and post fabrication heat treatment because they affect structural heterogeneity, porosity content, residual stresses, and surface conditions. Fatigue tests of DMLS Ti6Al4V alloy are interpreted in the light of a thorough metallographic and fractographic investigation. The fatigue crack initiation for three different cyclic stress directions with respect to build direction is determined by fractography.

Abstract: This paper focuses on the numerical simulation of crack initiation and growth in ceramic materials. This work is devoted to nuclear fuel modelling under irradiation and more precisely to fuel pellet fragmentation assessment at macroscopic and microscopic scales. Simulation tools are developed in the framework of a cooperative program between the CEA, EDF and AREVA devoted to a unified fuel performance software environment called PLEIADES. A smeared crack model is proposed to have a continuous description of crack nucleation and growth at macroscopic scale. This unified description is based on crack extension process from the microscopic scale up to the macroscopic scale. In order to deal with unstable crack extension a specific algorithm is proposed to solve the quasi static nonlinear mechanical problem. A 3D application is presented to illustrate performances and robustness of the smeared crack approach to simulate crack extension in nuclear fuel ceramics. In this application with an internal pressure loading a new methodology is proposed in order to avoid convergence problem due to the indetermination of the quasi static formulation of a softening material equilibrium under Neumann boundary condition.

Abstract: Environmentally-assisted material degradation involves mass transport and mechanical processes interacting in the material. A well-known example is hydrogen-induced stress-corrosion cracking. One major challenge within this scope is the quantification of the coupling mechanisms in question. The computational modeling of environmentally-assisted cracks is the key objective ofthis investigation and realised within the theory of gradient-extended dissipative continua with length-scales. The modeling of sharp crack discontinuities is replaced by a diffusive crack model based onthe introduction of a crack phase-field to maintain the evolution of complex crack topologies. Withina thermodynamical framework allowing for mechanical and mass transport processes the crack phase-field is capable to model crack initiation and propagation bythe finite element method. As complexcrack situations such as crack initiation, curvilinear crack patterns and crack branching are usuallyhard to realise with sharp crack models, they can be assessedwithout the requirement of a predefinedcrack path within this method. The numerical modeling of a showcase demonstrates a crack initiationas well as a crack propagation situation with respect to the determination of stress-intensity factors; acrack deviation situation with a curvilinear crack path is modeled by the introduction of a geometricalperturbation and a locally enhanced species concentration

Abstract: This review looks into the state of gigacycle fatigue behavior of some structural materials used in engineering works. Particular attention is given to the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing machine (USF-2000) due to its important role in conducting gigacycle fatigue tests. Gigacycle fatigue behavior of most materials used for very long life engineering applications is reviewed.Gigacycle fatigue behavior of magnesium alloys, aluminum alloys, titanium alloys, spheroid graphite cast iron, steels and nickel alloys are reviewed together with the examination of the most common material defects that initiate gigacycle fatigue failures in these materials. In addition, the stage-by-stage fatigue crack developments in the gigacycle regime are reviewed. This review is concluded by suggesting the directions for future works in gigacycle fatigue.

Abstract: In this paper, the low cycle fatigue crack initiation life was regarded as a process of damage accumulation and a damage accumulation model was established based on the Continuum Damage Mechanics. By the model, we analyzed how the variable amplitude applied at the crack initiation stage influenced the low cycle fatigue life of high temperature materials. With the parameters of GQGH4169 alloy at room temperature, we determined the specific values of damage parameters by finite element method and numerical analysis method. Then, the crack initiation life predictions were carried out. The results show that using this approach can not only predict the crack initiation life of CT specimen accurately, but also reflect a definite influence of variable amplitude on the crack propagation life combining with the Paris Law, and the test costs reduced consequently.

Abstract: Phenomenological ductile fracture criteria represent, among others, one of powerful tools for prediction of ductile fracture. These criteria are based on evaluating damage throughout the solid body as a response to straining. The damage is influenced by plasticity but not vice versa. Therefore, these criteria are often called uncoupled as they do not mutually couple the damage and plasticity. One of immense advantages of such criteria is a possibility not only to predict the crack initiation but also to follow the propagation based on the damage. Moreover, it is not restricted for one specific locus but the damage is evaluated in the entire solid body and one or more cracks can be tracked simultaneously or sequentially. Ductile fracture criteria are calibrated on the basis of several independent calibration tests under various stress states. One way how to verify calibrated model is to simulate numerically an experimental tests and follow the crack initiation and propagation. In the present study, selected phenomenological criteria were calibrated using various calibration tests. Then, selected calibration tests were simulated together with implemented ductile fracture criteria. In our case, the verification is carried out on tensile cylindrical specimens. Finally, computationally obtained results were compared to the experimentally observed ones and the prediction ability and reliability of selected phenomenological criteria is discussed.

Abstract: In order to investigate the effect of shot peening on the long life fatigue properties of Ti6Al4V (TC4), ultrasonic fatigue tests were performed with a frequency of 20 kHz. According to different heat treatment, two groups of specimens were surface modified by shot peening with an Almen intensity of 0.10 mmA~ 0.15 mmA and an overlapping rate of 100%. One group was stress-relief annealed at 650 °C, and the other was then treated with solution-aging. With the shot peening, both the depth of the residual stress layer and the maximum compressive residual stress are increased. Surface hardness is also increased. The fatigue strength is increased, but enhancement is no more than 5% because of the increase of surface roughness. Noticeably, all of the TC4 specimens after shot peening show inner crack initiations. Oxide inclusion is always the core of cracks, and the small crack propagation in crack initiation area acts as the slip of α-phase.

Abstract: Crack initiation and propagation during creep test in a recrystallization (RX) grain containing directionally solidified (DS) nickel-base superalloy was studied by employing electronic backscattered diffraction (EBSD) technique. Creep samples were locally deformed and then heat treated to get local RX at the center of the gauge length. Creep test was carried out at 980 °C/235 MPa. It was found that during creep test, precipitate free zones (PFZ) were formed along the RX grain boundary and the cracks were initiated and propagated along the interface (a) between PFZ and RX grains, (b) between PFZ and the matrix or (c) within PFZ. It indicated that the crack initiation and the propagation were crystal orientation dependent.

Abstract: During operation of transport and maneuverable gas-turbine units, there are crack formation in turbine disc rims what exerted by thermomechanical cycling loads. For in-depth study of these problems we have to use theories of plasticity and creep which form the basis for determining the complex stress-strain state in the stress concentration zone for disc rims, and a modern failure criterion which can predict lifetime under conditions of simultaneous plastic and creep strain accumulation. There is a finite-element method (FEM) that allows us to evaluate the stress-strain state in a stress concentration zone for a non-elastic material behavior. With plasticity and creep theories, it is possible to determine local strain quiet reliable by FEM.