Creep-fatigue Loading Research Articles

Experimental study and life prediction for aero-engine turbine blade considering creep-fatigue interaction effect

As an important failure form of the turbine blade, creep-fatigue interaction damage affects the safe operation and maintenance strategy of aero-engine, and has been the focus of scientific research and the academic community. Firstly, based on the Kachanov-Rabotnov-Lemaitre continuum damage mechanics theory and the nonlinear symmetry of creep damage and fatigue damage, a creep-fatigue life prediction model is constructed considering the interaction effect in this paper. Then, based on the thermal-fluid–solid multi-physical field coupling numerical simulation of the turbine blade, the equivalent method of creep-fatigue load spectrum was explored according to the equal damage criterion and linear damage rule, and the creep-fatigue interaction test of smooth samples of the blade material was conducted to analyze the creep-fatigue fracture morphology. Finally, the stress term in the creep-fatigue life prediction model of blade material is modified by the correction factor α, and the modified creep-fatigue life prediction model of the turbine blade is constructed considering the interaction effect. The results show that the modified creep-fatigue life prediction model considering the interaction effect has a high life prediction ability with an error of 3.9%. The above research has important scientific research value for the life extension design of turbine blades and the improvement of aero-engine maintenance strategy.

Crack propagation behavior of different zones in weldment under creep-fatigue loadings

In this paper, crack propagation behaviors in a weldment are simulated under cyclic loadings using crystal plasticity finite element coupled with the XFEM. The result shows that the cracks in heat affected zone grow faster than that in the welded zone. Short crack propagation dominated by dislocation activity takes approximately 4 to 5 grains, followed by long crack propagation which is unrelated to dislocation activity and the growth direction kept an angle to the loading direction (45°-51°). Experimentally observed deflections within grains and at grain boundaries, retardation at grain boundaries are captured by the simulation.

Long-term deformation of rock salt under creep–fatigue stress loading paths: Modeling and prediction

Rock salt, due to its water solubility, low permeability, high plasticity, and damage self-healing ability, is one of the best candidate rock types for underground energy storage. Utilizing salt caves to construct compressed air energy storage (CAES) facilities can effectively enhance the utilization of renewable energy. Due to the need for peak shaving, the surrounding rock of the salt cavern will undergo discontinuous cyclic loading with varying gas injection rates and pressures, namely, alternating creep–fatigue loading. Considering the actual peak-shaving cycle of a CAES plant, long-term creep–fatigue tests of rock salt with different loading cycles and stress levels were conducted. The results indicate that in long-term creep–fatigue tests for rock salt, the lower the loading stress rate is, the greater the deformation of the rock salt. The variation in the stress limit has a greater effect on creep than on fatigue loading and unloading. The deformation rate of rock salt is influenced by alterations in the stress state. Based on the test results, according to the Norton creep model, a new creep–fatigue constitutive model for rock salt was established by defining a state variable that characterizes the level of rock hardening and introducing unloading as well as crack factors. This model can accurately describe the impact of historical loading and unloading processes on the viscoplastic mechanical characteristics of rock salt. The rock salt creep–fatigue test results were used to verify the constitutive model. A comparison of the fitting curve of the different stress loading paths with the test curve reveals good consistency, indicating that the model comprehensively considers the effects of time, load, and state on rock salt creep–fatigue, effectively describing the viscoplastic deformation characteristics of rock salt under different stress paths. These research findings provide important guidance for ensuring the stability of salt caverns used for CAES.

Creep-fatigue behavior of thermal barrier coated single-crystal nickel-based superalloys

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) reduce the surface temperature of superalloy components but may affect the mechanical properties of the substrate. This study investigates the creep-fatigue behavior of TBC-coated single-crystal superalloys under 1 s, 60 s, and 180 s dwell times. The results indicate that TBCs are beneficial at a 1 s dwell time. The comparison of fracture morphology between coated and uncoated samples showed no change in the failure mechanism due to TBCs under creep-fatigue loading. A creep-fatigue lifetime prediction method based on continuous damage mechanics was also proposed. The predicted results were all within a double dispersion coefficient, showing good agreement with the experimental results. This study provides insights into the durability of TBC-coated single-crystal superalloys under creep-fatigue loading.

Plastic Shakedown Behavior and Deformation Mechanisms of Ti17 Alloy under Long Term Creep–Fatigue Loading

Ti17 alloy is mainly used to manufacture aero-engine discs due to its excellent properties such as high strength, toughness and hardenability. It is often subjected to creep–fatigue cyclic loading in service environments. Shakedown theory describes the state in which the accumulated plastic strain of the material stabilizes after several cycles of cyclic loading, without affecting its initial function and leading to failure. This theory includes three behaviors: elastic shakedown, plastic shakedown and ratcheting. In this paper, the creep–fatigue tests (CF) were conducted on Ti17 alloy at 300 °C to study its shakedown behavior under creep–fatigue cyclic loading. Based on the plasticity–creep superposition model, a theory model that accurately describes the shakedown behavior of Ti17 alloy was constructed, and ABAQUS finite element software was used to validate the accuracy of the model. TEM analysis was performed to observe the micro-mechanisms of shakedown in Ti17 alloy. The results reveal that the Ti17 alloy specimens exhibit plastic shakedown behavior after three cycles of creep–fatigue loading. The established finite element model can effectively predict the plastic shakedown process of Ti17 alloy, with a relative error between the experimental and simulation results within 4%. TEM results reveal that anelastic recovery controlled by dislocation bending and back stress hardening caused by inhomogeneous deformation are the main mechanisms for the plastic shakedown behavior of Ti17 alloy.

Cyclic deformation behaviors and damage mechanisms in P92 steel under creep-fatigue loading: Effects of hold condition and oxidation

P92 steel has gained plenty of attention as a top contender for steam generator components and main steam tubes due to the growing need to increase the energy conversion efficiency. However, a major contributor to the premature failure of these components remains the interaction of creep and fatigue damage caused by typical dwell fatigue loading conditions. In this study, creep-fatigue tests of P92 steel were conducted under strain-controlled cyclic loading including hold durations up to 3600 s at 873 K in air. Special attention was given to the influence of hold conditions and oxidation on cyclic deformation and damage mechanisms. The results revealed that introducing hold time substantially decreased the failure life, with compressive hold causing more severe damage than tensile hold. Additionally, oxidation became severer with longer hold time, resulting in increased surface roughness, crack initiation sites and density of secondary cracks. Fatigue dominated the failure in the case of the short-term tensile hold, and the interaction of creep, fatigue and oxidation dominated the failure in long-term tensile hold tests. In contrast, the failure in compressive hold case was dominated by fatigue and severe oxidation. Furthermore, a three-dimensional oxidation-creep-fatigue damage interaction diagram was proposed for quantitative assessments in practice.

A phase-field fracture model for creep-fatigue behavior

A phase-field fracture model for creep-fatigue behavior is proposed. The fatigue and creep behavior are simulated by modifying the free energy functional through a total degradation function that diminishes fracture toughness with the accumulation of the relevant history variable. Specifically, strain energy density and creep strain serve as the chosen fatigue and creep history variables, respectively. To model the creep-fatigue interaction, we propose several total degradation function formulations comprising fatigue and creep degradation functions. Numerical experiments demonstrate the capability of our model to reproduce the strain-lifetime relationship and crack growth behavior under creep-fatigue loading conditions with varying hold times. Moreover, we simulated examples of plates with holes, demonstrating the capability of our model for complex crack paths.

Cyclic response and residual life prediction of Inconel 718 superalloy after overloading under hybrid stress-strain controlled creep-fatigue loading

Inconel 718 is a material for manufacturing turbine disks, which is subjected to complex loads of creep-fatigue during service. This paper examines the effect of constant stress overloading at various lifespan stages on subsequent cyclic deformation, fracture behavior, and residual lifetime in hybrid stress and strain-controlled creep-fatigue interaction (HCFI) experiments conducted at 650℃. Overloading of 800 MPa constant stress with 180 min dwell time is applied at the 10 %, 25 %, 50 %, 65 %, and 70 % lifespan of HCFI tests. Results show that overloading reduces the residual life of the material obviously and makes a significant impact on the subsequent creep-fatigue deformation behavior, and additional damage is induced when overloading is applied towards the end of the lifespan. Moreover, more severe grain boundary damage leading to the final intergranular fracture is identified through microstructural analysis following overloading. Finally, equivalent damage is proposed to quantify the creep-fatigue damage affected by overloading, resulting in accurate life prediction outcomes.

Validated assessment of power plant components with flaws and defects operating under long-term creep and isothermal creep-fatigue loading

An extensive database of frequently used heat-resistant steels 1 %Cr, 9–10 %Cr and 12 %Cr steels at application-typical temperatures was evaluated using the Nikbin-Smith-Webster model. Influencing factors, such as the initial plasticization and the specimen thickness, were investigated in the evaluation of the fracture mechanics material characteristic values. A thickness influencing factor fB for crack initiation is proposed, which improves the crack initiation estimation using the NSW model and reduces its over-conservatism notably. It could be shown that the crack initiation and especially the crack growth under creep loading can be described with sufficient accuracy by the modification of the NSW model. The limitation in the application of the C*-parameter could also be shown and explained by the Two-Criteria-Diagram (2CD). It should be applied to crack geometries with predominant crack tip damage. The 2CD is shown as preferred method for a more precise, material-related understanding and assessment of the crack initiation process.Based on the recalculation of fracture mechanics tests on CT und DENT specimens, the analytical approaches for the description of crack initiation and growth under creep and isothermal creep-fatigue loading could be validated in the long-term range by comparison with the experimental results up to 100,000 h.Finally, the transferability of these approaches from CT und DENT specimens to large components was investigated by calculating cracked components under practical creep and isothermal creep fatigue loading using these methods. It has been shown that the load level and the duration of holding time are decisive for the crack initiation and the crack growth under isothermal creep-fatigue loading. In the case of high stress and shorter holding times, the damage is predominantly influenced by fatigue. With lower stress and longer holding times, creep plays a more important role.

Crack tunnelling analysis of P91 steel under creep-fatigue loading with various force ratios and hold times at 600 ºC

ABSTRACT The advent of non-conventional and renewable energy sources places a tremendous strain on generic sources of power generation, which have been historically conceived and designed for constant-load criteria, as they are compelled to conform to a ‘fluctuating’ mode of operation so as to comply with modern-day energy requirements. Power plants undergo a starting schedule, followed by sustained operation at intermediate loads when the energy requirement is mediocre. This renders the evaluation of material behaviour under creep-fatigue conditions, a critical component of failure prevention and prediction. ASTM has come up with a standard E-2760 for creep-fatigue crack growth (CFCG) testing, wherein Compact tension, C(T) specimens, are subjected to trapezoidal loading waveforms. In this article, the crack tunnelling phenomenon has been objectively evaluated along with exploring the propagation of crack growth fronts and the crack tip opening angles (CTOA).

Damage and hardening evolution characteristics of sandstone under multilevel creep–fatigue loading

During the operation of artificial underground structures, the surrounding rock experiences fatigue and creep damage caused by several types of disturbances under long-term constant loading. To quantify the mechanical response of sandstone under creep–fatigue loading, a damage–hardening evolution model based on the linear superposition concept is proposed. In the model, coupling is applied to represent the synergistic effect of creep and fatigue. Creep–fatigue tests of sandstone specimens are conducted under multilevel loading. The damage and hardening effects of sandstone under creep–fatigue loading are complex. Hardening is the dominant effect under low creep–fatigue loads, and damage is the dominant effect under high creep–fatigue loads. The strength of the rock specimens undergoes increasing and decreasing trends under this loading path, and the evolution of the Mohr–Coulomb envelope is discussed. The proposed model can be used to describe the test data and the evolution of the creep–fatigue process. With increasing creep–fatigue number, the acoustic emission amplitude, energy, and cumulative counts increase. However, the amplitude is more sensitive than the energy, indicating that it is more suitable for describing creep–fatigue loading. Furthermore, the peak frequencies of the AE signals are mostly distributed in the 0–15 kHz, 15–30 kHz, 30–45 kHz, and 45–55 kHz regions. The signal proportion in the 45–55 kHz zone decreases with the creep–fatigue number. However, other frequency zones increase with the creep–fatigue number. This phenomenon illustrates that the crack scale of the specimens increases with the creep–fatigue number.

Statistical analysis of the effect of micro-defect size on the low cyclic fatigue and creep fatigue response of 316FR stainless steel using crystal plasticity finite element method

The main purpose of this study is to explore and discuss the effect of micro-defects of different sizes on the low cyclic fatigue (LCF) and creep fatigue (CF) behavior in 316FR stainless steel. From the crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) perspective, representative volume element (RVE) models including different micro-defect sizes are systematically developed, and an extended Armstrong-Frederick (A-F) nonlinear kinematic hardening rule is used to capture the LCF and CF behavior of the 316FR stainless steel. Statistical probability analysis shows that the relative errors between the macroscopic stress–strain simulation results and the experimental data ranged from 0.24% to 16.52%, indicating that the model has high accuracy. Three fatigue index parameters (FIPs) are used to characterize the degree of fatigue of the material: the standard deviation of strain increases with increasing micro-defect size, and the standard deviation of the maximum strain at CF loads exceeds that at LCF loads by 0.0173; the larger the size of the micro-defects are, the coarser the persistent slip band (PSB) around the defects is; the strain distribution under CF loading is wider than that of LCF, and the strain at 99% of the strain accumulation frequency at CF loading exceeds that at LCF loading by 0.078. These results indicate that the larger the defect sizes are, the higher the degree of fatigue accumulation in 316FR stainless steel is, and that the deformation behavior of the material is more complex under CF loading.

Interaction and superposition of creep damage and high-cycle fatigue of coarse-grained nickel-base alloy 247

ABSTRACT The cast coarse-grained polycrystalline Alloy 247 is investigated, which is typically used in the rear turbine blades of land-based gas turbines. High rotational speeds up to 10,000 rpm in combination with high temperatures induce creep deformation. Additionally, gas turbine blades are subjected to high-frequency cyclic stresses. This complex loading state requires the investigation of the interaction of creep damage and high-cycle fatigue (HCF). Therefore, HCF tests with a stress ratio of Rσ = −1 were carried out on as-received and pre-crept specimens. In comparison, an HCF test series with high mean stresses (Rσ = 0.5) was conducted to consider the superposition of creep and fatigue. Since nickel-base alloys exhibit a pronounced elastic anisotropy, the grain orientations were considered in the damage analysis. The results show that creep-induced grain boundary damage is a dominant structural parameter for the HCF behaviour of Alloy 247 in both, sequential and superpositioned creep-fatigue loading.

An investigation into the influence of variable amplitude creep-fatigue loading on plasticity-induced crack closure

Finite element simulations of fatigue crack growth (FCG) and creep-fatigue crack growth (CFCG) under constant amplitude (CA) and variable amplitude (VA) loading waveforms are performed to investigate the mechanics of crack opening and closing, which has implications on crack growth rate. The material of study is the ferritic-martensitic steel 9Cr-1Mo (modified 9Cr-1Mo) at 625 °C. Two-dimensional finite element analyses of compact tension (CT) specimens are performed to simulate crack growth under several VA loading scenarios, considering elastic–plastic and creep deformations of the material at the crack tip. In this study, the relevant variable influencing crack growth rate is the crack opening load, caused by the phenomenon of plasticity-induced crack closure. A series of loading conditions were simulated using the finite element method, i.e., fatigue overload (OL) in either CA FCG or CFCG waveforms, creep-fatigue OL in CFCG waveforms, and underload (UL) in CFCG waveforms. The crack opening loads obtained from this study for CA loading in both FCG and CFCG, agree with data from published studies. This study also found that a significant reduction in crack opening loads is experienced by the growing crack when an OL or UL cycle was introduced. Immediately after the OL or UL cycle is applied, the crack opening load increases during both fatigue OL and creep-fatigue OL to values larger than those recorded during CA FCG and CFCG loading, whereas UL waveforms result in consistently lower crack opening loads. The increase in crack opening loads is proportional to both the extent of OL and the duration of hold time in the OL cycle. However, following the application of a UL, the crack opening loads in the subsequent cycles were not influenced by the magnitude of the UL or the duration of hold time in the UL cycle.

Creep-fatigue behavior of nickel-based single crystal superalloy with different orientations: Experimental characterization and multi-scale simulation

In order to clarify the creep-fatigue interaction properties of nickel-based single crystal superalloys with different orientations, mechanical tests of [001], [011] and [111] orientations were conducted at 980°Cunder various stress states and microstructural characterization was performed. The results demonstrated that the creep-fatigue life was longest for the [111] orientation, followed by the [001] orientation, and the [011] orientation exhibited the lowest life. Furthermore, as stress levels increased, the life of specimens with different orientations decreased. Damage accumulation in specimens with various orientations was primarily influenced by the formation and growth of material micropores. Fracture analysis revealed that the failure of [001] and [111] oriented specimens resulted from a combination of multi-slip systems and micropore aggregation. Conversely, the fracture of [011] oriented specimens occurred due to a single slip system. Molecular dynamics simulation was employed to analyze the evolution of defects under creep-fatigue loading for different orientation models, further supporting the fracture mechanism. In addition, the life of the specimens was predicted using the crystal plasticity theory based on energy dissipation, and the results were within ±1.5 error bands.

A comparative study of creep-fatigue life prediction for complex geometrical specimens using supervised machine learning

This study proposes a supervised machine learning approach to predict the creep-fatigue life of complex geometrical specimens. Seven different specimens were tested under creep-fatigue loading, and finite element analysis and test results showed that the stress distribution and life of the specimens were significantly influenced by the diameters and arrangement of holes. Characteristic parameters were proposed to describe the specimens' features, and support vector regression (SVR) and artificial neural network (ANN) methods were utilized to predict their life. The results indicate that both methods are effective in predicting the life of the specimens, with the ANN showing better performance when input data is limited. This study offers valuable insights into the leading factors behind the failure of complex geometrical specimens under creep-fatigue loading.

Crystal plasticity constitutive model and thermodynamics informed creep-fatigue life prediction model for Ni-based single crystal superalloy

Ni-based single crystal superalloys are the main constituent materials for aeroengine turbine blades. They are subjected to extensive in-service plastic deformation and creep-fatigue interaction, which can cause damage and failure and hence limit the turbine blade durability. In this study, a novel crystal plasticity-based constitutive model is proposed to predict the cyclic inelastic deformation of Ni-based single crystal superalloy under creep-fatigue loads, and the key aspects examined include cyclic strain hardening, ratcheting and stress relaxation behavior. The novelty of the model lies in the introduction of a dislocation density parameter in the kinematic hardening rule to describe the evolutionary characteristics of hysteresis loops. The constitutive model is implemented via the crystal plasticity finite element method and the predictions are in good agreement with experimental results. Furthermore, thermodynamic entropy generation is innovatively adopted as an indicator parameter for analysis of Ni-based single crystal creep-fatigue failure, and the corresponding creep and fatigue damage models are developed to evaluate the degree of damage. The half-life concept associated with the steady-state hysteresis loop is employed in the failure model to predict the creep-fatigue life without being limited by the computational efficiency of the crystal plasticity finite element method. The proposed model can well capture the characteristics of Ni-based single crystal creep-fatigue life, and the prediction falls within a scatter band of factor 2.0 compared to experimental results. The proposed creep-fatigue life prediction model is underpinned by deformation and failure mechanisms, which would provide a basis for accurate analysis and robust assessment of Ni-based single crystal superalloy performance and life.

System-level creep-fatigue reliability evaluation by engineering damage mechanics incorporating cumulative damage-damage threshold interference

Reliability assessment for structural system is of great significance in ensuring system safety, providing a scientific guidance for life management. In this work, a creep-fatigue reliability modeling method is developed for system-level perspective on the basis of cumulative damage-damage threshold interference. Probabilistic damage accumulations to given loading cycles are associated with the creep-fatigue models considering multi-source uncertainties and the damage threshold is regarded as a random variable. Particularly, a numerical procedure is proposed for practical application in engineering by combining the Monte Carlo simulation with Gaussian process regression-based surrogate model. Furthermore, a low-pressure turbine disk under creep-fatigue loading condition is taken as an instance to evaluate its reliability considering multiple weakness sites. Results show that the proposed method is better than the independent treatment because it is capable of avoiding the overly-conservative reliability estimation. In addition, the influence of damage summation rules and damage threshold on reliability is quantitatively analyzed in terms of the developed method. The effect of random parameters in structural system on computational efficiency of the proposed numerical procedure is investigated.

A physically-based constitutive model for a novel heat resistant martensitic steel under different cyclic loading modes: Microstructural strengthening mechanisms

Cyclic responses of a novel heat resistant martensitic steel, 9Cr3Co3W1CuVNbB steel, under different loading modes were studied to reveal its complex strengthening mechanisms at high temperature. Based on the experimental observations, dislocation strengthening, precipitation strengthening by M23C6 phase, MX phase, and Cu-rich phase, and subgrain boundary strengthening were the main mechanisms for its excellent fatigue and creep-fatigue properties. In particular, the dynamic process of interaction between phase and dislocation were studied with the help of molecular dynamics method, and the different contributions of hard and soft phases in the studied steel were determined in fatigue and creep-fatigue loading. Based on these phenomena, a physically-based constitutive model was proposed for both fatigue and creep-fatigue (dwell fatigue at elevated temperature) tests considering various micromechanical mechanisms. Three ways for dislocation annihilation were proposed to simulate the dislocation evolution under different loadings. In addition, the effect of Cu-rich phase was modeled by critical breaking angle and dislocation line tension. The capability of the proposed model under different loading modes was verified by comparing cyclic responses, hysteresis loops, stress relaxation, and dislocation density evolution. The proposed model provides an alternative perspective on understanding fatigue and creep-fatigue behaviors of heat resistant martensitic steels owning the similar strengthening mechanisms.

Creep-fatigue damage mechanisms and life prediction based on crystal plasticity combined with grain boundary cavity model in a nickel-based superalloy at 650°C

In this study, a dual-scale numerical procedure is developed to reveal the creep-fatigue damage mechanisms and estimate the crack initiation life for notched structures made of Inconel 718 superalloy at 650 °C. The macro-scale simulation solves the creep-fatigue deformation behavior with viscoplastic constitutive models, and the local deformation histories are supplied to the micro-scale simulation as boundary conditions. In the micro-scale simulation, the local damage evolutions are solved based on crystal plasticity combined with grain boundary cavity model. The creep damage is calculated by a special formulation in the form of cavity nucleation, growth and coalescence. The fatigue damage is represented by accumulated energy dissipation originated from crystal plasticity finite element simulation. Experimentally, the creep-fatigue tests of notched structures are carried out for Inconel 718 superalloy at 650 °C to validate the feasibility and robustness of the proposed numerical procedure. Moreover, the crack initiation behavior, including transgranular cracks under fatigue loading and intergranular cracks under creep-fatigue loading, is explained through different types of microstructure observations together with a dual-scale numerical procedure. In detail, the crack initiation sites transferred from the grain interior at notched surface to the grain boundaries at notched subsurface with an increase in hold times can be well predicted by the proposed numerical procedure. In addition, the simulated life based on the developed life prediction approach agrees well with the experimental data within an error band of ±2. Parametric studies show that the creep damage is more sensitive to grain boundary diffusion than to the external conditions of strain level and hold time.