High Stress Regions Research Articles

Fluid-structure interaction and life prediction of small-scale damaged horizontal axis wind turbine blades

Throughout their operational lifespan and exposure to various environmental conditions, wind turbines experience diverse loading scenarios that could lead to blade cracking, affecting their structural integrity. This research focuses on analyzing the blade lifespan of two small-scale wind turbines, namely Air Silent X and Pikasola. The investigation introduces deliberate irregularities like holes, erosion, and cracks to examine their effects on blade durability. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) are used to assess aerodynamic loads, deflection, and stress levels on the blades under different wind speeds. Leveraging the fracture analysis tool within ANSYS, the study predicts blade lifespan in terms of cycles. The findings revealed that anomalies located near high-stress regions tend to reduce the lifespan of blades compared to those positioned in lower-stress areas.

Thermal stress and contact analysis utilizing tested temperature data in a kW-class external-manifold solid oxide fuel cell stack

Thermal stress and contact are two pivotal factors influencing the operational lifespan and performance of solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stacks. In practical kW-MW SOFC systems, stack boxes are typically constructed using kW-class stack blocks comprising dozens of cells. Temperature distribution affects the thermal stress distribution, thus affecting the contact of the stack. In this work, the thermal stress distribution and contact of a 2.5 kW external-manifold stack composed of 60 repeat units are investigated by using finite element analysis (FEA). To get a more accurate and realistic results, temperature data of a stack measured in an ongoing SOFC system is incorporated into the computational model. The influences of the clamp loads from manifolds, the structure of current collectors, the number of spacer plates, and the thickness of interconnects on the thermal stress distribution and contact of the stack are investigated. In the basic stack, the tensile stress induced by the temperature gradient appears to be the primary cause of the high thermal stress in the air inlet region of top cells. Due to the high-temperature strength of the seal material and endplates, the contact is inferior in cells near endplates. Increasing the clamp loads of manifolds within specified limits leads to a reduction in both the magnitude and area of high thermal stress, concurrently enhancing the stack contact. Strengthening the current collector structure induces more high-stress regions and simultaneously increases the stack contact. The introduction of overmuch spacer plates results in more high stress regions and a deterioration in stack contact. Moreover, increasing the thickness of interconnects introduces more high stress regions, negatively impacting stack contact.

Thermo-mechanical analysis and creep lifetime prediction of coated turbine vanes considering thermal barrier coating spallation characteristics

Quantitative analysis of the influence of thermal barrier coating spallation on the thermo-mechanical behaviors and creep lifetime of turbine vanes is crucial for their maintenance and reliability improvement. The temperature and stress distribution of vanes with preset coating spallation damage are investigated in this study, using the thermal-fluid-solid coupling method. Additionally, a further computational analysis is conducted to predict the hazardous regions and creep lifetime of the vanes. The results indicate that coating spallation leads to significant changes of the temperature and stress distribution at the spalled regions of vanes. The remaining coating on the unspalled regions continues to provide effective protection. Stress concentration primarily occurs at the upstream and downstream of the leading edge film holes, while high-stress regions are observed between adjacent rows of film holes, forming a serrated shape. The creep lifetime of the vanes decreases significantly at the region with coating spallation. When the same spallation area is considered, the coating spallation at the leading edge has a more serious influence on creep lifetime, which is more likely to cause the vanes failure. This study reveals the influence of coating spallation characteristics on the thermo-mechanical behaviors and creep lifetime of vanes, providing valuable insights for durability assessment of coated high-temperature components.

Wear behaviors and plastic deformation mechanisms induced by nano-grinding of indium-doped gallium nitride single crystal

The wear behaviors and plastic deformation mechanisms of indium (In)-doped gallium nitride (GaN) induced by nano-grinding are investigated in this work, which is of great significance for improving the quality and precision of the machined surface of the nitride semiconductor, as well as for elucidating their mechanical properties during the nano-grinding process. A numerical simulation approach based on molecular dynamics (MD) is used to carry out a comparative analysis of the nano-grinding process for the undoped and In-doped GaN by analyzing the machined surface morphology, formation mechanisms of the subsurface damage (SSD) layer, dislocation behaviors, and residual stress. In addition, the effects of material temperature and grinding speed on the nano-grinding process of the In-doped GaN are investigated. Compared to the undoped GaN, indium doping increases the pile-ups and chips on both sides of the abrasive, the roughness of the machined surface, and the coefficient of friction. Moreover, it reduces the thickness of the SSD layer and restricts the occurrence of phase transformations. Indium doping also weakens the dislocation interactions and reduces the generation of dislocation entanglements as well as wall-like dislocations. Furthermore, it decreases the maximum value of the residual stress and increases the area of high residual stress regions. The wear behaviors and plastic deformation mechanisms of In-doped GaN are quite sensitive to material temperature, but not much influenced by grinding speed.

Feasibility of using superelastic shape memory alloy in plastic hinge regions of steel bridge columns for seismic applications

AbstractThis paper contributes to the further development of seismic resilient infrastructure by introducing a novel prototype bridge which integrates tubular steel piers with superelastic shape memory alloy (SMA). The proposed bridge pier is composed of a circular steel tube which is bonded to a superelastic SMA tube in regions of high stress. The pier is distinguished by its ability to minimize residual drifts following inelastic deformations induced by cyclic loading. Three‐dimensional continuum finite element (FE) models are utilized to examine its lateral behavior. Experimental data is used to demonstrate the effectiveness of the continuum FE procedure in replicating the cyclic response and capturing both global and localized behaviors. A novel composite material model is proposed to represent the degradation of strength and accumulation of irreversible strains in the cyclic response of superelastic SMAs. An iterative procedure for the calibration of this material is presented. Investigations, employing the calibrated FE procedure, focus on the quasi‐static cyclic response of steel piers with superelastic SMA in the plastic hinge zone, aiming to identify the optimal length of the SMA tube for achieving a self‐centering response with reduced residual deformation. The study is then further expanded to examine the seismic response of a bridge structure incorporating such piers. Development of the FE model for the prototype bridge includes the modelling of the piers using continuum elements, while the superstructure, bearing units, abutment walls, and backfill material are modelled using discrete elements. Nonlinear time history analyses are undertaken to investigate the effects of column wall thickness and materials used in the plastic hinge zones of the piers. Dynamic FE study results indicate that bridges employing such piers are capable of returning to their original position, provided the SMA tube is of adequate length.

Effect of crack on morphology evolution of the precipitates in Nickel-based superalloys under applied stress

Nickel-based superalloys are widely used in turbine blades and aviation engine due to their outstanding mechanical property at elevated temperatures. The superior mechanical property of nickel-based superalloys is highly relevant to the morphology evolution of γ′ precipitates in the γ matrix phase. At high temperature, the directional coarsening of γ′ precipitates may result in rafting behavior under applied stress. In addition, defects such as the cavities, inclusions and micro-cracks introduced during the manufacturing process in superalloys have significant influence on the evolution of the γ′ precipitates. In this work, a phase field model with crack and precipitate as order parameters has been proposed to investigate the effect of crack on the morphology evolution of the γ′ precipitates. The morphology evolution and volume fraction evolution of the γ′ precipitates in the Nickel-based superalloys with different cracks have been investigated under the tensile and shear stresses. It is found that the local high equivalent stress and high elastic strain energy near the crack lead to the migration of solute atoms from the high stress region to the low stress region. The migration of solute atoms results in the disappearance of the γ' phases in the vicinity of cracks, which is consistent with the experimental observation. The disappearance of the γ' phases around the crack reduces the volume fraction of the γ′ precipitates, which will affect the mechanical property of the superalloys.

Creep strength breakdown and the change in back stress strengthening in 10 % Cr martensitic steels during creep at 923 K

The creep strength breakdown in 10 % Cr martensitic steels appeared under creep conditions at a temperature of 923 K and the applied stresses below 120 MPa as a declination from linear regression obtained using short-term creep data. To reveal the origin of creep strength breakdown, the back stress strengthening conception was used. In the initial state, both 10 % Cr martensitic steels had a tempered martensite lath structure with a high dislocation density in the lath interiors and in the lath boundaries, which was stabilized by M23C6 carbides, NbX carbonitrides, and M6C carbides. The shear internal back stresses of 57.5–68.5 MPa and 35–37 MPa were obtained from the creep rate – stress relationship for the regions of high applied stress (above 120 MPa) and low applied stress (below 120 MPa), respectively. The transition from the high stress region to the low stress one in both steels was accompanied by a significant decrease in the dislocation density by an order of magnitude as well as a decrease in particle number density and an increase in the inter-particle spacing in the M23C6 carbide and Laves phase particles located at the low-angle boundaries of the martensitic laths/subgrains. The root mean square superposition of the dislocation and particle contributions to the shear internal back stresses gave the best coincidence with the values obtained from the creep data. The stability of the M23C6 carbide and Laves phase particles located at the low-angle boundaries was concluded to be the key factor suppressing the creep strength breakdown in the 10 % Cr martensitic steels.

A structural curve with reduced stress concentration and its elastic–plastic failure analysis

Stress concentration represents a significant concern in engineering failure analysis, influencing various failure mechanisms. Mitigating stress concentration requires the implementation of an efficient transition curve. However, traditional transition curve designs, including single-curvature, multi-curvature, elliptical, and streamlined types, prove to be suboptimal solutions. This study proposes an innovative transition curve scheme inspired by biological structures to mitigate inherent stress concentration at transition regions. Tensile tests are performed on specimens featuring various transition curve schemes to assess their mechanical performance and validate the superiority of the proposed scheme. Finite element simulation is employed to analyze stress distribution under tension and bending for the various schemes. Digital Image Correlation experiments were performed to validate the numerical simulations. Results demonstrate that the proposed scheme enhances load-bearing capacity, narrows the range of high-stress and yield regions, and optimizes force flow. By incorporating critical position and limit values of the transition curve, the proposed scheme effectively disperses stress, reducing the stress concentration factor to below 1.03. This design methodology can be applied to develop transition curves for shaft shoulders and variable section parts, thereby enhancing safety, structural stability, and durability. Ultimately, this scheme extends the lifespan of the structure.

Proliferation-driven mechanical compression induces signalling centre formation during mammalian organ development.

Localized sources of morphogens, called signalling centres, play a fundamental role in coordinating tissue growth and cell fate specification during organogenesis. However, how these signalling centres are established in tissues during embryonic development is still unclear. Here we show that the main signalling centre orchestrating development of rodent incisors, the enamel knot (EK), is specified by a cell proliferation-driven buildup in compressive stresses (mechanical pressure) in the tissue. Direct mechanical measurements indicate that the stresses generated by cell proliferation are resisted by the surrounding tissue, creating a circular pattern of mechanical anisotropy with a region of high compressive stress at its centre that becomes the EK. Pharmacological inhibition of proliferation reduces stresses and suppresses EK formation, and application of external pressure in proliferation-inhibited conditions rescues the formation of the EK. Mechanical information is relayed intracellularly through YAP protein localization, which is cytoplasmic in the region of compressive stress that establishes the EK and nuclear in the stretched anisotropic cells that resist the pressure buildup around the EK. Together, our data identify a new role for proliferation-driven mechanical compression in the specification of a model signalling centre during mammalian organ development.

Validation of a patient-specific finite element analysis framework for identification of growing rod-failure regions in early onset scoliosis patients

PurposeGrowing rods are the gold-standard for treatment of early onset scoliosis (EOS). However, these implanted rods experience frequent fractures, requiring additional surgery. A recent study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) identified four common rod fracture locations. Leveraging this data, Agarwal et al. were able to correlate these fractures to high-stress regions using a novel finite element analysis (FEA) framework for one patient. The current study aims to further validate this framework through FEA modeling extended to multiple patients.MethodsThree patient-specific FEA models were developed to match the pre-operative patient data taken from both registry and biplanar radiographs. The surgical procedure was then simulated to match the post-operative deformity. Body weight and flexion bending (1 Nm) loads were then applied and the output stress data on the rods were analyzed.ResultsRadiographic data showed fracture locations at the mid-construct, adjacent to the distal and tandem connector across the patients. Stress analysis from the FEA showed these failure locations matched local high-stress regions for all fractures observed. These results qualitatively validate the efficacy of the FEA framework by showing a decent correlation between localized high-stress regions and the actual fracture sites in the patients.ConclusionsThis patient-specific, in-silico framework has huge potential to be used as a surgical tool to predict sites prone to fracture in growing rod implants. This prospective information would therefore be vital for surgical planning, besides helping optimize implant design for reducing rod failures.

Efficient and Stable Proton Exchange Membrane Water Electrolysis Enabled by Stress Optimization.

Proton exchange membrane water electrolysis (PEMWE) is a promising solution for the conversion and storage of fluctuating renewable energy sources. Although tremendously efficient materials have been developed, commercial PEMWE products still cannot fulfill industrial demands regarding efficiency and stability. In this work, we demonstrate that the stress distribution, a purely mechanical parameter in electrolyzer assembly, plays a critical role in overall efficiency and stability. The conventional cell structure, which usually adopts a serpentine flow channel (S-FC) to deliver and distribute reactants and products, resulted in highly uneven stress distribution. Consequently, the anode catalyst layer (ACL) under the high stress region was severely deformed, whereas the low stress region was not as active due to poor electrical contact. To address these issues, we proposed a Ti mesh flow channel (TM-FC) with gradient pores to reduce the stress inhomogeneity. Consequently, the ACL with TM-FC exhibited 27 mV lower voltage initially and an 8-fold reduction in voltage degradation rate compared to that with S-FC at 2.0 A/cm2. Additionally, the applicability of the TM-FC was demonstrated in cross-scale electrolyzers up to 100 kW, showing a voltage increase of only 20 mV (accounting for less than 2% of overall voltage) after three orders of magnitude scaleup.

Ultrasonic irrigation flows in root canals: effects of ultrasound power and file insertion depth

Ultrasonic irrigation during root canal treatment can enhance biofilm disruption. The challenge is to improve the fluid flow so that the irrigant reaches areas inaccessible to hand instrumentation. The aim of this study is to experimentally investigate how the flow field and hydrodynamic forces induced by ultrasonic irrigation are influenced by the ultrasound power and file insertion depth. A root canal phantom was 3D printed and used as a mold for the fabrication of a PDMS channel. An ultrasonic instrument with a #15K-file provided the irrigation. The flow field was studied by means of Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The time averaged velocity and shear stress distributions were found to vary significantly with ultrasound power. Their maximum values increase sharply for low powers and up to a critical power level. At and above this setting, the flow pattern changes, from the high velocity and shear stress region confined in the vicinity of the tip, to one covering the whole root canal domain. Exceeding this threshold also induces a moderate increase in the maximum velocities and shear stresses. The insertion depth was found to have a smaller effect on the measured velocity and shear stresses. Due to the oscillating nature of the flow, instantaneous maximum velocities and shear stresses can reach much higher values than the mean, especially for high powers. Ultrasonic irrigation will benefit from using a higher power setting as this does produce greater shear stresses near the walls of the root canal leading to the potential for increased biofilm removal.

Study on wear of diamond during scratching SiC using molecular dynamics simulations

In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations have been performed to investigate the wear mechanisms of diamond probe scratching 3C-SiC substrate. The number of worn atoms, the number of atoms in contact with the substrate, the friction force and normal force all increased significantly with the increase of the scratching depth. It is also found that as the scratching depth increased, the high stress region gradually shifted from the bottom to the rear end of the probe, indicating the risk of probe failure changing from gradual wear to fracture. Moreover, the SiC substrate undergone high temperature, high compressive stress and structural transformation in the wear process. We also found that only single atoms or atomic clusters are detached from the tip under the attractive interaction, indicating the occurrence of atomic attrition. The insights gained can shed light on the wear mechanism of diamond tool in machining SiC and provide a theoretical reference for controlling diamond tool wear in ultra-precision machining.

Thermal Transport and Mechanical Stress Mapping of a Compression Bonded GaN/Diamond Interface for Vertical Power Devices.

Bonding diamond to the back side of gallium nitride (GaN) electronics has been shown to improve thermal management in lateral devices; however, engineering challenges remain with the bonding process and characterizing the bond quality for vertical device architectures. Here, integration of these two materials is achieved by room-temperature compression bonding centimeter-scale GaN and a diamond die via an intermetallic bonding layer of Ti/Au. Recent attempts at GaN/diamond bonding have utilized a modified surface activation bonding (SAB) method, which requires Ar fast atom bombardment immediately followed by bonding within the same tool under ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) conditions. The method presented here does not require a dedicated SAB tool yet still achieves bonding via a room-temperature metal-metal compression process. Imaging of the buried interface and the total bonding area is achieved via transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and confocal acoustic scanning microscopy (C-SAM), respectively. The thermal transport quality of the bond is extracted from spatially resolved frequency-domain thermoreflectance (FDTR) with the bonded areas boasting a thermal boundary conductance of >100 MW/m2·K. Additionally, Raman maps of GaN near the GaN-diamond interface reveal a low level of compressive stress, <80 MPa, in well-bonded regions. FDTR and Raman were coutilized to map these buried interfaces and revealed some poor thermally bonded areas bordered by high-stress regions, highlighting the importance of spatial sampling for a complete picture of bond quality. Overall, this work demonstrates a novel method for thermal management in vertical GaN devices that maintains low intrinsic stresses while boasting high thermal boundary conductances.

Design of the multiphase material structures with mass, stiffness, stress, and dynamic criteria via a modified ordered SIMP topology optimization

This paper, a multi-material topology optimization method (MMTO) is presented for two-dimensional structures using modified ordered solid isotropic material with penalization (SIMP) under multiple constraints such as mass, stiffness, frequency, and stress. The element density is obtained by a density filtering and the Heaviside approximation, which are combined to avoid gray elements and numerical issues of stress. Effective improvement of multiphase material topology optimization was performed including the criteria for stiffness, stress, and free vibration. P-norm stress aggregation is employed to calculate the maximum von Mises stress and sensitivity of von Mises stress is formulated by the adjoint method. The natural frequency and stress constraints are solved simultaneously to enhance the stability and reduce the stress concentration of the optimized structures, which are not much covered in the literature. The multi-mode phenomenon in the eigenfrequency problem is treated by the simply proposed technique. Results indicate that the multi-material designs with multi-constraints can be illustrated and optimized effectively. The optimized topologies, for stress minimization, indicate that the maximum stress can be significantly reduced compared with compliance minimization. The maximum von Mises stress of the topological results considering the maximum stiffness with natural frequency and mass constraints is higher than that maximum stiffness with only mass constraints, which indicates that the optimized structure created considering the eigenvalues is safer. The proposed approach can obtain a reasonable result that effectively controls the stress level and reduces the stress concentration at the high stress regions of multi-phase material structures with multi-constraints. Benchmark numerical examples are presented to confirm the effectiveness of the presented method.

Unveiling fracture mechanics of a curved coating/substrate system by combined digital image correlation and numerical finite element analyses

A mechanism of coated, curved substrate failure is characterized via a C-ring compression test and multiscale modeling analysis. Coating crack formation is driven by sudden through-thickness cleavage in accordance with Mode I fracture type. The fracture is arrested at the coating/substrate interface. The cracks continue to widen as the underlying substrate experiences periodic regions of high stress under the crack and regions of relaxed stresses under the remaining intact coating. An analytical, closed form solution model developed via curved beam theory captures the hoop stress in the axis transverse to external loading and predicts the external load at crack initiation. After the onset of cracking, the system transitions to cleavage driven failure, which is simulated via element deletion failure in a small-scale explicit dynamics finite element model. The macroscale explicit dynamics finite element model, analytical solution, and bulk experimental results agree. The correlation between coating microstructure and deposition method is also investigated and reveals that high interfacial roughness and equiaxed grain morphology correspond to higher loader carrying capability and lower crack density while low interfacial roughness and smooth columnar grains correspond to higher strain to coating failure.

The Effects of Residual Femoral Deformity on Computed Contact Mechanics in Patients Treated With In Situ Fixation for Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis.

In situ fixation for treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) can stabilize the epiphysis and prevent further joint deformation but often leaves residual deformity that may adversely affect intra-articular contact mechanics. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between residual deformity and contact mechanics in the post-SCFE hip. Patient-specific hip models were created for 19 patients with SCFE treated with in situ fixation. For each model, discrete element analysis was used to compute cumulative acetabular and femoral contact stress exposure during a walking gait cycle. Slip severity was evaluated for each patient using the two-dimensional Southwick angle and a novel three-dimensional (3D) assessment of multiplanar femoral deformity (3D slip angle). Of the SCFE cases, 2/7 mild (Southwick angle ≤30 degrees) had peak cumulative femoral exposures equivalent to that of severe (Southwick angle ≥60 degrees) cases. Severe SCFE cases had higher peak ( P = 0.015) and mean ( P = 0.028) femoral contact stress exposure and lower cumulative femoral contact area ( P = 0.003) than mild (Southwick angle ≤30 degrees) SCFE cases. Mean femoral contact stress exposure was also higher in severe SCFE cases than in moderate SCFE cases ( P = 0.027). Acetabular and femoral contact mechanics metrics typically demonstrated stronger correlations with 3D slip angle than two-dimensional Southwick angle. Increased slip severity adversely impacts intra-articular femoral contact mechanics. Contact mechanics metrics demonstrate higher correlations with 3D slip angle, indicating that this novel measurement may better describe global deformity and its relationship to intra-articular mechanics; however, the modest strength of these correlations may also imply that global impingement-generating deformity is not the primary factor driving contact mechanics in the post-SCFE hip. Greater slip severity adversely impacts contact mechanics in the post-SCFE hip. However, focal regions of high contact stress were seen even in mild SCFE deformities, suggesting some type of deformity correction should be considered even for mild slips to alleviate secondary impingement, address focal incongruities, and reduce osteoarthritis development/progression.

Stress concentration targeted reinforcement using multi-material based 3D printing

Topological engineering (3D printing into complex geometry) has emerged as a pragmatic approach to develop high specific strength (high strength and low density) lightweight structures. These complex lightweight structures fail at high-stress concentration regions, which can be, replaced with soft/tough material using 3D printing. It can improve mechanical properties such as strength, toughness and energy absorption etc. Here, we have developed stress concentration targeted multi-material schwarzite structures by 3D printing technique. The soft (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) material is reinforced at high-stress concentration regions of hard (Polylactic acid) schwarzite structures to enhance the specific yield strength and resilience. The mechanical properties and responses of these structures were then assessed via uniaxial compression tests. The multi-materials 3D printed composite structure shows improved mechanical properties compared to single materials architecture. The specific resilience of composites demonstrates remarkable enhancements, with percentage increases of 204.70 %, 596.50 %, and 1530.99 % observed when compared to hard primitives, and similarly impressive improvements of 182.45 %, 311.64 %, and 477.75 % observed in comparison to hard gyroids. The obtained experimental findings were comprehensively examined and validated with molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The promising characteristics of these lightweight multi-material-based Schwarzites structures can be utilized in various fields such as energy harvesting devices, protective, safety gears, and aerospace components.

A steady-state irradiation creep and thermal creep model for zirconium alloys

In this work, a mechanistic steady-state creep model is developed to characterize the macroscopic strain rate of metallic materials affected by irradiation flux, testing temperature and applied stress. Thereinto, the steady-state strain rate is obtained by considering the density evolution of mobile dislocations, which involve the mechanisms of dislocation multiplication, dynamic annihilation and time-dependent dislocation annihilation. In order to effectively analyze the irradiation creep behavior in the low and high stress region, main attentions are focused on the influence of dislocation mobility on the process of time-dependent dislocation annihilation. At low stress, dislocation mobility is affected by dislocation climb and thermally activated glide. For the former, the absorption of irradiation-induced point defects can promote dislocation climb; whereas, thermally activated dislocation glide might be inhibited by the existing defect clusters. At high stress, the dominant deformation mechanism changes from dislocation climb to displacement cascade unpinning. For the latter, an explicit formula for dislocation mobility is deduced to address the influence of dislocation unpinning from the barriers on irradiation creep. To further verify the established model, thermal creep and irradiation creep data of zirconium alloys are considered to compare with the theoretical results. A good agreement is achieved over a wide range of temperature and stress indicating that the model can well describe the deformation behavior of steady-state creep. In addition, contribution of the dominant dislocation mobility components and dislocation density evolution components is compared under both thermal and irradiation creep, which can facilitate the comprehension of fundamental creep mechanisms of metallic materials.

Novel method for evaluation of stress assisted corrosion through compact tension specimens to assess material compatibility in latent heat thermal energy storage systems

The next generation Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) plants integrated with Thermal Energy Storage (TES) offer a promising solution for dispatchability, reliability, and economic concerns associated with renewable energy technologies. However, the expected operational life of up to 30 years proves to be a major challenge due to the impact of high temperatures and corrosive eutectic salts utilised in the latent heat TES systems. Additionally, the system is under varying degrees of stress that can accelerate corrosion mechanisms. Unfortunately, this stress corrosion relationship is often neglected during the material compatibility assessment. This study utilises a novel static immersion testing approach with three designs of modified Compact Tension (CT) specimens manufactured from AISI 316L to investigate the interaction of alloys under stress with various eutectic salts at up to 750 °C for up to 1000 Hours. The results indicate that oxidation is accelerated up to four times and Intergranular Corrosion (IGC) up to two times in the high-stress region of the test samples. Furthermore, the findings suggest that static immersion testing using CT specimens can be regarded as an effective approach to assess the influence of stress on corrosion and conduct a reliable material assessment for latent heat TES systems and CSP plants.