3D-printed jet engine parts now modeled for extreme heat and stress
Researchers have created the first detailed computer model predicting how additively manufactured nickel alloys behave inside combustor chambers at temperatures up to 800°C. The breakthrough could accelerate adoption of 3D printing in aerospace engines, cutting production costs and lead times while ensuring safety and reliability.
Originaltitel: Constitutive model of an additively manufactured combustor material at high-temperature load conditions
<p>In this paper, the high-temperature constitutive behaviour of an additively manufactured ductile nickel-based superalloy is investigated and modelled, with application to thermomechanical fatigue, low-cycle fatigue and creep conditions at temperatures up to 800°C. Thermomechanical fatigue tests have been performed on smooth specimens in both in-phase and out-of-phase conditions at a temperature range of 100−800°C, and creep tests at 625°C, 700°C, 750°C and 800°C. Additionally, low-cycle fatigue tests at different strain ranges and load ratios have been performed at 700°C, and tensile tests have been performed at 600°C, 700°C and 800°C. A clear anisotropic mechanical response is obtained in the experiments, where the anisotropic effects are larger at high stress levels in creep loadings. To capture this behaviour, a rate-dependent strain based on a double-Norton model has been adopted in the model, by which the creep and mid-life response of the thermomechanical fatigue tests can be simulated with good accuracy.</p>