Search NASA⌕ Search

SEARCH · Search NASA

Results for “Creep deformation”

Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 289 records · Page 16

Damage Assessment of Creep Tested and Thermally Aged Metallic Alloys Using Acousto-Ultrasonics

In recent years emphasis has been placed on the early detection of material changes experienced in turbine powerplant components. During the scheduled overhaul of a turbine, the current techniques of examination of various hot section components aim to find flaws such as cracks, wear, and erosion, as well as excessive deformations. Thus far, these localized damage modes have been detected with satisfactory results. However, the techniques used to find these flaws provide no information on life until the flaws are actually detected. Major improvements in damage assessment, safety, as well as more accurate life prediction could be achieved if nondestructive evaluation (NDE) techniques could be utilized to sense material changes that occur prior to the localized defects mentioned. Because of elevated temperatures and excessive stresses, turbine components may experience creep behavior. As a result, it is desirable to monitor and access the current condition of such components. Research at the NASA Glenn Research Center involves developing and utilizing an NDE technique that discloses distributed material changes that occur prior to the localized damage detected by the current methods of inspection. In a recent study, creep processes in a nickel-base alloy were the life-limiting condition of interest, and the NDE technique was acousto-ultrasonics (AU). AU is an NDE technique that utilizes two ultrasonic transducers to interrogate the condition of a test specimen. The sending transducer introduces an ultrasonic pulse at a point on the surface of the specimen while a receiving transducer detects the signal after it has passed through the material. The goal of the method is to correlate certain parameters of the detected waveform to characteristics of the material between the two transducers. Here, the waveform parameter of interest is the attenuation due to internal damping for which information is being garnered from the frequency domain. The parameters utilized to indirectly quantify the attenuation are the ultrasonic decay rate as well as various moments of the frequency power spectrum. A new, user-friendly, graphical interface AU system was developed at NASA Glenn. This system is an all-inclusive, multifunction system that controls the sending and receiving ultrasonic transducers as well as all posttest signal analysis. The system's postprocessing software calculates the multiple parameters used to study the material of interest.

Gyekenyesi, Andrew L.↗

Geodetic evidence of the seismic potential at Parkfield, California

The average rates of line-length change and the rates of the shallow fault slip observed near Parkfield, California, were used to estimate the slip rate at depth on the San Andreas fault (SAF), using the Matsu'ura et al. (1986) procedure to model the aseismic deformation as a perturbation to steady block motion across the SAF. Five different models were tested against the data, with one model, featuring a nearly monotonic transition from creeping behavior on the northwest to locked behavior on the southeast, found to fit the data acceptably well. It is shown that stored elastic energy southeast of Parkfield could produce an earthquake of magnitude up to 8.0, that would have displacement and rupture length similar to historic earthquakes of the same size.

Sung, Li-Yu↗

Investigation of high temperature fracture of T-111 and ASTAR-811C

The high temperature deformation and fracture behavior of T-111 and ASTAR-811C were studied over the temperature range 982 to 2205 C (1800 to 4000 F). As-cast and wrought-recrystallized material as well as GTA welds in sheet and plate were evaluated using conventional tensile and creep tests. Post test examinations were performed using optical metallography, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. A high temperature region of reduced ductility, in terms of tensile elongation, was identified for both alloys. The reduction in tensile elongation became more severe with increase in grain size, being near catastrophic for the as-cast specimens. Optical and electron metallography indicated that even for failures at very low total strain, considerable deformation of a very localized nature had occurred prior to fracture.

Gold, R. E.↗

Transient Creep of a Composite Lower Crust: Constitutive Theory - 1

A composite model is proposed to describe the time-dependent response of the Earth's lower crust. The motivation for such it model is twofold: First, new observations of widespread postseismic deformation indicate that the deep continental crust responds viscoelastically, having both long-and short-term decay times. Second, by any number of observationally based rationales, the lower crust is compositionally and structurally heterogeneous over many length scales. For heterogeneities that have much smaller characteristic lengths than the minimum deformation wavelength of interest, the aggregate rheology can be described by composite media theory. For wavelengths of the order of the thickness of the lower crust (approx. = 25-40 km) and larger, composite theory may be applied to heterogeneities that are smaller than about several hundred meters, or equivalent to the vertical extent of a thick lower crustal mylonitic shear zone. The composite media theory developed here is constructed using both Eshelhy-Mori-Tanaka theory for aligned generalized spheroidal inclusions and a generalized self-consistent method. The inclusions and matrix are considered to be Maxwellian viscoelastic: a rheology that is consistent with past homogeneous models of postseismic stress relaxation. The composite theory presented here introduces a transient response to a suddenly imposed stress field which does not appear in homogeneous Maxwell models. Analytic expressions for the amplitude and duration of the transient and for the effective long-and short-term viscosities of the composite are given which describe the sensitivity to inclusion concentration (phi), to shape, and to ratio of inclusion-to-matrix viscosity (R).

Ivins, Erik R.↗

Relation of cyclic loading pattern to microstructural fracture in creep fatigue

Creep-fatigue-environment interaction is discussed using the 'strainrange partitioning' (SRP) framework as a basis. The four generic SRP strainrange types are studied with a view of revealing differences in micromechanisms of deformation and fatigue degradation. Each combines in a different manner the degradation associated with slip-plane sliding, grain-boundary sliding, migration, cavitation, void development and environmental interaction; hence the approch is useful in delineating the relative importance of these mechanisms in the different loadings. Micromechanistic results are shown for a number of materials, including 316 SS, wrought heat resistant alloys, several nickel-base superalloys, and a tantalum base alloy, T-111. Although there is a commonality of basic behavior, the differences are useful in delineation several important principles of interpretation. Some quantitative results are presented for 316 SS, involving crack initiation and early crack growth, as well as the interaction of low-cycle fatigue with high-cycle fatigue.

Manson, S. S.↗

Patterns of brittle deformation under extension on Venus

The development of fractures at regular length scales is a widespread feature of Venusian tectonics. Models of lithospheric deformation under extension based on non-Newtonian viscous flow and brittle-plastic flow develop localized failure at preferred wavelengths that depend on lithospheric thickness and stratification. The characteristic wavelengths seen in rift zones and tessera can therefore provide constraints on crustal and thermal structure. Analytic solutions were obtained for growth rates in infinitesimal perturbations imposed on a one-dimensional, layered rheology. Brittle layers were approximated by perfectly-plastic, uniform strength, overlying ductile layers exhibiting thermally-activated power-law creep. This study investigates the formation of faults under finite amounts of extension, employing a finite-element approach. Our model incorporates non-linear viscous rheology and a Coulomb failure envelope. An initial perturbation in crustal thickness gives rise to necking instabilities. A small amount of velocity weakening serves to localize deformation into planar regions of high strain rate. Such planes are analogous to normal faults seen in terrestrial rift zones. These 'faults' evolve to low angle under finite extension. Fault spacing, orientation and location, and the depth to the brittle-ductile transition, depend in a complex way on lateral variations in crustal thickness. In general, we find that multiple wavelengths of deformation can arise from the interaction of crustal and mantle lithosphere.

Neumann, G. A.↗

Characteristics of an Elevated Temperature ALN Particulate Reinforced NiAl

High energy milling of NiAl in liquid nitrogen (cryomilling) leads to the formation of a discontinuously AlN particle reinforced aluminide which has shown good potential as a high strength oxidation resistant material. Experiments have demonstrated that cryomilling is repeatable, and materials with reproducible chemistries and mechanical properties result. Furthermore, it is possible to vary the AlN content through control of the milling parameters. Tensile creep as well as compressive creep testing has been undertaken on a lot of NiAl-AlN. While this material is weaker in tension than compression, the tensile strength is respectable: for example, the creep rupture life exceeds 2700 h at 1300 K, 50 MPa. Heat treatment of the particulate reinforced aluminide at 1600 K promotes AlN growth which weakens the material but does not change the deformation mechanism. Cyclic oxidation testing of lots of NiAl-AlN which were cryomilled with and without yttria reveal that Y2O3 promotes better oxidation resistance. However, the presence or absence of yttria had no affect on the mechanical properties.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗

The viscoelastic stiffness model of seismicity

A viscoelastic stiffness model of seismicity is developed by introducing a viscoelastic element into the stiffness model for fault dynamics. The introduction of this element permits modeling of transient anelastic deformations in response to stress loading and relaxation and provides a mechanism for partial stress recovery following an earthquake. As a consequence, several phenomena not present in elastic stiffness theory emerge. These include postseismic creep, foreshocks, and aftershocks. Numerical simulations of fault motion also reveal episodes of stable sliding, tertiary creep preceeding earthquakes, and long-term aseismic creep.

Cohen, S. C.↗

Influence of Thermocapillary Flow on Capillary Stability: Long Float-Zones in Low Gravity

A model problem is posed to study the influence of flow on the interfacial stability of a nearly cylindrical liquid bridge for lengths near its circumference (the Plateau-Rayleigh limit). The flow is generated by a shear stress imposed on the deformable interface. The symmetry of the imposed shear stress mimics the thermocapillary stress induced on a float-zone by a ring heater (i.e. a full zone). Principal assumptions are (1) zero gravity, (2) creeping flow, and (3) that the imposed coupling at the free surface between flow and temperature fields is the only such coupling. A numerical solution, complemented by a bifurcation analysis, shows that bridges substantially longer than the Plateau-Rayleigh limit are possible. An interaction of the first two capillary instabilities through the stress-induced flow is responsible. Time-periodic standing waves are also predicted in certain parameter ranges. Motivation comes from extra-long float-zones observed in MEPHISTO space lab experiments (June 1994).

Chen, Yi-Ju↗

The Mountains of Io: Global and Geological Perspectives from Voyager and Galileo

To search for local and global scale geologic associations that may be related to the internal dynamics of Io, we have completed a global catalog of all mountains and volcanic centers. We have identified 115 mountain structures (covering approx. 3% of the surface) and 541 volcanic centers, including paterae (calderas and dark spots) and shield volcanoes. The average length of an Ionian mountain is 157 km, with the longest being 570 km. The mean height of Ionian mountains is 6.3 km, and the highest known mountain is Boosaule Montes (17.5 +/- 3 km). Five basic morphologic types of mountains have been identified; mesa, plateau peak, ridge, and massif. Very few mountains bear any physical similarity. to classic volcanic landforms, but many resemble flatiron mountains on Earth and are interpreted as tilted crustal blocks. This would be consistent with the hypothesis that most mountains are thrust blocks formed as a result of compressive stresses built up in the lower crust due to the global subsidence of volcanic layers as they are buried over time. More than one mechanism may be responsible for all Ionian mountains, however. The proximity of some mountains to paterae may indicate a direct link between some mountains and volcanism, although it is not always clear which came first. In contrast to earlier studies, a pronounced bimodal pattern is observed in the global distribution of both mountains and volcanic centers. The regions of highest areal densities of volcanic centers are near the sub- and anti-Jovian regions, but are offset roughly 90deg in longitude from the two, regions of greatest concentration of mountains. This anticorrelation may indicate the overprinting of a second stress field on the global compressive stresses due to subsidence. The bimodal distribution of volcanic centers and mountains is consistent with models of asthenospheric tidal heating and internal convection developed by Tackley et al.Over regions of mantle upwelling, compressive stresses in the lower crust induced by global subsidence might be reduced, encouraging volcanism and discouraging mountain building. In regions of mantle downwelling, these compressive stresses in the lower crust might be increased, discouraging volcanism and encouraging mountain building. Alternatively, the global pattern may be related to possible (but undocumented) nonsynchronous rotation of lo, which would produce two regions each of compression and extension in the crust. Evidence of layering and of mass wasting, including landslides, block sliding, debris aprons and downslope creep, on Ionian mountains suggests that the crust of Io is essentially a layered stack of partially consolidated volcanic lavas and plume deposits, becoming more consolidated with depth. The lower crust especially may also be ductily deformed, punctuated by volcanic intrusions and faulting at paterae, and broken into blocks, some of which have been uplifted to form mountains.

Schenk, Paul↗

Crustal Deformation and the Seismic Cycle across the Kodiak Islands, Alaska

The Kodiak Islands are located approximately 130 to 250 km from the Alaska-Aleutian Trench where the Pacific plate is underthrusting the North American plate at a rate of about 57 mm/yr. The southern extent of the 1964 Prince William Sound (${M-w}$ = 9.2) earthquake rupture occurred offshore and beneath the eastern portion of the Kodiak Islands. Here we report GPS results (1993-2001) from northern Kodiak Island that span the transition between the 1964 uplift region along the eastern coast and the region of coseismic subsidence further inland. The horizontal velocity vectors range from 22.9 $\pm$ 2.2 mm/yr at N26.3$\deg$W $\pm$ 2.5$\deg$, about 150 km from the trench, to 5.9 $\pm$ 1.3 mm/yr at N65.9$\deg$W $\pm$ 6.6$\deg$, about 190 km from the trench. Near the northeastern coast of Kodiak the velocity vector above the shallow, locked main thrust zone is between the orientation of PCFC-NOAM plate motion (N22$/deg$W) and the trench-normal (N3O$\deg$W). Further west, our geodetic results suggest the accumulation of shear strain that will be released eventually as left-lateral motion on upper plate faults such as the Kodiak Island fault. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that the difference between the Pacific-North American plate motion and the orientation of the down going slab would lead to 4-8 mm/yr of left-lateral slip. Short-term geodetic uplift rates range from 2 - 14 mm/yr, with the maximum uplift located near the axis of maximum subsidence during the 1964 earthquake. We evaluated alternate interseismic models for Kodiak to test the importance of various mechanisms responsible for crustal deformation rates. These models are based on the plate interface slip history inferred from earlier modeling of coseismic and post-seismic geodetic results. The horizontal (trench perpendicular) and vertical deformation rates across Kodiak are consistent with a model that includes the viscoelastic response to : (1) a downgoing Pacific plate interface that is locked at shallow depths,(2) coseismic slip in the 1964 and (3) interseismic creep below the seismogenic zone. The change in orientation of the horizontal velocity vector occurs down-dip from the locked main thrust zone. In southern Kodiak, the coseismic slip in the 1964 earthquake was smaller than in the northern Kodiak region; yet, the horizontal, interseismic velocities as a function of distance from the trench are comparable to those in northern Kodiak. Based on the earthquake history prior to, and following the 1964 earthquake, we hypothesize that the plate interface in southern Kodiak slips in more frequent large earthquakes than in northern Kodiak.

Sauber, Jeanne↗

Crustal Deformation and the Seismic Cycle across the Kodiak Islands, Alaska

The Kodiak Islands are located approx.120 to 250 km from the Alaska-Aleutian Trench and are within the southern extent of the 1964 Prince William Sound (M(sub W) = 9.2) earthquake rupture and aftershock zone. Here we report new campaign GPS results (1993-2001) from northeastern Kodiak and reprocessed GPS results (1993-1997) from southwestern Kodiak. The rate and orientation of the horizontal velocities, relative to a fixed North America, range from 29.7 +/- 1.7 mm/yr at N30.3degW +/- 3.3deg, located approx.120 km from the deepest point of the trench, to 8.0 +/- 1.3 mm/yr at N62.4degW +/- 9.3deg, located approx.230 km from the trench. We evaluated alternate models of coseismic and interseismic slip to test the importance of the mechanisms that account for surface deformation rates. Near the Gulf of Alaska coastal region of Kodiak the horizontal velocity can be accounted for primarily by the viscoelastic response to plate motion and a locked main thrust zone (MTZ), down-dip creep, and to a lesser extent, slip in the 1964 earthquake. Further inland the dominant mechanisms that account for post-1964 uplift rates are time-dependent, down-dip creep and a locked MTZ; for the horizontal velocity component southwest translation of western Kodiak may be important as well. Based on the pre-1964 and post-1964 earthquake pattern of interseismic earthquakes, we suggest that between the occurrences of great earthquakes like the 1964 event, more moderate to large earthquakes occur in the southwestern Kodiak region than near northeastern Kodiak .

Sauber, Jeanne↗

After heat distribution of a mobile nuclear power plant

A computer program was developed to analyze the transient afterheat temperature and pressure response of a mobile gas-cooled reactor power plant following impact. The program considers (in addition to the standard modes of heat transfer) fission product decay and transport, metal-water reactions, core and shield melting and displacement, and pressure and containment vessel stress response. Analyses were performed for eight cases (both deformed and undeformed models) to verify operability of the program options. The results indicated that for a 350 psi (241 n/sq cm) initial internal pressure, the containment vessel can survive over 100,000 seconds following impact before creep rupture occurs. Recommendations were developed as to directions for redesign to extend containment vessel life.

Parker, W. G.↗

Strain localization during deformation of Westerly granite

A specimen of Westerly granite was cyclically loaded to near failure at 50 MPa confining pressure. Holographic interferometry provided detailed measurements of localized surface deformations during loading and unloading. The data are consistent with deformation occurring primarily elastically at low differential stress; in conjunction with one incipient fault zone between approximately 350 and 520 MPa differential stress; and in conjunction with a second incipient fault zone above 580 MPa and/or during creep. During unloading only one fault zone, that which is active at the intermediate stress levels during loading, is seen to recede.

Brodsky, N. S.↗

Low cycle fatigue

The papers contained in this volume focus on various aspects of low cycle fatigue, including cyclic deformation, crack propagation, high-temperature low cycle fatigue, microstructural defects, multiaxial and variable amplitude loading, and life prediction. Papers are presented on the low cycle fatigue of some aluminum alloys, prediction of crack growth under creep-fatigue loading conditions, high-temperature low cycle fatigue behavior and lifetime prediction of a nickel-base ODS alloy, and an integrated approach to creep-fatigue life prediction. Other topics discussed include thermal fatigue testing of coated monocrystalline superalloys, low cycle fatigue of Al-Mg-Si alloys, and the effect of superimposed stresses at high frequency on low cycle fatigue.

Solomon, H. D.↗

Does a threshold stress for creep exist in HfC-dispersed NiAl?

Recently it was proposed (Jha et al., 1989; Whittenberger et al., 1990) on the basis of constant velocity testing at 1300 K that dispersion strengthened NiAl composites containing about 4 wt pct HfC possess threshold stresses for creep. Further, 1300 K compression testing has been conducted on NiAl+4HfC, and diametrically opposite behavior has been found: for constant load creep tests a normal power law behavior was observed. However, additional constant velocity testing still indicates that the flow stress is essentially independent of strain rate below 10 exp -6/s. Examination of NiAl+4.3HfC specimens deformed under constant velocity conditions revealed that the original hot extruded small grain structure could be converted to large, elongated grains during testing. Such a transformation appears to be responsible for the apparent threshold stress behavior in HfC dispersed NiAl.

Whittenberger, J. D.↗

Hierarchical nonlinear behavior of hot composite structures

Hierarchical computational procedures are described to simulate the multiple scale thermal/mechanical behavior of high temperature metal matrix composites (HT-MMC) in the following three broad areas: (1) behavior of HT-MMC's from micromechanics to laminate via METCAN (Metal Matrix Composite Analyzer), (2) tailoring of HT-MMC behavior for optimum specific performance via MMLT (Metal Matrix Laminate Tailoring), and (3) HT-MMC structural response for hot structural components via HITCAN (High Temperature Composite Analyzer). Representative results from each area are presented to illustrate the effectiveness of computational simulation procedures and accompanying computer codes. The sample case results show that METCAN can be used to simulate material behavior such as the entire creep span; MMLT can be used to concurrently tailor the fabrication process and the interphase layer for optimum performance such as minimum residual stresses; and HITCAN can be used to predict the structural behavior such as the deformed shape due to component fabrication. These codes constitute virtual portable desk-top test laboratories for characterizing HT-MMC laminates, tailoring the fabrication process, and qualifying structural components made from them.

Murthy, P. L. N.↗

Creep Measurement Video Extensometer

Understanding material behavior under load is critical to the efficient and accurate design of advanced aircraft and spacecraft. Technologies such as the one disclosed here allow accurate creep measurements to be taken automatically, reducing error. The goal was to develop a non-contact, automated system capable of capturing images that could subsequently be processed to obtain the strain characteristics of these materials during deformation, while maintaining adequate resolution to capture the true deformation response of the material. The measurement system comprises a high-resolution digital camera, computer, and software that work collectively to interpret the image.

Jaster, Mark↗