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At least 289 records · Page 16

Thermorheological effects on fatigue life of fiber composites

A series of experiments were performed to study the effect of creep strain and temperature on the fatigue life of the graphite epoxy laminate composite. It was concluded that sustained periods of static loading have significant retardation effects on the fatigue life of the laminated composite and that a cyclic loading with a higher frequency preceeding the one with a lower frequency also prolongs the fatigue life. A creep crack model was proposed which can provide interpretations for the experimental results.

Sun, C. T.↗

Fatigue retardation due to creep in a fibrous composite

Experiments performed to determine the effects of temperature and creep strain on the fatigue life of a graphite/epoxy composite laminate show that (1) sustained periods of static loading have significant retardation effects on the fatigue degradation rate of the laminated composite, and (2) cyclic loading with a lower frequency preceding higher frequency loading also prolongs the fatigue life. A creep crack hypothesis is proposed that can provide reasonable interpretations for these experimental results.

Sun, C. T.↗

Fatigue of 1018 steel in hydrogen

Tests are performed at different hydrogen pressures and mechanical load parameter values (applied load, stress concentration factor, applied load frequency) to study enhanced fatigue crack growth in SAE 1018 steel. Oxygen was introduced as a hydrogen-oxygen gas mixture environment in order to compare the role of oxygen in crack inhibition with that previously reported for both static and cyclic loading of higher strength steels. In a number of experiments, a thin film of palladium was applied to the specimen surface to facilitate the study of steel-hydrogen interaction in the absence of any surface impedance to hydrogen entry. The kinetics of the diffusing atoms are found to be influenced by the stress field around the notch tip and the applied frequency. An increment in environmental effect occurred when applied load or stress concentration factor was increased.

Lo, S. H.↗

The isothermal fatigue behavior of a unidirectional SiC/Ti composite and the Ti alloy matrix

The high temperature fatigue behavior of a metal matrix composite (MMC) consisting of Ti-15V-3Cr-3Al-3Sn (Ti-15-3) matrix reinforced by 33 vol percent of continuous unidirectional SiC fibers was experimentally and analytically evaluated. Isothermal MMC fatigue tests with constant amplitude loading parallel to the fiber direction were performed at 300 and 550 C. Comparative fatigue tests of the Ti-15-3 matrix alloy were also conducted. Composite fatigue behavior and the in-situ stress state of the fiber and matrix were analyzed with a micromechanical model, the Concentric Cylinder Model (CCM). The cyclic stress-strain response of the composite was stable at 300 C. However, an increase in cyclic mean strain foreshortened MMC fatigue life at high strain ranges at 550 C. Fatigue tests of the matrix alloy and CCM analyses indicated this response was associated with stress relaxation of the matrix in the composite.

Gayda, John, Jr.↗

Open hole and post-impact compression fatigue of stitched and unstitched carbon/epoxy composites

The performance is studied of a stitched uniweave fabric composite and that of a toughened tape composite. The effects of stitching on compression fatigue life are addressed. Post impact compression fatigue and open hole fatigue tests were run on an AS4/3501-6 uniweave with stitching and a toughened IM7/8551-7 tape without stitching. Stitching was found to increase the thickness and consequently the weight of the composite material. The two materials were compared on an equal carbon content basis as well as on an equal weight basis. The excess thickness in the stitched uniweave composite was responsible for the lower fatigue life, on an equal carbon basis, compared to the toughened resin tape composite. Comparison of fatigue lives on an equal carbon content basis indicated that puncture or crimp type damage from stitching has very little effect on compression failure. Post impact fatigue test showed that although the damage area in the stitched uniweave composite was twice that of the toughened tape composite, the fatigue lives of the stitched composite were significantly longer than those of the toughened composite. Thus, it appears that the increase in thickness from stitching is much more of a penalty than crimped fibers or puncture type damage from stitching.

Portanova, M. A.↗

The CF6 jet engine performance improvement: New front mount

The New Front Mount was evaluated in component tests including stress, deflection/distortion and fatigue tests. The test results demonstrated a performance improvement of 0.1% in cruise sfc, 16% in compressor stall margin and 10% in compressor stator angle margin. The New Front Mount hardware successfully completed 35,000 simulated flight cycles endurance testing.

Fasching, W. A.↗

Creep fatigue life prediction for engine hot section materials (isotropic)

The activities performed during the first year of the NASA HOST Program, Creep Fatigue Life Prediction for Engine Hot Section Materials (Isotropic), being conducted by Pratt & Whitney Aircraft are summarized. The program is a 5 year, two part effort aimed at improving the high temperature crack initiation prediction technology for gas turbine hot section components. Significant results of the program produced thus far are discussed. Cast B1900 + Hf and wrought IN 718 were selected as the base and alternate materials, respectively. A single heat of B1900 + Hf was obtained and test specimens fabricated. The material was characterized with respect to grain size, gamma prime size, carbide distribution, and dislocation density. Monotonic tensile and creep testing has shown engineering properties within anticipated scatter for this material. Examination of the tensile tests has shown a transition from inhomogeneous planar slip within the grains at lower temperatures to more homogeneous matrix deformation. Examination of the creep tests has shown a transgranular failure mode at 1400 F and an intergranular failure mode at 1600 F and 1800 F.

Moreno, V.↗

High temperature, low-cycle fatigue of copper-base alloys for rocket nozzles. Part 2: Strainrange partitioning and low-cycle fatigue results at 538 deg C

Low-cycle fatigue tests of 1/2 Hard AMZIRC Copper and NARloy Z were performed in argon at 538 C to determine partitioned strain range versus life relationships. Strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue tests of a Zr-Cr-Mg copper-base alloy were also performed. Strain ranges, lower than those employed in previous tests, were imposed in order to extend the fatigue life curve out to approximately 400,000 cycles. An experimental copper alloy and an experimental silver alloy were also studied. Tensile tests were performed in air at room temperature and in argon at 538 C. Strain-controlled low-cycle fatigue tests were performed at 538 C in argon to define the fatigue life over the regime from 300 to 3,000 cycles. For the silver alloy, three additional heat treatments were introduced, and a limited evaluation of the short-term tensile and low-cycle fatigue behavior at 538 C was performed.

Conway, J. B.↗

Characterization of failure processes in tungsten copper composites under fatigue loading conditions

A fractographic and metallographic investigation was performed on specimens of a tungsten fiber reinforced copper matrix composite (9 vol percent), which had experienced fatigue failures at elevated temperatures. Major failure modes and possible failure mechanisms, with an emphasis placed on characterizing fatigue damage accumulation, were determined. Metallography of specimens fatigued under isothermal cyclic loading suggested that fatigue damage initiates in the matrix. Cracks nucleated within the copper matrix at grain boundaries, and they propagated through cavity coalescence. The growing cracks subsequently interacted with the reinforcing tungsten fibers, producing a localized ductile fiber failure. Examinations of interrupted tests before final failure confirmed the suggested fatigue damage processes.

Kim, Yong-Suk↗

Cyclic fatigue analysis of rocket thrust chambers. Volume 2: Attitude control thruster high cycle fatigue

A finite element stress analysis was performed for the film cooled throat section of an attitude control thruster. The anlaysis employed the RETSCP finite element computer program. The analysis included thermal and pressure loads, and the effects of temperature dependent material properties, to determine the strain range corresponding to the thruster operating cycle. The configuration and operating conditions considered, correspond to a flightweight integrated thruster assembly which was thrust pulse tested. The computed strain range was used in conjuction with Haynes 188 Universal Slopes minimum life data to predict throat section fatigue life. The computed number of cycles to failure was greater than the number of pulses to which the thruster was experimentally subjected without failure.

Miller, R. W.↗

Ultrasonic and mechanical characterizations of fatigue states of graphite epoxy composite laminates

Results of an exploration of the relationship between ultrasonic attenuation and fatigue survivability of graphite fiber epoxy composites fabricated under different cure conditions are reported. A total of 9 27 x 40 cm eight-ply graphite epoxy laminated specimens were formed, and fatigue tests were run on five partial samples at 73.5 N varying at 30 Hz, with tests ending at a 1.27 cm deflection. A pulsed oscillator generated sinusoidal waves and transducers recorded the passage of the ultrasonic waves for display on oscilloscopes. Cure pressures ranged from 0.52-0.85 MPa and cure temperatures were in the 150-200 C interval. Ultrasonic through-transmission at 4 MHz was performed prior to and during fatigue testing. The minimum void volume fraction occurred at 175 C and 0.86 MPa. The flexural stiffness decreased with the number of fatigue cycles past 10,000, when the attenuation also increased. Correlations were found between the 4.0 MHz signal attenuation and the void volume fraction, and between the number of fatigue cycles to failure and the 4.0 MHz signal attenuation.

Williams, J. H., Jr.↗

Evaluation of Fatigue Damage Accumulation Functions for Delamination Initiation and Propagation

The present report follows on the cohesive fatigue damage model methodology proposed in NASA-TP-2018-219838. In that report, an empirical function describing the incremental damage due to cyclic loading was used to calculate fatigue damage within a cohesive formulation. The form of the function was developed such that, when integrated at a constant stress amplitude from no damage to failure, it produces a life versus load response that is consistent with an S-N diagram. Therefore, the parameters of the damage model could be obtained by fitting the model predictions to an S-N diagram. The finite element analyses performed demonstrate that the cohesive fatigue accumulation function provides a link between the S-N diagram that describes crack initiation, and the Paris law that characterizes the rate of crack propagation. However, when the model was proposed, it was not known whether the form of the damage accumulation function associated with a desired S-N diagram is unique and, if not, if the link between S-N and the Paris law is unique and independent of the fatigue function selected. In the effort described herein, several alternative forms of the damage function that reproduce the desired features of S-N diagrams were found and evaluated. The effects of each of these functions on the predicted parameters of the Paris law and the propagation threshold are discussed. The results indicate that the predicted exponent m of the Paris law is indeed independent of the damage accumulation function. However, different functions predict different values for the pre-factor C of the Paris law. Therefore, the proper damage accumulation function must be selected by comparison with experiments. One of the new damage accumulation functions proposed herein was found to be particularly useful for analysis because of the ease with which the model parameters can be determined with a minimal amount of experimental information. The effectiveness of the proposed methodology and damage function was demonstrated by conducting analyses of a double cantilever beam test, a mixed-mode bending test, and a three-point bending test of a skin/doubler specimen. The results indicate that the same set of model parameters can provide accurate predictions of the rate of fatigue crack propagation for a variety of material interfaces, mode mixities, load levels, and stress ratios.

Cohesive elements↗

Effects of helicopter noise and vibration on pilot performance (as measured in a fixed-base flight simulator)

The effects of noise and vibration on pilot performance are described. Pilot subjects were required to fly VTOL commercial IFR schedules using the computer simulation facilities. The routes flown simulated closely metropolitan routes flown currently by a helicopter airline. The duration of simulator flights ranged from 3 to 8 hours. Subjects were exposed to noise sound pressure levels ranging from 74dB (ambient) to 100dB and 17 Hz vibration stimuli ranging from .1 g to .3 g measured at the floor directly beneath the pilot's seat. Despite subject reports of extreme fatigue in these long flights, performance did not degrade. A curve of performance shows a slow improvement for the first three hours of exposure and a slight loss in performance during the remainder of the flight. As environmental stress conditions (noise, vibration, and time in the simulator) increased, subject performance improved. Within the limits of this study, the higher the stress the better the performance.

Stave, A. M.↗

Muscle pain perception and sympathetic nerve activity to exercise during opioid modulation

The purpose of this experiment was to examine the effects of the endogenous opioid system on forearm muscle pain and muscle sympathetic nerve activity (MSNA) during dynamic fatiguing exercise. Twelve college-age men (24 +/- 4 yr) performed graded (1-min stages; 30 contractions/min) handgrip to fatigue 1 h after the ingestion of either 60 mg codeine, 50 mg naltrexone, or placebo. Pain (0-10 scale) and exertion (0-10 and 6-20 scales) intensities were measured during the last 15 s of each minute of exercise and every 15 s during recovery. MSNA was measured continuously from the peroneal nerve in the left leg. Pain threshold occurred earlier [1.8 +/- 1, 2. 2 +/- 1, 2.2 +/- 1 J: codeine, naltrexone, and placebo, respectively] and was associated with a lower rating of perceived exertion (RPE) (2.7 +/- 2, 3.6 +/- 2, 3.8 +/- 2: codeine, naltrexone, and placebo, respectively) in the codeine condition compared with either the naltrexone or placebo conditions. There were no main effects (i.e., drugs) or interaction (i.e., drugs x time) for either forearm muscle pain or RPE during exercise [pain: F (2, 22) = 0.69, P = 0.51]. There was no effect of drug on MSNA, heart rate, or blood pressure during baseline, exercise, or recovery. Peak exercise MSNA responses were 21 +/- 1, 21 +/- 2.0, and 21 +/- 2.0 bursts/30 s for codeine, naltrexone, and placebo conditions, respectively. Peak mean arterial pressure responses were 135 +/- 4, 131 +/- 3, and 132 +/- 4 mmHg for codeine, naltrexone, and placebo conditions, respectively. It is concluded that neither 60 mg codeine nor 50 mg naltrexone has an effect on forearm muscle pain, exertion, or MSNA during high- intensity handgrip to fatigue.

Clinical Trial↗

Determination of structural engineering properties of incoloy 903 and CTX-1 alloys

Tension, notched tension, compression, density, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion tests were conducted on Incoloy 903 over the temperature range 20 K (-423 F) through 1033 K (1400 F). Fracture toughness tests were performed at room temperature (RT). Creep and rupture tests were conducted at 811 K (1000 F), 922 K (1200 F), and 1033 K (1400 F) for this alloy. Transverse unnotched and notched fatigue tests at R = 0.1 were performed at RT and 922 K (1200 F). For CTX-1 alloy, tension, Charpy V-notch impact, density, thermal conductivity, and thermal expansion tests were conducted over the temperature range 20 K (-423 F) through 1033 K (1400 F). Poisson's ratio was determined at RT, 811 K (1000 F), 922 K (1200 F), and 1033 K (1400 F). Notched tension and compression tests were performed at 20 K (-423 F), RT, and 922 K (1200 F); plane strain fracture toughness tests were conducted at RT, 77 K (-320 F), and 20 K (-423 F). Creep and rupture tests were performed at 811 K (1000 F), 922 K (1200 F), and 1033 K (1400 F); longitudinal unnotched and notched fatigue tests at R = 0.1 were conducted at RT and 922 K (1200 F). Results are presented and discussed.

Ruff, P. E.↗

Erosion Resistant Coatings for Polymer Matrix Composites in Propulsion Applications

Polymer Matrix Composites (PMCs) offer lightweight and frequently low cost alternatives to other materials in many applications. High temperature PMCs are currently used in limited propulsion applications replacing metals. Yet in most cases, PMC propulsion applications are not in the direct engine flow path since particulate erosion degrades PMC component performance and therefore restricts their use in gas turbine engines. This paper compares two erosion resistant coatings (SANRES and SANPRES) on PMCs that are useful for both low and high temperature propulsion applications. Collaborating over a multi-year period, researchers at NASA Glenn Research Center, Allison Advanced Developed Company, and Rolls-Royce Corporation have optimized these coatings in terms of adhesion, surface roughness, and erosion resistance. Results are described for vigorous hot gas/particulate erosion rig and engine testing of uncoated and coated PMC fan bypass vanes from the AE 3007 regional jet gas turbine engine. Moreover, the structural durability of these coatings is described in long-term high cycle fatigue tests. Overall, both coatings performed well in all tests and will be considered for applications in both commercial and defense propulsion applications.

Sutter, James K.↗

Biaxial tests of flat graphite/epoxy laminates

The influence of biaxially applied loads on the strength of composite materials containing holes was analyzed. The analysis was performed through the development of a three dimensional, finite element computer program that is capable of evaluating fiber breakage, delamination, and matrix failure. Realistic failure criteria were established for each of the failure modes, and the influence of biaxial loading on damage accumulation under monotonically increasing loading was examined in detail. Both static and fatigue testing of specially designed biaxial specimens containing central holes were performed. Static tests were performed to obtain an understanding of the influence of biaxial loads on the fracture strength of composite materials and to provide correlation with the analytical predictions. The predicted distributions and types of damage are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results. A number of fatigue tests were performed to determine the influence of cyclic biaxial loads on the fatigue life and residual strength of several composite laminates.

Liebowitz, H.↗

NDE of PWA 1480 single crystal turbine blade material

Cantilever bending fatigue specimens were examined by fluorescent liquid penetrant and radioactive gas penetrant (Krypton) non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methods and tested. Specimens with cast, ground, or polished surface were evaluated to study the effect of surface condition on NDE and fatigue crack initiation. Fractographic and metallurgical analyses were performed to determine the nature of crack precursors. Preliminary results show that fatigue strength was lower for specimens with cast surfaces than for specimens with machined surfaces. The liquid penetrant and gas penetrant techniques both provided indications of a large population of defects on the cast surfaces. On ground or polished specimen surfaces, the gas penetrant appeared to estimate the actual number of voids more accurately than the liquid penetrant.

Klima, Stanley J.↗