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At least 73 records · Page 4

Fretting Stresses in Single Crystal Superalloy Turbine Blade Attachments

Single crystal nickel base superalloy turbine blades are being utilized in rocket engine turbopumps and turbine engines because of their superior creep, stress rupture, melt resistance and thermomechanical fatigue capabilities over polycrystalline alloys. Currently the most widely used single crystal nickel base turbine blade superalloys are PWA 1480/1493 and PWA 1484. These alloys play an important role in commercial, military and space propulsion systems. High Cycle Fatigue (HCF) induced failures in aircraft gas turbine and rocket engine turbopump blades is a pervasive problem. Blade attachment regions are prone to fretting fatigue failures. Single crystal nickel base superalloy turbine blades are especially prone to fretting damage because the subsurface shear stresses induced by fretting action at the attachment regions can result in crystallographic initiation and crack growth along octahedral planes. Furthermore, crystallographic crack growth on octahedral planes under fretting induced mixed mode loading can be an order of magnitude faster than under pure mode I loading. This paper presents contact stress evaluation in the attachment region for single crystal turbine blades used in the NASA alternate Advanced High Pressure Fuel Turbo Pump (HPFTP/AT) for the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME). Single crystal materials have highly orthotropic properties making the position of the crystal lattice relative to the part geometry a significant factor in the overall analysis. Blades and the attachment region are modeled using a large-scale 3D finite element (FE) model capable of accounting for contact friction, material orthotrophy, and variation in primary and secondary crystal orientation. Contact stress analysis in the blade attachment regions is presented as a function of coefficient of friction and primary and secondary crystal orientation, Stress results are used to discuss fretting fatigue failure analysis of SSME blades. Attachment stresses are seen to reach peak values at locations where fretting cracks have been observed. Fretting stresses at the attachment region are seen to vary significantly as a function of crystal orientation. Attempts to adapt techniques used for estimating fatigue life in the airfoil region, for life calculations in the attachment region, are presented. An effective model for predicting crystallographic crack initiation under mixed mode loading is required for life prediction under fretting action.

Arakere, Nagaraj K.↗

Fatigue behavior of a single-crystal superalloy

A single-crystal superalloy, PWA 1480 is under consideration as a replacement material for the turbine blades of the high pressure fuel turbopump (HPFTP) of the space shuttle main engine (SSME). Three separate experimental programs were conducted to characterize the fatigue behavior of this alloy. Fatigue tests were conducted at room temperature (in air) and at 1000 F (in vacuum) on smooth specimens machined from both cast bars and slabs. The data from all of these programs are consolidated to provide a broader characterization of the fatigue behavior of the single crystal PWA 1480. The zero-mean-stress fatigue relationships are expressed in terms of stress range versus cyclic life lines on log-log plots. Characterization of the fatigue behavior of (001) oriented PWA 1480 single crystal under conditions of tensile mean stress was performed by using the unified approach proposed by Heidmann. In this approach the fatigue life is modified by a mean stress parameter so that a single life relationship can be used to represent both zero and tensile mean stress data.

Kalluri, Sreeramesh↗

MBE growth and donor doping of coherent ultrawide bandgap AlGaN alloy layers on single-crystal AlN substrates

Single-crystal Aluminum Nitride (AlN) crystals enable the epitaxial growth of ultrawide bandgap Al(Ga)N alloys with drastically lower extended defect densities. Here, we report the plasma-MBE growth conditions for high Al-composition AlGaN alloys on single-crystal AlN substrates. An AlGaN growth guideline map is developed, leading to pseudomorphic Al x Ga 1–x N epitaxial layers with x ~0.6–1.0 Al contents at a growth rate of ~0.3 μm/h. These epitaxial layers exhibit atomic steps, indicating step flow epitaxial growth, and room-temperature band edge emission from ~4.5 to 5.9 eV. Growth conditions are identified in which the background impurity concentrations of O, C, Si, and H in the MBE layers are found to be very near or below detection limits. An interesting Si segregation and gettering behavior is observed at the epitaxial AlGaN/AlN heterojunction with significant implications for the formation and transport of 2D electron or hole gases. Well-controlled intentional Si doping ranging from ~2 × 10 17 to 3 × 10 19 atoms/cm 3 is obtained, with sharp dopant density transition profiles. In Si-doped Al 0.6 Ga 0.4 N epilayers, a room-temperature free electron concentration of ~3 × 10 19 /cm 3 , an electron mobility of ~27 cm 2 /V s, and an n-type resistivity of ~7.5 m Ω cm are obtained. Here, the implications of these findings on electronic and photonic devices on single-crystal AlN substrates are discussed.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A sensitivity analysis of twinning crystal plasticity finite element model using single crystal and poly crystal Zircaloy

The popularity of crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) models is increasing due to their ability to predict the mechanical response of crystalline materials such as metals and metal alloys more accurately than traditional continuum mechanics models. This is since the crystal plasticity models consider the effect of atomic structure, microstructural morphology, and properties of individual grains. These CPFEM models use a large number of material parameters in order to capture the mesoscale physics which comes with the downside of the tedious calibration process. In this paper, a CPFEM code was developed to include the twinning induced grain reorientation and subsequent crystallographic slip for HPC material. The developed code is incorporated in a large-scale, parallelized nonlinear solver WARP3D. Further, a sensitivity analysis with respect to 22 material parameters was then conducted using single crystal and polycrystal representative volume element (RVE) of Zircaloy material. Loading was applied along five different crystallographic orientations for single crystal RVE and along three directions namely, rolling (RD), transverse (TD), and normal (ND) direction for polycrystal RVE. Results obtained from the sensitivity analysis were used for the calibration of material parameters for Zircaloy. Finally, developed code along with calibrated material parameters was used to investigate the effect of the hydride phase formation in Zircaloy which is a typical case observed for nuclear applications. It was found that the volume fraction of the hydride phase has a significant impact on the mechanical properties of Zircaloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Unified constitutive model for single crystal deformation behavior with applications

Single crystal materials are being used in gas turbine airfoils and are candidates for other hot section components because of their increased temperature capabilities and resistance to thermal fatigue. Development of a constitutive model which assesses the inelastic behavior of these materials has been studied in 2 NASA programs: Life Prediction and Constitutive Models for Engine Hot Section Anisotropic Materials and Biaxial Constitutive Equation Development for Single Crystals. The model has been fit to a large body of constitutive data for single crystal PWA 1480 material. The model uses a unified approach for computing total inelastic strains (creep plus plasticity) on crystallographic slip systems reproducing observed directional and strain rate effects as a natural consequence of the summed slip system quantities. The model includes several of the effects that have been reported to influence deformation in single crystal materials, such as shear stress, latent hardening, and cross slip. The model is operational in a commercial Finite Element code and is being installed in a Boundary Element Method code.

Walker, K. P.↗

Creep Properties of NiAl-1Hf Single Crystals Re-Investigated

NiAl-1Hf single crystals have been shown to be quite strong at 1027 C, with strength levels approaching those of advanced Ni-based superalloys. Initial testing, however, indicated that the properties might not be reproducible. Study of the 1027 C creep behavior of four different NiAl-1Hf single-crystal ingots subjected to several different heat treatments indicated that strength lies in a narrow band. Thus, we concluded that the mechanical properties are reproducible. Recent investigations of the intermetallic NiAl have confirmed that minor alloying additions combined with single-crystal growth technology can produce elevated temperature strength levels approaching those of Ni-based superalloys. For example, General Electric alloy AFN 12 {Ni-48.5(at.%) Al-0.5Hf-1Ti-0.05Ga} has a creep rupture strength equivalent to Rene 80 combined with a approximately 30-percent lower density, a fourfold improvement in thermal conductivity, and the ability to form a self-protective alumina scale in aggressive environments. Although the compositions of strong NiAl single crystals are relatively simple, the microstructures are complex and vary with the heat treatment and with small ingot-toingot variations in the alloy chemistry. In addition, initial testing suggested a strong dependence between microstructure and creep strength. If these observations were true, the ability to utilize NiAl single-crystal rotating components in turbine machinery could be severely limited. To investigate the possible limitations in the creep response of high-strength NiAl single crystals, the NASA Glenn Research Center at Lewis Field initiated an in depth investigation of the effect of heat treatment on the microstructure and subsequent 1027 C creep behavior of [001]-oriented NiAl-1Hf with a nominal chemistry of Ni-47.5Al-1Hf-0.5Si. This alloy was selected since four ingots, grown over a number of years and possessing slightly different compositions, were available for study. Specimens taken from the ingots were subjected to several heat treatment schedules, examined by transmission electron microscopy, and tested in both compression and tension. An example of the microstructure found in a [001]-oriented NiAl-1Hf specimen after a solution treatment at 1317 C for 50 hr followed by air cooling is illustrated in the image on the left, where the NiAl matrix contains a uniform distribution of nanometer-scale Gphase (Ni16Hf6Si7) precipitates. Other heat treating schedules produced microstructures with nanometer-sized G-phase cubes and plates or, in an extreme case, produced a microstructure with all the G-phase converted to Heusler (Ni2AlHf) particles. The results of 1027 C creep strength and strain rate testing are illustrated which summarizes data from tensile and compressive testing of samples cut from all four NiAl-1Hf ingots and subjected to a variety of heat treatment schedules. With one exception, all the strength values lie in a narrow band that spans six orders of magnitude in strain rate. The only factor that produced results outside of this band was the heat treatment schedule that dissolved all the G-phase and replaced it with Heusler precipitates. The results portrayed in this figure lead to the important practical conclusion that the elevated-temperature creep properties of NiAl-1Hf single crystals are reproducible and are not affected by small variations in alloy chemistry from ingot to ingot or by different initial distributions of G-phase in the heat-treated alloy. The only variable in this study that produced a significant and delerious effect on mechanical strength was a post-solution heat treatment that lead to the complete disappearance of the G-phase in favor of Heusler precipitates.

Whittenberger, J. Daniel↗

Rolling-contact deformation of MgO single crystals

Magnesium oxide single crystals were used as a model bearing material and deformed by rolling contact with a steel ball 0.64 cm in diameter. A dependence of depth of slip on rolling velocity which persisted with increasing numbers of rolling-contact cycles was discovered. The track width, track hardness and dislocation interactions as observed by transmission electron microscopy all increased in a consistent manner with increasing cycles. The rolling-contact state of stress produces a high density of dislocations in a localized zone. Dislocation interaction in this zone produces cleavage-type cracks after a large number of rolling-contact cycles. The orientation of the crystal influences the character of dislocation accumulation.

Dufrane, K. F.↗

Electrical switching in cadmium boracite single crystals

Cadmium boracite single crystals at high temperatures ( 300 C) were found to exhibit a reversible electric field-induced transition between a highly insulative and a conductive state. The switching threshold is smaller than a few volts for an electrode spacing of a few tenth of a millimeter corresponding to an electric field of 100 to 1000 V/cm. This is much smaller than the dielectric break-down field for an insulator such as boracite. The insulative state reappears after voltage removal. A pulse technique revealed two different types of switching. Unstable switching occurs when the pulse voltage slightly exceeds the switching threshold and is characterized by a pre-switching delay and also a residual current after voltage pulse removal. A stable type of switching occurs when the voltage becomes sufficiently high. Possible device applications of this switching phenomenon are discussed.

Takahashi, T.↗

Lightweight optical mirrors formed in single crystal substrate

This invention is directed to a process for manufacturing a lightweight mirror from a single crystal material, such as single crystal silicon. As a near perfect single crystal material, single crystal silicon has much lower internal stress than a conventional material. This means much less distortion of the optical surface during the light weighting process. After being ground and polished, a single crystal silicon mirror is light weighted by removing material from the back side using ultrasonic machining. After the light weighting process, the single crystal silicon mirror may be used as-is or further figured by conventional polishing or ion milling, depending on the application and the operating wavelength.

Bly, Vincent T.↗

Phase-field predictions of the influence of cooling rates during AM on the Evolution of Microstructures in Nickel-Based Single Crystal Superalloys

Additive manufacturing of single crystals made of Ni-based superalloys offers major cost savings for gas turbine engines with the inclusion of internal cooling channels. However, the lack of understanding of the effect of transient thermal conditions on solidification grain structure during additive manufacturing hinders the potential for process control to maintain the single crystal quality. The use of high-fidelity simulations through high performance computing to predict the evolution of the solidification microstructure will enhance the abilities to tailor the microstructures through process optimization. Phase field simulations are used to determine the effect local thermal conditions and defects on the stability of the solidification morphology, specifically with respect to the onset of columnar-to-equiaxed transition that results in the loss of the single crystal. The results are expected to be instrumental for developing future surrogate models to speed up the integration of design and manufacturing of turbine blades under the harsh in-service conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Understanding single-crystal superalloys

The unique properties of single crystals are considered. The anisotropic properties of single crystals, and the relation between crystal orientation and the fatigue life and slip systems of the crystals are examined. The effect of raft formation on the creep-rupture life of the crystals is studied. Proposed research on the properties of and new applications for single crystals is discussed.

Dreshfield, Robert L.↗

Mechanism for diamond nucleation and growth on single crystal copper surfaces implanted with carbon

The nucleation and growth of diamond crystals on single-crystal copper surfaces implanted with carbon ions is studied. Microwave plasma-enhanced chemical-vapor deposition is used for diamond growth. The single-crystal copper substrates were implanted either at room or elevated temperature with carbon ions prior to diamond nucleation. This procedure leads to the formation of a graphite film on the copper surface which greatly enhances diamond crystallite nucleation. A simple lattice model is constructed for diamond growth on graphite as 111 line (diamond) parallel to 0001 line (graphite) and 110 line (diamond) parallel to 1 1 -2 0 (graphite).

Ong, T. P.↗

Fatigue Failures at Defective Grains in a Single Crystal Nickel-Base Superalloy

Single crystal nickel-base superalloys used as turbine engine blades can have much higher creep and fatigue resistance than many polycrystalline superalloys due to the absence of weak grain boundaries as well as the ability to orient the blades in the primary loading direction on to the low elastic modulus [001] orientation, which significantly lowers the stresses imposed on the blades. However, grain defects can occur in these crystals, impairing these advantages. In the present study, fatigue tests of a single crystal superalloy uncovered unexpected defective grains in the test specimens, which initiated premature fatigue failures. The characteristics of these defective grains and the associated failures were evaluated and related to the observed fatigue lives.

superalloy↗

Telecommunication-wavelength two-dimensional photonic crystal cavities in a thin single-crystal diamond membrane

We demonstrate two-dimensional photonic crystal cavities operating at telecommunication wavelengths in a single-crystal diamond membrane. We use a high-optical-quality and thin (~300 nm) diamond membrane, supported by a polycrystalline diamond frame, to realize fully suspended two-dimensional photonic crystal cavities with a high theoretical quality factor of ~8 × 10 6 and a relatively small mode volume of ~2(λ/n) 3 . The cavities are fabricated in the membrane using electron-beam lithography and vertical dry etching. We observe cavity resonances over a wide wavelength range spanning the telecommunication O- and S-bands (1360–1470 nm) with Q factors of up to ~1800. Our method paves the way for on-chip diamond nanophotonic applications in the telecommunication-wavelength range.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗