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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.

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At least 109 records · Page 6
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2025

Recent Advances in Pipeline Integrity for Transporting Blended Hydrogen-Natural Gas

To achieve US decarbonization goals, hydrogen is being considered as an alternative energy source to reduce carbon emissions. Blending hydrogen into existing natural gas pipelines is an intuitive first step to enable near term emission reductions. However, there are numerous challenges and uncertainties that complicate the transition to transporting hydrogen long-distance through existing natural gas pipelines. The main challenge is hydrogen embrittlement (HE), which reduces the ductility, fracture toughness and fatigue resistance of pipeline steels. This work delivers a technical review on HE effects on the material properties of pipeline carbon steels, such as Grade B, X52, X65, X70, X80, and X100. An important aspect of laboratory tests to capture the HE effect is the hydrogen test environment. This includes hydrogen pre-charged specimens tested in air and specimens tested in a hydrogen gas environment. A review of the mechanical properties of pipeline steel in different hydrogen environments determined through tensile testing is given first, which includes HE effects on yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and ductility for blended hydrogen-natural gas pipelines. Then, the HE effects on fracture toughness and fatigue crack growth resistance are discussed. Last, impacts of HE to pipeline integrity and major technical challenges are discussed.

: Hydrogen Embrittlement↗
NASA NTRS1982

Fatigue behavior of SiC reinforced Ti/6Al-4V/ at 650 C

Axial, low cycle fatigue properties of 25 and 44 fiber vol pct SiC/Ti(6Al-4V) composites, measured at 650 C, were compared with the fatigue properties of unreinforced Ti(6Al-4V) at the same temperature. A prior study of the fatigue behavior of this composite system at room temperature indicated that the SiC fiber reinforcement did not provide the anticipated improvement of fatigue resistance of this alloy. At 650 C, the composite fatigue properties degraded somewhat from those at room temperature. However, these properties degraded more for the unreinforced matrix at 650 C with the result that the composite fatigue strength was two to three times the fatigue strength of the matrix alloy. The reasons for this reversal are discussed in terms of crack initiation at broken fibers and residual matrix stresses.

Bhatt, R. T.↗
DOE OSTI2026

Understanding failure in austenitic steels: Key considerations for molten salt storage in CSP applications

Owing to their excellent properties, austenitic stainless steels are extensively used in boilers, furnaces, molten salt tanks, and other applications that are subjected to extreme mechanical loads and high-temperature conditions. Their high corrosion and creep resistance make them suitable for high-temperature operating environments. Additionally, good fatigue resistance and favorable mechanical and visual properties are essential. However, the premature failure of several components at elevated temperatures has been previously reported. Although the failure analysis of components in service is complex, processes such as cold work and welding have been identified as contributing factors to the performance degradation of these steels. This study aims to analyze the various documented failure modes and mechanisms in austenitic steels, including creep, cracking, stress relaxation cracking, and fatigue, to better understand the multi-objective design requirements for these alloys as structural materials for high-temperature molten salt tanks in Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) plants. Stabilized austenitic grades, such as AISI 347H, demonstrate superior resistance to creep and corrosion-related degradation when compared to non-stabilized grades like AISI 316L at temperatures relevant to concentrated solar power (CSP) applications. In contrast, nickel-based alloys offer enhanced corrosion resistance, albeit at a higher cost. This review underscores that creep, stress relaxation cracking, and thermo-mechanical fatigue are the predominant long-term failure risks in CSP hot tanks.

14 SOLAR ENERGY↗
NASA NTRS1993

A miniature fatigue test machine

The objective is to enable the student to generate statistically sound fatigue data sets on wire specimens of varying diameter, microstructure, or material. The student can then assess the effect of these parameters of fatigue resistance. The student can also be exposed to ASTM techniques for fatigue data reduction and presentation. Experiments involving variable amplitude block loading are also easily conducted.

Tipton, Steven M.↗
NASA NTRS2001

Potential for Time Compression in Creep-Fatigue Property Evaluation

This paper presents several engineering techniques for shorter time to characterize creep fatigue resistance. The topics include: 1) Classification of 100 Existing Creep-Fatigue Models; 2) Strainrange Partitioning (SRP) Approach; 3) Inelastic Strainrange SRP-Life Extrapolation Approaches; and 4) Total Strain Version of SRP. This paper is presented in viewgraph form.

Halford, Gary R.↗
NASA NTRS1984

The influence of hold times on LCF and FCG behavior in a P/M Ni-base superalloy

The relative importance of creep and environmental interactions in high temperature fatigue behavior has been investigated for as-HIP Rene 95. Strain-controlled low cycle fatigue and load-controlled fatigue crack growth tests were performed at elevated temperatures in argon, followed by fractographic analyses of the fracture surfaces by scanning electron microscopy. Fatigue lives were drastically reduced and crack growth rates increased one hundred fold as a result of superposition of hold times on continuous cycling. A change in fracture mode with hold time also was noted. Chromium oxide was detected on the fracture surface by Auger electron spectroscopy. The drastic changes in fatigue resistance due to hold times were attributed primarily to environmental interactions with fatigue processes.

Choe, S. J.↗
NASA NTRS1990

High temperature tension-compression fatigue behavior of a tungsten copper composite

The high temperature fatigue of a (O)12 tungsten fiber reinforced copper matrix composite was investigated. Specimens having fiber volume percentages of 10 and 36 were fatigued under fully-reversed, strain-controlled conditions at both 260 and 560 C. The fatigue life was found to be independent of fiber volume fraction because fatigue damage preferentially occurred in the matrix. Also, the composite fatigue lives were shorter at 560 C as compared to 260 C due to changes in mode of matrix failure. On a total strain basis, the fatigue life of the composite at 560 C was the same as the life of unreinforced copper, indicating that the presence of the fibers did not degrade the fatigue resistance of the copper matrix in this composite system. Comparison of strain-controlled fatigue data to previously-generated load-controlled data revealed that the strain-controlled fatigue lives were longer because of mean strain and mean stress effects.

Verrilli, Michael J.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Considerations concerning fatigue life of metal matrix composites

Since metal matrix composites (MMC) are composed from two very distinct materials each having their own physical and mechanical properties, it is feasible that the fatigue resistance depends on the strength of the weaker constituent. Based on this assumption, isothermal fatigue lives of several MMC's were analyzed utilizing a fatigue life diagram approach. For each MMC, the fatigue life diagram was quantified using the mechanical properties of its constituents. The fatigue life regions controlled by fiber fracture and matrix were also quantitatively defined.

Radhakrishnan, V. M.↗
NASA NTRS1972

Fatigue design procedure for the American SST prototype

For supersonic airline operations, significantly higher environmental temperature is the primary new factor affecting structural service life. Methods for incorporating the influence of temperature in detailed fatigue analyses are shown along with current test indications. Thermal effects investigated include real-time compared with short-time testing, long-time temperature exposure, and stress-temperature cycle phasing. A method is presented which allows designers and stress analyzers to check fatigue resistance of structural design details. A communicative rating system is presented which defines the relative fatigue quality of the detail so that the analyst can define cyclic-load capability of the design detail by entering constant-life charts for varying detail quality. If necessary then, this system allows the designer to determine ways to improve the fatigue quality for better life or to determine the operating stresses which will provide the required service life.

Doty, R. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Fatigue of Ni-Al-Mo aligned eutectics at elevated temperatures

The elevated-temperature mechanical behavior of two aligned eutectics (Ni-8.1 wt % Al-26.4 wt % Mo and Ni-6.3 wt % Al-31.2 wt % Mo) has been investigated utilizing monotonic and cyclic testing in vacuum. Tensile yield strength and fatigue resistance increased from 25 to 725 C, but then were reduced at 825 C. The fatigue lives of specimens tested at 725 C decreased sharply with decreasing frequency. A shift from surface to internal crack initiation was observed upon increasing the test temperature from 725 to 825 C. Stage II crack propagation was observed at both temperatures, in contrast to stage I cracking at 25 C. The test results are compared to those for other nickel and cobalt-base aligned eutectics to show that the frequency effect on fatigue life is not limited to the Ni-Al-Mo system.

Tartaglia, J. M.↗
NASA NTRS2011

Factors Influencing Dwell Fatigue Cracking in Notches of Powder Metallurgy Superalloys

The influences of heat treatment and cyclic dwells on the notch fatigue resistance of powder metallurgy disk superalloys were investigated for low solvus high refractory (LSHR) and ME3 disk alloys. Disks were processed to produce material conditions with varied microstructures and associated mechanical properties. Notched specimens were first subjected to baseline dwell fatigue cycles having a dwell at maximum load, as well as tensile, stress relaxation, creep rupture, and dwell fatigue crack growth tests at 704 C. Several material heat treatments displayed a bimodal distribution of fatigue life with the lives varying by two orders-of-magnitude, while others had more consistent fatigue lives. This response was compared to other mechanical properties, in search of correlations. The wide scatter in baseline dwell fatigue life was observed only for material conditions resistant to stress relaxation. For selected materials and conditions, additional tests were then performed with the dwells shifted in part or in total to minimum tensile load. The tests performed with dwells at minimum load exhibited lower fatigue lives than max dwell tests, and also exhibited early crack initiation and a substantial increase in the number of initiation sites. These results could be explained in part by modeling evolution of peak stresses in the notch with continued dwell fatigue cycling. Fatigue-environment interactions were determined to limit life for the fatigue cycles with dwells.

Gabb, T. P.↗
NASA NTRS2004

Effects of High Temperature Exposures on Fatigue Life of Disk Superalloys

The effects on fatigue life of high temperature exposures simulating service conditions were considered for two disk superalloys. Powder metallurgy processed, supersolvus heat treated Udimet (trademark) 720 and ME3 fatigue specimens were exposed in air at temperatures of 650 to 704 C, for times of 100 h to over 1000 h. They were then tested using conventional fatigue tests at 650 and 704 C, to determine the effects of exposure on fatigue resistance. Cyclic dwell verification tests were also performed to contrast the effects of intermixed exposures and fatigue cycles. The prior exposures reduced life by up to 70% and increased the scatter in life, compared to unexposed levels. Cyclic dwell tests reduced lives even more. Fractographic evaluations indicated the failure mode was shifted by the exposures and cyclic dwells from predominantly internal to often surface crack initiations. The increased scatter in life was related to the competition between internal crack initiations at inclusions or large grains producing longer lives, and surface crack initiations at an environmentally affected surface layer producing shorter lives.

Gabb, Tim P.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Computer programs to characterize alloys and predict cyclic life using the total strain version of strainrange partitioning: Tutorial and users manual, version 1.0

This manual presents computer programs for characterizing and predicting fatigue and creep-fatigue resistance of metallic materials in the high-temperature, long-life regime for isothermal and nonisothermal fatigue. The programs use the total strain version of Strainrange Partitioning (TS-SRP). An extensive database has also been developed in a parallel effort. This database is probably the largest source of high-temperature, creep-fatigue test data available in the public domain and can be used with other life prediction methods as well. This users manual, software, and database are all in the public domain and are available through COSMIC (382 East Broad Street, Athens, GA 30602; (404) 542-3265, FAX (404) 542-4807). Two disks accompany this manual. The first disk contains the source code, executable files, and sample output from these programs. The second disk contains the creep-fatigue data in a format compatible with these programs.

Saltsman, James F.↗
NASA NTRS1942

Improvement of fatigue life of an aluminum alloy by overstressing

Fatigue tests were made on some 1.375-inch-diameter and 0.300-inch diameter specimens of a 17S-T aluminum alloy rod. One test of a large specimen was run continuously to failure at a maximum stress of 22,000 pounds per square inch. In two other tests of large specimens, thin surface layers were removed periodically until failure occurred. The same nominal maximum stress of 22,000 pounds per square inch was used throughout the two tests and the load on the fatigue machine was lowered accordingly after the removal of each surface layer. As each test progressed the stress in the metal of the final surface area therefore was increased after the removal of each surface layer. Because of the stresses used, this metal was overstressed, that is, stressed above its endurance limit. All the remaining specimens were subjected to similar over- stressing conditions but no metal was removed and a low initial stress was increased periodically to a final maximum value of 22,000 pounds per square inch as each test progressed. It was found that the fatigue resistance of 17S-T aluminum alloy can be increased by moderate overstressing. Apparently the increase in fatigue lift obtained in the tests of specimens from which layers were removed was the result of overstressing rather than from the removal of damaged surface layers.

STRICKLEY G W↗
NASA NTRS2003

FLAPS (Fatigue Life Analysis Programs): Computer Programs to Predict Cyclic Life Using the Total Strain Version of Strainrange Partitioning and Other Life Prediction Methods

This manual presents computer programs FLAPS for characterizing and predicting fatigue and creep-fatigue resistance of metallic materials in the high-temperature, long-life regime for isothermal and nonisothermal fatigue. The programs use the Total Strain version of Strainrange Partitioning (TS-SRP), and several other life prediction methods described in this manual. The user should be thoroughly familiar with the TS-SRP and these life prediction methods before attempting to use any of these programs. Improper understanding can lead to incorrect use of the method and erroneous life predictions. An extensive database has also been developed in a parallel effort. The database is probably the largest source of high-temperature, creep-fatigue test data available in the public domain and can be used with other life-prediction methods as well. This users' manual, software, and database are all in the public domain and can be obtained by contacting the author. The Compact Disk (CD) accompanying this manual contains an executable file for the FLAPS program, two datasets required for the example problems in the manual, and the creep-fatigue data in a format compatible with these programs.

Arya, Vinod K.↗
DOE OSTI2021

An investigation into the effects of cyclic strain rate on the high cycle and very high cycle fatigue behaviors of wrought and additively manufactured Inconel 718

Additive Manufacturing (AM) has increasingly been used to fabricate parts in aerospace applications, which may require service lives beyond ten-million cycles due to the imposed high loading frequencies. Understanding the very high cycle fatigue (VHCF) behavior of these additive manufactured (AM) parts is an important step towards their design and qualification processes. This study focuses on the high cycle fatigue (HCF) and VHCF behaviors of both wrought and laser beam-powder bed fusion (LB-PBF) fabricated Inconel 718 in machined/polished surface condition, emphasizing on the influence of test frequency (i.e., cyclic strain rate). Uniaxial, fully-reversed force- and stress-controlled fatigue tests were conducted utilizing a servo-hydraulic and an ultrasonic test system operating at 5 Hz and 20 kHz, respectively, on wrought as well as LB-PBF vertically and diagonally built specimens. Fatigue cracks in the majority of the specimens were found to initiate from intra-granular slip bands near or at the surface, which gives rise to strong anisotropy in fatigue resistance in LB-PBF specimens due to the presence of columnar grains along the build directions. Longer fatigue lives were obtained at 20 kHz, which was ascribed to possibly lower-than-intended stresses applied in the ultrasonic tests. The corrected stress-life fatigue data at 20 kHz were found to converge to the one obtained from conventional testing at 5 Hz, implying no effect of cyclic strain rate on the fatigue behavior of Inconel 718 regardless of the fabrication process. The findings of this work confirm the use of ultrasonic fatigue testing to expedite generation of AM materials data to keep up with the current demand; however, the applied stress may need to be corrected.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
NASA NTRS1985

Design of traction drives

Traction drives are among the simplest of all speed-changing mechanisms. Because of their simplicity and their ability to smoothly and continuously adjust speed, they are excellent choices for many drive system applications. They have been used in industrial service for more than 100 years. Today's traction drives have power capacities which rival the best gear and belt drives due to modern traction fluids and highly fatigue-resistant bearing steels. This report summarizes methods to analyze and size traction drives. Lubrication principles, contact kinematics, stress, fatigue life, and performance prediction methods are presented. The effects of the lubricant's traction characteristics on life and power loss are discussed. An example problem is given which illustrates the effects of spin on power loss. Loading mechanism design and the design of nonlubricated friction wheels and rings are also treated.

Loewenthal, S. H.↗
NASA NTRS1960

Thermal-Fatigue Crack-Growth Characteristics and Mechanical Strain Cycling Behavior of A-286 Discaloy, and 16-25-6 Austenitic Steels

Thermal-fatigue crack-growth characteristics of notched- and unnotched-disk specimens of A-286, Discaloy, hot-cold worked 16-25-6, and overaged 16-25-6 were experimentally studied. Separately controlled variables were total strain range (0.0043 to 0.0079 in./in.), maximum cycle temperature (1300 and 1100 F), and hold time at maximum temperature (O and 5 min). A limited number of mechanical, push-pull, constant-strain cycle tests at room temperature were made using notched and un-notched bars of the same materials. In these tests the number of cycles to failure as well as the variation of load change with accumulated cycles was measured, and the effects of mean stress were observed. Constant-strain-range mechanical-fatigue tests at room temperature revealed notched-bar fatigue life to be strongly influenced by mean stress. For a specific strain range, the longest fatigue life was always found to be associated with the least-tensile (or most compressive) mean stress. By defining thermal-fatigue life as the number of cycles required to produce a crack area of 6000 square mils, the relative thermal-fatigue resistances of the test materials were established. Notched-disk specimens of A-286 and Discaloy steels exhibited longer fatigue lives than either hot-cold worked or overaged 16-25-6. On the other hand, unnotched-disk specimens of Discaloy and hot-cold worked 16-25-6 had longer lives than A-286 and overaged 16-25-6. Separation of the crack-growth data into microstage and macrostage periods revealed that the macrostage period accounted for the greatest part of the difference among materials when tested in the notched configuration, while the microstage was largely responsible for the differences encountered in unnotched disks.

Smith, Robert W.↗