45 research outputs found
Modeling the lifetime reduction due to the superposition of TMF and HCF loadings in cast iron alloys
No full textAbstractThe superposition of small amplitude, high frequency loading cycles (HCF) to slow, large amplitude loading cycles (TMF) can significantly reduce the fatigue life. In this work, the combined TMF+HCF loading has been experimentally investigated for a cast iron alloy. In particular, the influence of the HCF frequency of the HCF amplitude and of the location of the superposed HCF cycles has been assessed. It was observed that the HCF frequency has a limited impact on the TMF fatigue life. On the other side, the HCF-strain amplitude has a highly non-linear influence on the TMF fatigue life. A simple estimate for the fatigue life reduction due to the superposed HCF cycles has been derived from fracture mechanics considerations. It is assumed that the number of propagation cycles up to failure can be neglected after a threshold for the HCF loading has been reached. The model contains only two adjustable parameters and can be combined with any TMF life prediction model. The model predictions are compared with the test results for a large range of TMF+HCF loading conditions
The telescope conjecture at height 2 and the tmf resolution
No full textMahowald proved the height 1 telescope conjecture at the prime 2 as anapplication of his seminal work on bo-resolutions. In this paper we study theheight 2 telescope conjecture at the prime 2 through the lens oftmf-resolutions. To this end we compute the structure of the tmf-resolution fora specifc type 2 complex Z. We find that, analogous to the height 1 case, theE1-page of the tmf-resolution possesses a decomposition into a v2-periodicsummand, and an Eilenberg-MacLane summand which consists of bounded v2-torsion.However, unlike the height 1 case, the E2-page of the tmf-resolution exhibitsunbounded v2-torsion. We compare this to the work of Mahowald-Ravenel-Shick,and discuss how the validity of the telescope conjecture is connected to thefate of this unbounded v2-torsion: either the unbounded v2-torsion kills itselfoff in the spectral sequence, and the telescope conjecture is true, or itpersists to form v2-parabolas and the telescope conjecture is false. We alsostudy how to use the tmf-resolution to effectively give low dimensionalcomputations of the homotopy groups of Z. These computations allow us to provea conjecture of the second author and Egger: the E(2)-local Adams-Novikovspectral sequence for Z collapses.<br
A Comparative Study of Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Performance of Different Grades of SiMo Nodular Cast Iron
No full textThis thesis is a comparative study of the Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) performance of different grades of SiMo nodular cast iron for heavy-duty diesel engine exhaust gas manifold applications. The TMF performance of the current SiMo variant used to manufacture exhaust manifolds - SiMo 5.10 (C-3.25Si-4.45Mo-0.76), is compared with that of the variants SiMo 4.05 (C-3.22Si-4.66Mo-0.56) and SiMoNi (C-3.3Si-4.5Mo-1Ni-1.3) by performing three out-of-phase (OP) TMF test series under partial constraint conditions. A benchmark TMF test series in the temperature range: 50 ˚C to 550 ˚C with a hold time of 30 s at 550 ˚C showed that SiMo 5.10 had relatively better performance due to development of lower mechanical crack driving forces compared to other variants. However, a long holding time of 600 s at 550 ˚C saw a larger decrease of average TMF lifetimes for SiMo 5.10 than that of SiMo 4.05 despite similar crack driving forces. An investigation of the stress relaxation during TMF of the two variants showed that the SiMo 4.05 performs better during long hold time due to better stress relaxation properties. The SiMoNi variant which is very brittle at low temperatures was found to fail by a fracture by overloading mechanism taking over quite early in the fatigue cycle; which is confirmed by examination of the fracture surfaces and numerical estimations. This also explained the low lifetimes and scatter in previously performed TMF tests under total constraint conditions. The TMF test series performed in the temperature range: 150 ˚C to 550 ˚C with a hold time of 30 s at 550 ˚C found that a heat-treatment seemed to reduce the TMF performance of the SiMo 5.10 variant. Metallographic investigations and hardness measurements of as-cast and heat-treated materials revealed that the distribution of the Mo-rich phase from the grain boundary regions into the matrix due to an annealing heat-treatment seemed to affect the TMF performance.Materials Science and Engineerin
Thermo-mechanical fatigue lifetime assessment of spheroidal cast I\iron at different thermal constraint levels
No full textIn previous work on the thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) of compacted graphite iron (CGI), lifetimes measured under total constraint were confirmed analytically by numerical integration of Paris’ crack-growth law. In current work, the results for CGI are further validated for spheroidal cast iron (SGI), while TMF tests at different constraint levels were additionally performed. The Paris crack-growth law is found to require a different CParis parameter value per distinct constraint level, indicating that Paris’ law does not capture all physical backgrounds of TMF crack growth, such as the effect of constraint level. An adapted version of Paris’ law is developed, designated as the local strain model. The new model considers cyclic plastic strains at the crack tip to control crack growth and is found to predict TMF lifetimes of SGI very well for all constraint levels with a single set of parameters. This includes not only full constraint but also over and partial constraint conditions, as encountered in diesel engine service conditions. The local strain model considers the crack tip to experience a distinct sharpening and blunting stage during each TMF cycle, with separate contributions to crack-tip plasticity, originating from cyclic bulk stresses in the sharpening stage and cyclic plastic bulk strains in the blunting stage.Emerging Materials(OLD) MSE-3(OLD) MSE-
Effects of Holding Time on Thermomechanical Fatigue Properties of Compacted Graphite Iron Through Tests with Notched Specimens
No full textIn cylinder heads of compacted graphite iron (CGI), the heating and cooling cycles can lead to localized cracking due to thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). Traditionally, TMF behavior is studied by thermal cycling of smooth specimens. The resulting number of cycles to failure (Nf) constitutes a single parameter that can be used to predict actual service failures. Nevertheless, there are also some drawbacks of the conventional testing procedures, most noticeably the prolonged testing times and a considerable scatter in test results. To address these drawbacks, TMF tests were performed using notched specimens, resulting in shorter testing times with less scatter. In the case of cast iron, artificial notches do not necessarily change the TMF behavior since the inherent graphite particles behave as internal notches. Using a notch depth of 0.2 mm, the effect of prolonged holding times (HT) on TMF lifetime was studied and a clear effect was found. Extended holding times were also found to be accompanied by relaxation of compressive stresses, causing higher tensile stresses to develop in the subsequent low temperature stages of the TMF cycles. The lifetimes in notched CGI specimens can be predicted by the Paris’ fatigue crack growth model. This model was used to differentiate between the individual effects of stress level and holding times on TMF lifetime. Microstructural changes were evaluated by analyzing quantitative data sets obtained by orientation contrast microscopy based on electron backscattered diffraction (EBSD).Materials Innovation InstituteMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin
Transient monitoring function-based islanding detection in power distribution network
No full textIslanding detection in distributed generation (DG) interfaced to the microgrid is a key criterion for safety and power quality of the power system. This study proposes a transient monitoring function (TMF)-based islanding detection technique, which distinguishes between various islanding and non-islanding conditions in an inverter-based DG. Initially, the voltage samples of each phase retrieved at the target DG location are processed through Fourier-Taylor transformation (FTT). The TMF is the difference between the estimated voltage samples regenerated from the FTT and the actual sample values. Finally, the TMF index for islanding detection is computed by combining each phase TMF. Based on simulations carried out in PSCAD/ EMTDC environment, the performance of the proposed method is examined in various critical conditions. Therefore, the proposed method provides generalised solution irrespective of active and reactive power mismatch and thus enhancing the nondetection zone. The proposed TMF-based anti-islanding relay is highly efficient and satisfies the speed criteria of the relaying function in performing the task.</p
Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue of Compacted Graphite Iron in Diesel Engine Components
No full textCast iron components in combustion engines, such as cylinder blocks and heads of trucks, are exposed for long periods of time to elevated temperatures. Moreover, the engines are started and stopped frequently during their operational life, constituting a large number of heating and cooling cycles. In geometrical complex components the sudden heating (starting the engine) and cooling (stopping the engine) lead to thermal gradients and thermal mismatch within the material, resulting in the local development of high stress levels. The many start-stop operations and their associated alternating stress levels can lead to a localized cracking phenomenon known as Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF). Compacted Graphite Iron (CGI) is a common material of choice for diesel engine cylinder heads of heavy trucks and is a type of graphitic cast iron, consisting of vermicular graphite particles embedded in a metal matrix of pearlite. This material provides a suitable combination of thermal and mechanical properties, satisfying the functional requirements of these engine components. The main aim of this research is to identify and understand the damage micro-mechanisms that control thermo-mechanical fatigue phenomena in cast iron (CGI). The acquired knowledge is of relevance for predicting the lifetime, improving the properties and increasing the reliability of diesel truck cylinder heads. The work of this study can roughly be categorized into three main subjects: (i) Microstructural evolutions of CGI at elevated temperatures, (ii) TMF crack growth characterization and (iii) precise microstructural analysis of the TMF-crack path. Microstructural Evolutions of CGI at Elevated Temperatures In a first series of experiments, time and temperature induced microstructural changes in CGI were characterized, in view of their possible role in the TMF behavior of CGI. During open air annealing of CGI at 420 °C microstructural changes take place in the material, which gave rise to volume expansion and weight increase. The weight increase can be explained by considering the formation of an oxide scale whereas the volume expansion can be attributed to the decomposition of pearlite into ferrite and graphite. It was observed that the atmosphere is of crucial importance in this process. Annealing in an open-air atmosphere produced ten times less volume expansion as compared to annealing in vacuum conditions. Internal oxidation was observed during annealing under atmospheric conditions and the presence of an internal oxidation layer largely inhibited the progress of pearlite decomposition. The observed oxide layers at the internal metal/vapour interface of cavities (left behind by denuded graphite) cause the obstruction of carbon diffusion and thus the suppression of the pearlite decomposition process. In addition it was found that the depth of the oxidized zone near the surface (the oxide penetration depth) was of the same order of magnitude as the eutectic cell size, i.e. the volume in which graphite particles are interconnected. This suggests that the interconnectivity of the graphite has a dominant influence on the kinetics of the oxidation process. The microstructural dependence of tensile and fatigue properties of CGI at room temperature were evaluated by an extended annealing treatment of 720 h at 420 °C. This extended annealing treatment leads to better tensile (increase in yield strength, ductility) and dynamic properties (fatigue lifetime) at room temperature. The variations of mechanical properties were observed both after annealing under atmospheric and vacuum conditions, but were more pronounced after vacuum annealing. This can be explained by the decomposition of the pearlite phase during annealing and the formation of new ferrite at the graphite/metal interface. It is assumed that the ferrite/graphite interface exhibits a stronger bond than the pearlite/graphite interface. As this stronger bond will be better resistant to delamination, it will strengthen the material both in static and dynamic loading. Such effects were far less pronounced in the open-air annealed material, which could be associated with the fact that it was shown that internal oxidation strongly reduced the kinetics of decomposition. TMF Crack Growth Characterization An important part of this study was to measure and analyze the TMF lifetime of CGI. For smooth and notched specimens, the TMF lifetime was measured in TMF tests under total-constraint conditions, with temperatures cycling between 50 °C and 420 °C. By considering the notch depth as the initial crack length, TMF lifetimes were reproduced numerically using the Paris equation for fatigue crack growth (da/dN = C (?K)m). The calculated lifetimes were found to be in good agreement with all experimental results, covering a wide range of TMF lifetimes from 30 to 1400 cycles. Also for smooth specimens the Paris model worked well by considering the typical graphite particle size as notch depth. It is one of the main conclusions of this work that graphite particles act as internal notches from which a TMF crack almost immediately starts to grow during the first TMF cycles. Hence, it was established that TMF lifetime in CGI is governed by crack growth and not by crack initiation. The relevance of the Paris growth law was further confirmed by meticulously measuring the actual crack growth rates for three typical values of the stress intensity factor. The resulting crack growth rates proved to be in reasonable agreement with the predicted values according to the Paris model. It was further shown that the cyclic plasticity of the bulk material, accumulated during TMF cycles, does not have a noticeable effect on TMF lifetime (i.e. crack growth rates are not affected). The notched dog-bone specimen geometry is proposed in this work as a valid alternative for monitoring the TMF behavior of CGI. By applying standard TMF tests with notched specimens, it was possible to significantly reduce both testing time and experimental data scatter, whilst preserving a realistic estimation of the lifetime of the smooth sample. The effect of prolonged holding times (HT) on TMF lifetime was studied by using notched specimens and a clear effect was observed. Extended holding times were accompanied by an increased relaxation of compressive stresses, causing higher tensile stresses to develop in the subsequent low temperature stages of the TMF cycles. So, extended HTs had an adverse effect on the sample lifetime with a saturating effect for HTs above 1800 s. The Paris fatigue-crack-growth model was used also to estimate the impact of extended HTs. According to the Paris growth law, using a fixed value of tensile stress at low temperature, it was estimated that an increase of holding time from 30 s to 18000 s (5 h) produced a drop of 45% in lifetime. In reality a 60% drop in lifetime was measured, though, which implies that a combined effect of (tensile) stress and microstructural evolution during TMF is responsible for the reduction of lifetime. Precise Microstructural Analysis of the TMF Crack Path To the purpose of precise characterization of the complex TMF-crack-path morphology in CGI in relation to local microstructural features and to find out how and by which mechanisms the cracks predominantly develop, 2D and 3D orientation contrast imaging was carried out on wide field sample volumes, covering several mm3 of imaged material. The data analysis revealed that the crystal planes that are parallel to the (local) crack plane are essentially of a random orientation. Conversely, it was found that graphite particles do not only play a crucial role in the crack initiation, but also are of primary significance for crack propagation. Quantitative analysis of the EBSD data in 2D and 3D showed that the distribution of graphite particles is very important for the crack propagation, as it was revealed that graphite particles enhance crack growth. It was statistically proven that the density of graphite particles in the crack plane is more than double of the density in an arbitrary plane. Our materials knowledge, based on the interpretation of test results in terms of quantifiable microstructural data functions, is of crucial importance to develop a microstructurally based TMF model.Materials Science & EngineeringMechanical, Maritime and Materials Engineerin
Themal Mass Flowmeter---Realzie in two- wire installtaion
No full textFor more than 20 years, the thermal mass flow meters have been widely used in several industries such as the petroleum refining industry, waste water processing and steeling making industry. I will call it “TMF” in the rest of the article. The TMF’ low-flow sensitivity and fast response have made them the first choice for many critical gas flow application. However, there are still some inadequacies in the TMF. Such as interruption among the wires, high cost of the installation and influenced by temperature. Some of the problem comes from its way of the connection--- four-wire connection. Two-wire connection can resolve some of these problems. In this thesis, the author presents a new type of two-wire installation and use of TMF which can be realized low production cost. The author found a new measurement method, which is detecting the functional relationship between working current of a traditional TMF and the flow. The author also designs a measurement converter needed for adequate signal processing so that flow value measurement values can be shown in computers
Damage Evolution in Thermomechanical Loading of Stainless Steel
No full textAbstractSuperaustenitic stainless steel Sanicro 25 has been subjected to in-phase and out-of-phase thermomechanical fatigue (TMF). Different amplitudes of mechanical strain and the changes of the temperature in the interval 250 to 700°C were applied to standard cylindrical specimens. Early fatigue damage has been studied using scanning electron microscopy combined with FIB cutting and EBSD imaging. TMF loading resulted first in developing thin oxide layer. In in-phase loading grain boundaries were preferentially oxidized and fatigue cracks developed by alternating oxidation and cracking. Fatigue cracks developed rapidly in oxidized grain boundaries and propagated intergranularly. During out-of-phase TMF loading the cracked oxide layer resulted in local oxidation and crack initiation. The crack grew transgranularly
Rapid Determination of 30 Polyphenols in Tongmai Formula, a Combination of Puerariae Lobatae Radix, Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Chuanxiong Rhizoma, via Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry
No full textTongmai formula (TMF) is a herbal preparation composed of three traditional Chinese medicinal materials: Puerariae Lobatae Radix (Gegen), Salviae Miltiorrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (Danshen) and Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuanxiong). It has been used to treat cardiovascular diseases for decades. To develop a reliable and convenient analytical method for a comprehensive determination of polyphenols in TMF and the ascertainment of their chemical correlations with its herbal components, a method combining high-performance liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC-ESI-MS/MS) was developed and validated for rapid determination of 30 polyphenols in TMF and its three herbal components. The chromatographic separation was carried out on a Chromolith Fastgradient RP-18 endcapped 50-2 column using an optimized gradient elution. Statistical analysis of obtained data demonstrated that the method had a desirable linearity, precision, and accuracy, as well as excellent sensitivity. The obtained results indicated that, among the 30 polyphenols in TMF, 22 originated from Gegen, 6 originated from Danshen, and 2 originated from Chuanxiong. The major polyphenols in TMF have been identified as puerarin, mirificin, salvianolic acid B, salvianic acid A, 3’-hydroxypuerarin, 3’-methoxypuerarin, and salvianolic acid A, with a combined contribution of 19.2% of the preparation. The development and validation of this method will greatly facilitate future pharmacological studies of TMF and its herbal components, as well as polyphenols in cardiovascular therapies
