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ECF22 - Loading and Environmental effects on Structural Integrity

ECF22 - Loading and Environmental effects on Structural Integrity
Fatigue Testing at 1000Hz Testing Frequency
Fatigue Testing at 1000Hz Testing Frequency
XV Portuguese Conference on Fracture, PCF 2016, 10-12 February 2016, Paço de Arcos, Portugal
Markus Berchtold*, Ingbert Klopfer
Markus Berchtold*, Ingbert Klopfer
Thermo-mechanicalRUMUL
modeling of a high pressure turbine blade of an
Russenberger Prüfmaschinen AG Switzerland
RUMUL Russenberger Prüfmaschinen AG Switzerland

Abstract
airplane gas turbine engine
Abstract
a b c
In 2014 RUMUL could present a new resonant P. Brandão , V. machine,
fatigue testing Infantewith , A.M.
a testing Deus
frequency * of 1000Hz. The dynamic load of
In 2014 aRUMUL
maximum could present
50kN peak-peak a new resonant
is produced fatigue testing machine,
with an electromagnetic with a to
system. Similar testing frequency
established of 1000Hz.
resonant systemsThewhich dynamic
run onload of
testing
Department of Mechanical Engineering, anInstituto Superior Técnico,
maximum
frequencies 50kN
frompeak-peak
about 40 up is produced
to 250H. withstatic
The electromagnetic
portion load isUniversidade
of the system. de Lisboa, Av.
Similar tobyestablished
provided a mechanical Roviscosystems
spindle,Pais,
resonant the 1, 1049-001
which
maximum Lisboa,
runload
on testing
of the
Portugal
frequencies
system b is +/-from
IDMEC,
about
50kN. Any40
Department
up to
ofload
250H.
ratio
Mechanical can The static portion
be selected.
Engineering,
of
Flat and
Instituto
the load
round
Superior
is provided
specimen
Técnico,
by that
types
Universidade
a mechanical
deare spindle,
normally
Lisboa, usedthe
Av. Rovisco
maximum
inPais,
fatigue loadcan
testing
1, 1049-001
of the
be
Lisboa,
system
used. The is +/-
new50kN. Anymachine
testing load ratio can be
offers newselected. Flat and
possibilities for round specimen
investigations
Portugal oftypes that
material are normally
properties inused
the in fatigue
very high testing
cycle can be
fatigue
used.c
(VHCF) Theregime.
CeFEMA, new testing
Compared
Department machine offersEngineering,
to other
of Mechanical new possibilities
systems used in the
Instituto for investigations
field
Superior of of material
VHCFUniversidade
Técnico, testing thedeproperties
RUMUL
Lisboa, Av. inRovisco
the very
GIGAFORTE Pais,high cycle several
provides
1, 1049-001 fatigue
Lisboa,
(VHCF)
advantages. regime. Compared
The size to other issystems
of the machine smaller used
and energy fieldPortugal
in the consumption
of VHCF lesstesting
comparedthe RUMUL
to a servoGIGAFORTE
hydraulic system. provides several
The actually
advantages. The size of the machine is smaller and energy consumption less compared to a servo
tested material volume is larger than the material volume that is tested on ultrasonic systems. The testing frequency of 1000Hz hydraulic system. The actually
tested material
allows normallyvolume
continuousis larger than
testing, the material
without stoppingvolume that is
for cooling tested
down theon ultrasonic
specimen. systems.
In the The years
past three testing
thefrequency
new testing of machine
1000Hz
Abstract
allows normally used
continuous testing,atwithout stopping of forthe
cooling down the specimen.
was intensively for example the laboratory Fraunhofer institute IWS In the pastinthree
Dresden years the
Germany. new testing
Effects of the machine
1000Hz
was
testing intensively
frequencyused on for
the example at the laboratory
fatigue behaviour of the Fraunhofer
of the material were observed.institute
ThisIWStalkDresden
shows some in Germany.
exampleEffects of theup1000Hz
of heating of the
During
testing their operation,
frequency on the modern
fatigue aircraft ofengine
behaviour the components
material were are subjected
observed. This to
talkincreasingly
shows some demanding
example ofoperating
heating conditions,
up of the
specimen related to the 1000Hz testing frequency and highlights some of the found frequency related effects on fatigue strength.
especially the high pressure turbine (HPT) blades. Such conditions cause these parts to undergo different types of time-dependent
specimen related to the 1000Hz testing frequency and highlights some of the found frequency related effects on fatigue strength.
degradation, one of which is creep. A model using the finite element method (FEM) was developed, in order to be able to predict
© the
2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.data records (FDR) for a specific aircraft, provided by a commercial aviation
© 2018creep behaviour
The Authors. of HPT
Published blades.
by Elsevier Flight
B.V.
© company,
2018 The under
Peer-review Authors. Published
responsibility
wereresponsibility
used to obtain byof Elsevier
the ECF22B.V.organizers.
Peer-review under of thethermal and mechanical data for three different flight cycles. In order to create the 3D model
ECF22 organizers.
Peer-review
needed forunder responsibility
the FEM analysis,ofa theHPT ECF22
bladeorganizers.
scrap was scanned, and its chemical composition and material properties were
Keywords:
obtained. NewTheResonant
data thatFatigue Testing Machine;
was gathered was fedGiga
intocycle
the (VHCF);
FEM model Frequency effects simulations were run, first with a simplified 3D
and different
Keywords:
rectangularNewblock
Resonant Fatigue
shape, Testing
in order to Machine; Giga cycle
better establish the (VHCF);
model, and Frequency effects
then with the real 3D mesh obtained from the blade scrap. The
overall expected behaviour in terms of displacement was observed, in particular at the trailing edge of the blade. Therefore such a
1. model
Introduction
can be useful in the goal of predicting turbine blade life, given a set of FDR data.
1. Introduction
©‘‘There
2016 The
is Authors. Published
no infinite fatiguebylife
Elsevier B.V. materials” [1]. Studies on damage mechanism on higher number of
in metallic
load cycles, in the range of up to 1010 cyclesCommittee
Peer-review
‘‘There is under
no responsibility
infinite fatigue of the
life Scientific
in metallic more ofcould
materials”
and PCFStudies
[1]. 2016. on damage
well proof mechanism
the finding onby
published higher number
Claude of
Bathias
load cycles, in the range of up to 1010 cycles and more could well proof the finding published by Claude
and others. Thanks to the development of faster testing technics and the shortening of testing time a large number of Bathias
Keywords: High Pressure Turbine Blade; Creep; Finite Element Method; 3D Model; Simulation.
and others. Thanks to the development of faster testing technics and the shortening of testing time a large number of

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +4152 672 43 22;

* E-mail
Corresponding
address:author. Tel.: +4152 672 43 22;
mberchtold@rumul.ch
E-mail address: mberchtold@rumul.ch
2452-3216 © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review underThe
2452-3216 © 2018 responsibility of theby
Authors. Published ECF22 organizers.
Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review underauthor.
* Corresponding responsibility
Tel.: +351of218419991.
the ECF22 organizers.
E-mail address: amd@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

2452-3216 © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Peer-review under responsibility of the Scientific Committee of PCF 2016.
2452-3216  2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
Peer-review under responsibility of the ECF22 organizers.
10.1016/j.prostr.2018.12.112
 Markus Berchtold et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 676–679 677
2 Markus Berchtold/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

basic research activities took place in the recent decades. Ultrasonic fatigue testing systems work on the resonant
frequency at about 20kHz, and require relatively small specimens with a specific geometry. Ultrasonic fatigue
studies showed that a fatigue limit in the traditional sense does not exist in the Gigacycle regime. Cracks may occur
subsurface or on the surface, and may start for example from inclusions in the material [1].
Subsequent with higher testing frequency, an old question of fatigue testing is high-lighted and cannot be
neglected: “What is the effect of the testing frequency on fa-tigue life?” Testing on very high testing frequency may
lead to different damage mechanism than under real loading condition for example of an engine component.
Since inclusions and imperfection play an important role in VHCF the manufacturing process has a significant
effect on fatigue life in the Gigacycle regime. Particularly for relatively inhomogeneous materials the testing of
material volumes that represents the scatter of the manufacturing process is a concern.
In 2014 RUMUL could present a new resonant fatigue testing machine, with a testing frequency of 1000Hz. The
dynamic load of maximum 50kN peak-peak is produced with an electromagnetic system, similar to established
resonant fatigue testing systems which typically run on testing frequencies from about 40 up to 250Hz. The static
portion of the load is provided by two mechanical spindles, the maximum load of the system is +/- 50kN. Any load
ratio can be selected. Flat and round specimen types that are normally used in fatigue testing can be used. The new
testing machine offers new possibilities for investigations of material properties in the very high cycle fatigue
(VHCF) regime. Compared to other systems used in the field of VHCF testing the RUMUL GIGAFORTE provides
several advantages. The size of the machine is smaller and energy consumption less compared to a servo hydraulic
system. The actually tested material volume is larger than the material volume that is tested on ultrasonic systems.
The testing frequency of 1000Hz allows normally continuous testing, without intermittently stopping the test for let
the specimen cool down.
In the past four years the new testing machine was intensively used for example at the laboratory of the
Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS in Dresden in Germany. It is used for testing material
samples and small components as well. Some effects of the 1000Hz testing frequency on the fatigue behaviour of the
material were observed [2]. Recently the IWS laboratory developed a small salt spray chamber and mounted it on the
GIGAFORTE to preform fatigue testing under corrosive atmosphere..

2. Effects of the loading frequency on fatigue life

What is the effect of the frequency of an alternating load on fatigue life and fatigue testing? This question is
probably present since beginning of fatigue testing. And it is clear there are frequency effects. For lower frequencies
the effects can be neglected very often, however the sometimes unknown magnitude of some effects led to a quite
conservative approach of limiting the testing frequency in some areas of fatigue testing. The frequency effects can
be divided in three areas: Temperature and environment as extrinsic factors and strain rate as intrinsic factor [2, 3].
The effects may superimpose, and affecting fatigue life in the same or opposite direction.

2.1. Temperature

A higher material temperature lowers usually the fatigue life as the ultimate strength of a material is related to the
temperature. Some materials show a temperature de-pending crystallographic transformation that affects the
material properties and fatigue life.
Maintaining the specified temperature range is therefore a basic requirement for fatigue testing.
A material specific basic damping is always present when deforming a solid material. Microscopic plastic
deformation during cyclic loading leads to additional damping and it is almost completely transferred to heat. The
damping energy and correspond-ing heat that is produced per load cycle and volume is constant for an even axially
loaded specimen. The produced heat per time is proportional to the frequency. The resulting material temperature
depends as well on the present heat loss, for example the heat flow to the fixture and to the ambient atmosphere.
Convectional cooling can be used to control the temperature during testing.
Some material do not show the above described linear relation between temperature and testing frequency, with
higher frequency the temperature does not increase as expected [4]. This finding may point to hardening (resp.
softening) mechanism that belongs to the category “strain rate” in this context.
678 Markus Berchtold et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 676–679
Markus Berchtold/ / Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000 3

2.2. Environment
There are time related mechanisms such as oxidation, corrosion or creep that may a play role for the formation of
a new surface during crack initiation and propagation. Depending on the relevance of such mechanisms a significant
frequency effect can be expected. For example, it is reported that some investigations show a significant frequency
dependency of Aluminium alloys on fatigue life. The Aluminium alloy AW-5083 shows almost now frequency
effect at 20kHz on fatigue life in inert atmosphere but in air [3].
2.3. Strain rate
The strain rate is proportional to the testing frequency. During loading in resonant condition the strain rate is not
constant. It follows a sinus function. It is thought that the strain rate of irreversible deformation could affect fatigue
life significantly.
An influence of the testing frequency at 20kHz on fatigue life could be found on quenched and tempered steel
50CrMo4 depending on the strength of the material. It was concluded that the found correlation of fatigue life and
testing frequency is related to the strain rate and is typical for cubic body centred metals. The frequency effect is
mainly seen on the left side, of finite life of the S–N curve. [3].
For metastable austenitic steel (1.4301, AISI 304) a frequency effect related to the transformation of
crystallographic structures was found during testing at 1000Hz with the GIGAFORTE. The analyses showed that
higher amounts of strain-induced Martensite and lower plastic strain amplitudes are observed when the cyclic
experiments are carried out at lower frequency, promoting higher fatigue strengths [2, 5].

3. Temperature records

RUMUL could look into heating up behaviour of material samples in the last year. The specimens have been
provided by interested laboratories. For Temperature re-cording a type K thermocouple was attached on the
specimen. Compressed air was used to mitigate heating up if required. Load ratio was selected -1 for all tests.

Material Specimen Gauge Testing condition Freq. Load Temp.

diam. amplitude
Nodular Iron round, cyl. and 7 mm load increasing 1111 Hz 8.5 kN 38°C
hour glass, w. 0.2*106cycles / step (220 MPa)
thread compr. air cooling
9% Cr-steel round, hour 8 mm load increasing, 1024 Hz 18.6 kN 26°C
glass, w. thread 2*106cycles / step (373 MPa)
compr. air cooling 54°C1)
Ti alloy round, hour 5 mm load increasing 996 Hz 5.52 kN 35°C
glass, w. thread 0.5*106cycles / step (280 MPa)
no cooling
Ferritic steel round, cyl. w/o 8 mm load increasing, 1023 Hz 17 kN 62°C2)
HV30 ~ 220 thread 106cycles / step (337 MPa)
no cooling, (Fig.2)
1) cooling temporarily off
2) temperature is not stabilizing, probably softening effect

4. Summary and Outlook

The RUMUL GIGAFORTE is an efficient tool for testing very high number of load cycles in a reasonable time.
Common specimen types and sizes can be used. Depending on material and load the specimen may heat up. The
heating is usually low or moderate and can be mitigated with compressed air cooling, continuous testing is possible. In
Fig. 1 the 1000Hz Fatigue Testing Machine RUMUL GIGAFORTE is shown with small sound enclosure, whereas in
Fig. 2 RUMUL GIGAFORTE is shown with round specimen without thread, thermocouple attached with tape.
 Markus Berchtold et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 13 (2018) 676–679 679
4 Markus Berchtold/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2018) 000–000

The possibility to test on 1000Hz testing frequency may help to further evaluate frequency effects and further
enhance the confidence on fatigue data in the high and very high cycle regime.

a) b)
Fig. 1 a) The 1000 Hz Fatigue Testing Machine RUMUL GIGAFORTE; b) detailed view.

References

1. International Journal of Fatigue 93 (2016) 215. In Memoriam Claude Bathias 1938–2015, Haël Mughrabi, Professor Emeritus of Materials
Science and Engineering, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
2. Einfluss der Prüffrequenz auf die Rissinitiierung und das Ermüdungsrisswachstum im HCF/VHCF-Bereich am Beispiel des Stahls 1.4301,
Tagung Werkstoffprüfung 2016, M. Zimmermann et al. Institut für Werkstoffwissenschaft, Technische Universität Dresden
3. Frequency effect and influence of testing technique on the fatigue behaviour of quenched and tempered steel and aluminium alloy.
International Journal of Fatigue 93 (2016) 224–231 N. Schneider et al. State Material Testing Institute and Institute for Materials Technology,
Technische Universität Darmstadt, Grafenstr. 2, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany
4. Neue Ansätze für eine Schädigungsenergiehypothese auf der Basis thermischer Messungen, 6. Sitzung des DVM Arbeitskreises
Betriebsfestigkeit in Darmstadt, Klaus Stärk.
5. Influence of loading frequency and role of surface micro-defects on fatigue behaviour of metastable austenitic stainless steel AISI 304. D.F.
Pessoa et. al. Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff -und Strahltechnik IWS, 01277 Dresden, Germany and Institut für Werkstoff-wissenschaft,
Technische Universität Dresden, 01069 Dresden, Germany