Les motoristes aéronautiques doivent répondre à de nouvelles demandes de certifications en tolérance aux dommages. Ils doivent en particulier démontrer que la présence de petites anomalies de surface, pouvant être introduites lors d’opérations de maintenance, ne mène pas à la rupture des pièces les plus critiques de leurs moteurs. Cette étude concerne la caractérisation de la nocivité d’anomalies de surface de type rayure et choc sur la tenue en fatigue du superalliage à base Nickel Inconel 718 sous sa version Direct Aged. Une campagne d’essais expérimentaux a permis d’évaluer l’influence de la contrainte maximale, de la température, du type et de la profondeur des anomalies de surface sur leur durée de vie en fatigue. Une étude expérimentale et numérique approfondie de la méthode de suivi de la différence de potentiel a conduit à une bonne maîtrise de cet outil de détection de l’amorçage et de suivi de la fissuration. Son utilisation a ainsi révélé que l’amorçage de fissure est très rapide à partir de rayures et de chocs mais que la vitesse de propagation dans les premiers stades de fissuration est ralentie. Des essais spécifiques ont alors été développés pour identifier la source physique des phénomènes observés. L’utilisation d’un traitement thermique a notamment permis de mettre en avant l’influence prédominante des contraintes résiduelles de compression générées lors de l’introduction des anomalies. Différentes méthodes expérimentales et numériques ont été testées pour les quantifier et des pistes de modélisations ont été mises en avant pour prédire de manière fiable la durée de vie en fatigue d’anomalies de surface de type rayure et choc. / Aircraft engine manufacturers have to meet with new certification requirements in damage tolerance. In particular they have to demonstrate that the presence of small surface anomalies introduced on engine parts during maintenance operations in critical areas do not lead to failure during service life. This study was undertaken to characterize the harmfulness of scratch and dent type surface anomalies on the fatigue life of the Nickel based superalloy Direct Aged Inconel 718.The influence of maximal stress, temperature, type and depth of surface anomalies was evaluated in a large series of experiments. An experimental and numerical in-depth study of the potential drop technique led to a good control of this tool and allowed to efficiently detect crack initiation and to measure the crack propagation. Indeed, the use of this technique has revealed that the crack initiation from scratches and dents is very rapid but that the first stages of crack growth are delayed.Specific tests were then performed to identify the physical origin of the observed phenomenon. A heat treatment was used to show that the compressive residual stresses created during the introduction process of surface anomalies have a great influence on the fatigue life. Different experimental and numerical techniques were used to quantify these residual stresses and some directions were identified to establish a new model able to predict the fatigue life of scratch and dent type surface anomalies.

In the present work, the effect of variation in specimen orientation and heat treatment on the Stress Corrosion Cracking (SCC) susceptibility of 7050 aluminum alloy was investigated in 3,5% NaCl solution and under freely corroding conditions. For this purpose, Constant Extension Rate Tests (CERT) was performed on precracked Compact Tension (CT) specimens and the Direct Current Potential Drop technique was applied to measure the crack lengths. In addition to crack length versus time curves, the relationship between the crack growth rate and the stress intensity factor was determined. Fractographic analysis was utilized extensively to support the findings related with basic mechanisms of cracking. The alloy was found to be in the most susceptible state in the SL orientation, in which the crack propagation direction is parallel to the rolling direction. The resistance to SCC is higher in the TS but at maximum in LT orientation where the loading direction is parallel to the rolling direction. In the peak aging treatment, T651, alloy is susceptible to SCC in SL orientation. When the over aging treatment, T7651, is applied the resistance is increased and the two step over aging treatment, T73651, has resulted in an additional improvement in this orientation. On the other hand, the alloy showed higher resistance to SCC in TS and LT orientations in T651 condition compared to the T7651 and T73651 treatments. In these orientations, the alloy is less susceptible in T73651 condition than in T7651 treatment.

The main goal of this thesis is to get an insight into a field of non-destructive testing using potential drop techniques that have nowadays become the standard not only in the fatigue and loading tests but also in the industry. These methods can serve to non-destructively and continuously measure material specimens, thickness, corrosion losses, deformations, spectroscopy and detection and analysis of crack geometry. They can help to identify materials and measure material changes over time. The second part of this thesis deals with designing the aperture for detection of cracks in steam and product piping using potential drop technique modified by Ing. Ladislav Korec, CSc. Last part deals with extensive testing, experimenting and evaluation of the aperture.