Cette thèse a pour objet l'étude de la fiabilité de modules de puissance triphasés à IGBTs 200 A - 600 V, destinés à la construction d'onduleurs de traction pour des applications automobiles hybrides ou électriques. Ces travaux visent à évaluer la tenue de ces modules de puissance en régime de cyclage thermique actif à hautes température, en mettant l'accent sur leur résistance à la fatigue thermomécanique. Deux approches complémentaires ont été mises en oeuvre dans ce but: tests de vieillissement accéléré et modélisation numérique. Une compagne d'essais de vieillissement par cyclage actif a été menée avec des profils de température variés, définis par la température ambiante et la variation de température de jonction des IGBTs, utilisés comme facteurs d'accélération des contraintes. Au cours de ces tests, les composants ont électriquement fonctionné dans des conditions semblables à une application réelle (commande MLI). L'objectif était d'identifier les modes de défaillance, d'estimer l'influence des facteurs d'accélération du vieillissement, et d'évaluer la pertinence des indicateurs de défaillance classiques dans ces conditions de stress thermiques sévères. Aussi, afin de mieux comprendre les mécanismes de défaillance responsables de la fatigue de l'assemblage des modules considérés, une modélisation thermomécanique visant à déterminer l'impact des modèles de comportement mécanique sur la durée de vie estimée des brasures, a été développée. La réponse de l'assemblage à des contraintes de cyclage actif similaires à celles appliquées durant les essais a été évaluée par analyse numérique. Les différentes lois de comportement ont été comparées en termes de contraintes, déformations plastiques, et densité d'énergie plastique dans les brasures. / This thesis is dedicated to reliability investigations led on three-phase 200~A~--~600~V IGBT power modules, designed for building drive inverters for hybrid or electric automotive traction applications. The objective was to evaluate the durability of the studied modules when they withstand power cycling in high temperature environments, and especially their resistance to thermo-mechanical fatigue. Two complementary approaches were considered: accelerated aging experiments and numerical modeling.A series of power cycling tests was carried out over a large range of temperature profiles, defined by the ambient temperature and IGBT junction temperature excursion. These quantities are used as thermal stress acceleration factors. Those experiments were led in realistic electrical conditions (PWM control scheme). They aimed at identifying the failure modes of the target devices, assessing the impact of the acceleration factors on their aging process, and evaluating the suitability of standard aging indicators as damage precursors in such harsh loading conditions. Besides, to better understand the failure mechanisms governing the fatigue life of the modules assembly, a thermo-mechanical modeling focusing on solder joints was built. Our simulation efforts concentrated on the appraisal of constitutive modeling effects on solder joints lifetime estimation. Numerical analysis of the assembly response to power cycling in similar operating conditions as practiced in experiments were performed. Behavior laws were then compared on stress, plastic strain, and strain energy density developed within the joints.

In an engine component the repeated start-stop cycles cause temporal and local inhomogeneous temperatures, which in turn lead to a type of low-frequency loading, plastic deformation and eventually failure due to thermo-mechanical fatigue. Simultaneously, high-frequency mechanical loading arises from the cyclic combustion pressure and from road induced vibrations. These types of loadings that mainly are in the elastic region are usually denoted high cycle fatigue (HCF). In order to improve efficiency, power density and to reduce emissions, future truck engines will be subjected to higher temperatures and higher combustion pressures which will affect the service life of the different engine components. As a consequence, there is a need to determine the limitations of the used alloys under these service conditions as exactly as possible. In this master thesis work the fatigue properties of one grey iron (EN-GJL 250) and one compacted graphite iron (EN-GJV 400) has been investigated under realistic loading conditions. The results show that a change from the grey iron to the compacted graphite iron will result in a significant increase of the fatigue life. The investigation also reveal that the life will increase significantly if the maximum temperature can be decreased tens of degrees. Further, the results indicate that addition of a relatively small HCF load may give a large decrease of the fatigue life. / Motorkomponenter utsätts för upprepade start och stopp, vilka skapar tillfälliga och lokala temperaturvariationer. Dessa resulterar i lågfrekventa lastväxlingar, plastiska deformationer och eventuella brott i form av termodynamisk utmattning (TMF). Det sker dessutom en högfrekvent mekanisk last, genererad av förbränningen och från vägvibrationer. Dessa laster är mestadels elastiska och benämns högcykelutmattning (HCF). För att kunna förbättra verkningsgrad och minska emissioner kommer framtida lastbilsmotorer att utsättas för högre förbränningstryck och högre temperaturer, vilket kommer påverka motorernas livslängd. För detta krävs det att materialens begränsningar utreds under ett verklighetstroget förhållande. I detta exjobb kommer utmattningsegenskaperna för ett gråjärn (EN-GJL 250) och ett kompaktgrafikjärn (EN-GJV 400) utredas under realistiska lastförhållanden. Resultatet påvisar att ett byte från gråjärn till kompaktgrafitjärn ger en signifikant ökad livslängd. Det framkommer också att livslängden kan ökas genom att sänka den maximala temperaturen ett tiotal grader. Analysen påvisar även att en relativt liten HCF last kan ge kraftigt förkortad livslängd.

In an engine component the repeated start-stop cycles cause temporal and local inhomogeneous temperatures, which in turn lead to a type of low-frequency loading, plastic deformation and eventually failure due to thermo-mechanical fatigue. Simultaneously, high-frequency mechanical loading arises from the cyclic combustion pressure and from road induced vibrations. These types of loadings that mainly are in the elastic region are usually denoted high cycle fatigue (HCF). In order to improve efficiency, power density and to reduce emissions, future truck engines will be subjected to higher temperatures and higher combustion pressures which will affect the service life of the different engine components. As a consequence, there is a need to determine the limitations of the used alloys under these service conditions as exactly as possible. In this master thesis work the fatigue properties of one grey iron (EN-GJL 250) and one compacted graphite iron (EN-GJV 400) has been investigated under realistic loading conditions. The results show that a change from the grey iron to the compacted graphite iron will result in a significant increase of the fatigue life. The investigation also reveal that the life will increase significantly if the maximum temperature can be decreased tens of degrees. Further, the results indicate that addition of a relatively small HCF load may give a large decrease of the fatigue life. Keywords:Thermo-mechanical fatigue, TMF, CGI, LGI, fatigue, thermal strain. / Motorkomponenter utsätts för upprepade start och stopp, vilka skapar tillfälliga och lokala temperaturvariationer. Dessa resulterar i lågfrekventa lastväxlingar, plastiska deformationer och eventuella brott i form av termomekanisk utmattning (TMF). Det sker dessutom en högfrekvent mekanisk last, genererad av förbränningen och från vägvibrationer. Dessa laster är mestadels elastiska och benämns högcykelutmattning (HCF). För att kunna förbättra verkningsgrad och minska emissioner kommer framtida lastbilsmotorer att utsättas för högre förbränningstryck och högre temperaturer, vilket kommer påverka motorernas livslängd. För detta krävs det att materialens begränsningar utreds under ett verklighetstroget förhållande. I detta exjobb kommer utmattningsegenskaperna för ett gråjärn (EN-GJL 250) och ett kompaktgrafikjärn (EN-GJV 400) utredas under realistiska lastförhållanden. Resultatet påvisar att ett byte från gråjärn till kompaktgrafitjärn ger en signifikant ökad livslängd. Det framkommer också att livslängden kan ökas genom att sänka den maximala temperaturen ett tiotal grader. Analysen påvisar även att en relativt liten HCF last kan ge kraftigt förkortad livslängd. Nyckelord: Termomekanisk utmattning, TMF, CGI, LGI, termisk töjning.

Les aubes de turbine haute pression en superalliage monocristallin sont refroidies, à la fois par un réseau de canaux internes, ainsi que par des perforations débouchantes. Soumises à des cycles thermo-mécaniques complexes, elles subissent des endommagements de type fatigue, fluage et oxydation. Pour valider les chaînes de prévision de durée de vie en conditions réelles d'utilisation, il a été nécessaire d’étudier des configurations d’essais technologiques reproduisant les conditions d'un cycle moteur en laboratoire. Pour cela, une installation d'essai de fatigue à gradient thermique de paroi est développée. Le gradient thermique est généré par chauffage de la surface externe et refroidissement interne par une circulation d’air. L’installation a ainsi permis la réalisation d'essais selon une complexité croissante, allant de l’essai isotherme jusqu'au cycle thermo-mécanique complexe, sur éprouvette tubulaire lisse ou multi-perforée. Afin d’analyser finement ces essais, deux méthodes de mesures sont étudiées. La méthode du potentiel électrique pour la détection et le suivi de fissure appliquée à des géométries complexes et la corrélation d’images, dont l’utilisation est étendue à la haute température. Le point-clé de la modélisation de ces essais est l'estimation du champ thermique. L'impossibilité de le mesurer sur éprouvette, a conduit à le déterminer numériquement, notamment par des simulations couplées aéro-thermiques. La chaîne de prévision de durée de vie intégrant l'aspect non-local, a ainsi pu être confrontée aux mesures expérimentales en termes de réponse mécanique, localisation de l'endommagement et durée de vie à amorçage. / Monocrystalline high pressure turbine blades are booth cooled by an internal channel network and side-wall crossing holes. As they undergo complex thermo-mechanical cycles they suffer fatigue, creep and oxidation damages. In order to validate lifetime prediction chain under real conditions of use, the study of technological test configurations reproducing turbine cycle conditions was necessary. For that, a thermal gradient mechanical fatigue facility is developed. Thermal gradient is generated through an external surface heating and an internal air cooling. As a result, tests could be conducted following a growing complexity on smooth and multi-perforated tubular specimens going from isothermal test up to thermo-mechanical complex cycle. The need of in-depth analysis of these tests led to the study of two measurement methods. The electrical potential drop method for crack detection and crack following applied to complex shapes and digital image correlation which use was extended to high temperatures. Simulation key issue is the thermal field estimation. Measurement complexity led us to numerically determine it by various methods including aero-thermal coupled calculations. Finally lifetime prediction chain including non-local coverage was confronted with experimental measurements in terms of mechanical response, damage localisation and crack initiation lifetime.

High strength nickel-base superalloys have been used in turbine blades for many years because of their superior performance at high temperatures. In such environments superalloys have limited oxidation and corrosion resistance and to solve this problem, protective coatings are deposited on the surface. The positive effect of coatings is based on protecting the surface zone in contact with hot gas atmosphere with a thermodynamically stable oxide layer that acts as a diffusion barrier. During service life, mechanical properties of metallic coatings can be changed due to the significant interdiffusion between substrate and coating. There are also other degradation mechanisms that affect nickel-base superalloys such as low cycle fatigue, thermo-mechanical fatigue and creep. The focus of this work is on a study of low cycle fatigue and out-of-phase thermo-mechanical fatigue behaviour of three uncoated and coated nickel-base superalloys. Polycrystalline IN792 and two single crystals CMSX-4 and SCB were coated with four different coatings; an overlay coating AMDRY997 (NiCoCrAlYTa), a platinum aluminide modified diffusion coating RT22 and two innovative coatings with a NiW interdiffusion barrier in the interface called IC1 and IC3. A low cycle fatigue and thermo-mechanical fatigue device was designed and set-up to simulate service loading of turbine blades and vanes. The low cycle fatigue tests were run at 500oC and 900oC while the thermo-mechanical fatigue tests were run between 250oC and 900oC.To simulate long service life, some coated specimens were exposed at 1050oC for 2000 h before the tests. The main conclusions are that the presence of the coatings is, in most cases, detrimental to LCF lives of the superalloys at 500oC while the coatings do improve the LCF lives of the superalloys at 900oC. Under TMF loading conditions, the coatings have negative effect on the lifetime of IN792. On single crystals, they are found to improve TMF life of the superalloys, especially at lower strains. The tests also indicate that long-term aging influences the fatigue and fracture behaviour of coated superalloys by oxidation and diffusion mechanisms when compared to non-aged specimens. The aged specimens exhibit longer life in some cases and shorter life during other test conditions. Fatigue cracks were in most cases initiated at the surface of the coatings, growing transgranularly perpendicular to the load axis.

A model was created to predict the thermo-mechanical fatigue crack growth rates under typical engine spectrum loading conditions. This model serves as both a crack growth analysis tool to determine residual lifetime of ageing turbine components and as a design tool to assess the effects of temperature and loading variables on crack propagation. The material used in the development of this model was a polycrystalline superalloy, Inconel 100 (IN-100). The first step in creating a reliable model was to define the first order effects that influence TMF crack growth in a typical engine spectrum. Load interaction effects were determined to be major contributors to lifetime estimates by influencing crack growth rates based upon previous load histories. A yield zone model was modified to include temperature dependent properties that controlled the effects of crack growth retardation and acceleration based upon overloads and underloads, respectively. Multiple overload effects were included in the model to create enhanced retardation compared to single overload tests. Temperature interaction effects were also considered very important due to the wide temperature ranges of turbine engine components. Oxidation and changing temperature effects were accounted for by accelerating crack growth in regions that had been affected by higher temperatures. Constant amplitude crack growth rates were used as a baseline, upon which load and temperature interaction effects were applied. Experimental data of isolated first order effects was used to calibrate and verify the model. Experimental data provided the means to verify that the model was a good fit to experimental results. The load interaction effects were described by a yield zone model, which included temperature dependent properties. These properties were determined experimentally and were essential in the model's development to include load and temperature contributions. Other interesting factors became apparent through testing. It was seen that specific combinations of strain rate and temperature would lead to serrated yielding, discovered to be the Portevin-Le Chatelier effect. This effect manifested itself as enhanced hardening, leading to unstable strain bursts in specimens that cyclically yielded while changing temperature.

No description available.

A need has been established in industry and academic publications to link an engine's maintenance costs throughout its operational life to its design as well as its operations and operating conditions. The established correlations between engine operation, design and maintenance costs highlight the value of establishing a satisfactory measure of the relative damage due to different operating conditions (operational severity). The methodology developed in this research enables the exploration of the causal, physics-based relationships underlying the statistical correlations in the public domain and identifies areas for further investigation. This thesis describes a physics-based approach to exploring the interactions, for commercial aircraft, of engine design, operation and through life maintenance costs. Applying the "virtual-workshop" workscoping concept to model engine maintenance throughout the operating life captures the maintenance requirements at each shop visit and the impact of a given shop visit on the timing and requirements for subsequent visits. Comparisons can thus be made between the cost implications of alternative operating regimes, flight profiles and maintenance strategies, taking into account engine design, age, operation and severity. The workscoping model developed operates within a physics-based methodology developed collaboratively within the research group which encompasses engine performance, lifing and operational severity modelling. The tool-set of coupled models used in this research additionally includes the workscoping maintenance cost model developed and implements a simplified 3D turbine blade geometry, new lifing models and an additional lifing mechanism (Thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF)). Case studies presented model the effects of different outside air temperatures, reduced thrust operations (derate), flight durations and maintenance decisions. The use of operational severity and exhaust gas temperature margin deterioration as physics based cost drivers, while commonly accepted, limit the comparability of the results to other engine-aircraft pairs as the definition of operational severity, its derivation and application vary widely. The use of a single operation severity per mission based on high pressure turbine blade life does not permit the maintenance to vary with the prevalent lifing mechanism type (cyclic/steady state).

Tato diplomová práce se zabývá posouzením tepelně-mechanické únavy výfukového potrubí. Nejprve byla provedena rešeršní studie, ve které je rozebrán fenomén tepelně-mechanické únavy. Byly prezentovány hlavní mechanismy poškození a přístupy k jejich modelování. Diskutována byla i specifická chování materiálu vystavenému tepelně-mechanickému zatěžování. Byl vypracován přehled vhodných modelů materiálu a modelů únavové životnosti společně s algoritmem predikce tepelně-mechanické únavy komponenty. Poté byl tento teoretický základ aplikován na praktický případ výfukového potrubí podléhajícího tepelně-mechanickému zatěžování. Dva tepelně závislé elasto-plastické modely materiálu byly nakalibrovány a validovány na základě experimentálních dat. Byl vytvořen diskretizovaný konečnoprvkový model sestavy výfukového potrubí. Model tepelných okrajových podmínek byl předepsán na základě výpočtů ustáleného sdruženého přestupu tepla. Slabě sdružená tepelně-deformační úloha byla vyřešena metodou konečných prvků pro oba modely materiálů. Bylo použito paradigma nesvázaného modelu únavy, které je vhodné pro nízkocyklovou únavu. Životnost byla tedy vyhodnocena jako součást post-procesoru. Použity byly dva modely únavové životnosti – energeticky založený model a deformačně založený model. Získané hodnoty životnosti byly porovnány vzhledem k použitým modelům materiálu a modelům únavové životnosti. Nakonec jsou diskutovány závěry této práce, oblasti dalšího výzkumu a navrženy možnosti na zlepšení použitých přístupů.

<p dir="ltr">In structural metallic components, a material’s lifecycle begins with the processing route, to produce a desired structure, which dictates the in-service performance. The variability of microstructural features as a consequence of the processing route has a direct influence on the properties and performance of a material. In order to correlate the influence processing conditions have on material performance, large test matrices are required which tend to be time consuming and expensive. An alternative route to avoid such large test matrices is to incorporate physics-based process modeling and lifing paradigms to better understand the performance of structural materials. By linking microstructural information to the material’s lifecycle, the processing path can be modified without the need to repeat large-scale testing requirements. Additionally, when a materials system is accurately modeled throughout its lifecycle, the performance predictions can be leveraged to improve the design of materials and components.</p><p dir="ltr">Ni-based superalloys are a material class widely used in many critical aerospace components exposed to coupling thermal and mechanical loads due to their increased resistance to creep, corrosion, oxidation, and strength characteristics at elevated temperatures. Many Ni-based superalloys undergo high-temperature forging to produce a desired microstructure, targeting specific strength and fatigue properties in order to perform under thermo-mechanical loads. When in-service, these alloys tend to fail as a consequence of thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) from either inclusion- or matrix- driven failure. In order to produce safer, cheaper and more efficient critical aerospace components, the micromechanical deformation and damage mechanisms throughout a Ni-based superalloy’s lifecycle must be understood. This research utilizes process modeling as a tool to understand the damage and deformation of inclusions in a Ni-200 matrix throughout radial forging as a means to optimize the processing conditions for improved fatigue performance. In addition, microstructural sensitive performance modeling for a Ni-based superalloy is leveraged to understand the influence TMF has on damage mechanisms.</p><p dir="ltr">The radial forging processing route requires both high temperatures and large plastic deformation. During this process, non-metallic inclusions (NMIs) can debond from the metallic matrix and break apart, resulting in a linear array of smaller inclusions, known as stringers. The evolution of NMIs into stringers can result in matrix load shedding, localized plasticity, and stress concentrations near the matrix-NMI interface. Due to these factors, stringers can be detrimental to the fatigue life of the final forged component. By performing a finite element model of the forging process with cohesive zones to simulate material debonding, this research contributes to the understanding of processing induced deformation and damage sequences on the onset of stringer formation for Alumina NMIs in a Ni-200 matrix. Through a parametric study, the interactions of forging temperature, strain rate, strain per pass, and interfacial decohesion on the NMI damage evolution metrics are studied, specifically NMI particle separation, rotation, and cavity formation. The parametric study provides a linkage between the various processing conditions parameters influence on detrimental NMI morphology related to material performance.</p><p dir="ltr">The microstructural characteristics of Ni-based superalloys, as a consequence of a particular processing route, creates a variability in TMF performance. The micromechanical failure mechanisms associated with TMF are dependent on various loading parameters, such as temperature, strain range, and strain-temperature phasing. Insights on the complexities of micromechanical TMF damage are studied via a temperature-dependent, dislocation density-based crystal plasticity finite element (CPFE) model with uncertainty quantification. The capabilities of the model’s temperature dependency are examined via direct instantiation and comparison to a high-energy X-ray diffraction microscopy (HEDM) experiment under coupled thermal and mechanical loads. Unique loading states throughout the experiment are investigated with both CPFE predictions and HEDM results to study early indicators of TMF damage mechanisms at the grain scale. The mesoscale validation of the CPFE model to HEDM experimental data provides capabilities for a well-informed TMF performance paradigm under various strain-temperature phase profiles. </p><p dir="ltr">A material’s TMF performance is highly dependent on the temperature-load phase profile as a consequence of path-dependent thermo-mechanical plasticity. To investigate the relationship between microstructural damage and TMF phasing effects, the aforementioned CPFE model investigates in-phase (IP) TMF, out-of-phase (OP) TMF, and iso-thermal (ISO) loading profiles. A microstructural sensitive performance modeling framework with capabilities to isolate phasing (IP, OP, and ISO) effects is presented to locate fatigue damage in a set of statistically equivalent microstructures (SEMs). Location specific plasticity, and grain interactions are studied under the various phasing profiles providing a connection between microstructural material damage and TMF performance.</p>