Abstract
A computational methodology has been developed to predict the fatigue life of typical aerospace components, here the specific example is a circumferentially reinforced SiC/Ti-15-3 compressor ring designed for applications at 800° F. The analysis encompasses both a static burst pressure prediction and a life assessment of the cladded ring. A three dimensional stress analysis was performed using MARC, a nonlinear finite element code, wherein both the matrix cladding and the composite core were assumed to behave elastic-plastic. The composite core behaviour was represented using Hill’s anisotropic continuum based plasticity model with bilinear hardening. Similarity, the matrix cladding was represented by an isotropic perfectly plastic model. The load-displacement (i.e., internal pressure versus radial deflection) response of the ring was used to determine the static burst pressure.
The life assessment was conducted using the stress analysis results, in conjunction with a recently developed multiaxial, isothermal, continuum damage mechanics model for the fatigue of unidirectional metal matrix composites. This model is phenomenological, stress based, and assumes a single scalar internal damage variable, the evolution of which is anisotropic. The accumulation of damage is included in the stress analysis by employing the concept of effective stress. In the current application, however, the damage model is computationally-decoupled from the finite element solution. The specific methodology for this computationally-decoupled fatigue damage simulation is outlined and results are given in terms of the evolution of damage and design life curves.