The thermal fatigue environment of gas turbine engine airfoils is severe and is often a life-limiting mode of failure. Alloy and coating system evaluation and accurate service life predictions for advanced turbine blades and vanes are dependent upon realistic laboratory simulation of the engine service environment. Engine conditions are best simulated in the laboratory by mechanical testing capable of imposing simultaneous, independently controlled temperature and strain cycles, or thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF) tests. Historically, TMF tests are expensive and usually require computer-controlled laboratory equipment. Consequently the cost of TMF testing has been prohibitively expensive for airfoil material and coating system evaluation. A simplified, low-cost TMF test method has been developed which is useful for alloy/coating system research and screening. This method, referred to as “load-adjusted TMF” (LATMF), uses load and temperature as the primary test control parameters. Test results using the simplified TMF test method show good correlation (within a factor of two) with the full computer-automated strain control TMF test results.
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July 1986
Research Papers
A Simplified Thermal Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) Test Method
J. R. Warren,
J. R. Warren
United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Group, Engineering Division—South, West Palm Beach, FL 33402
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B. A. Cowles
B. A. Cowles
United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Group, Engineering Division—South, West Palm Beach, FL 33402
Search for other works by this author on:
J. R. Warren
United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Group, Engineering Division—South, West Palm Beach, FL 33402
B. A. Cowles
United Technologies, Pratt & Whitney Group, Engineering Division—South, West Palm Beach, FL 33402
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Jul 1986, 108(3): 515-520 (6 pages)
Published Online: July 1, 1986
Article history
Received:
January 24, 1986
Online:
October 15, 2009
Citation
Warren, J. R., and Cowles, B. A. (July 1, 1986). "A Simplified Thermal Mechanical Fatigue (TMF) Test Method." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. July 1986; 108(3): 515–520. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.3239939
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