Life Prediction of Nickel-Based Superalloy Turbine Blades Using Crystal Plasticity Finite Element Method

  • Shaw, Santosh (Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi)
  • Periwal, Raghav (Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi)
  • Chatterjee, Sabyasachi (Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi)
  • Alankar, Alankar (Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay)

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Nickel-based superalloys are the primary constituent materials for aeroengine turbine blades. These components are subjected to extensive in-service plastic deformation and creep-fatigue interaction, which can induce damage and failure, thereby limiting durability. In this study, a crystal plasticity finite element method (CPFEM) framework is employed to address these challenges. Unlike classical (J2) plasticity, which is unable to capture microstructure-sensitive behaviors, this framework effectively captures the cyclic inelastic deformation and stress relaxation behavior characteristic of the material. Furthermore, thermodynamic entropy generation is adopted as an indicator to analyze Ni-based single crystal creep-fatigue failure. The model is first rigorously validated for creep-fatigue interaction at the Representative Volume Element (RVE) scale. Finally, the framework is extended to the component scale to predict the life of a turbine blade fabricated from the Ni-based superalloy DZ125. With the RVE model validated against experimental data, preliminary results for the turbine blade demonstrate the framework’s capability to effectively bridge the gap between microstructural mechanisms and component-level performance.