Working group
Computational methods such as the Finite Element Method (FEM) are increasingly used for the assessment of structure safety. For example, critical power plant components under service conditions or impact scenarios are routinely analysed or simulated with computer methods. In addition, the risk emanating from material flaws in a structure like cracks can be estimated a priori.
Testing results obtained with laboratory specimens can be transferred to arbitrary complex components by combining the FEM with adequate constitutive laws. Moreover, some aspects of the material behaviour can only be investigated by advanced testing methods, which in parallel require structural analysis. This is usually the case for the localisation of deformation due to material softening, anisotropic materials or crack propagation in ductile metals.
Experimental characterisation and FE analysis of high temperature crack growth in a single crystal superalloy for turbine blades in power plants
Under severe loading conditions, which typically lead to plastic yield, fracture or at high temperatures, the inelastic behaviour and possibly the degradation of the mechanical properties due to internal damage must be accounted for explicitly. The resulting mathematical models are usually strongly non linear and must be carefully formulated, implemented and verified. Indeed, small perturbations of the influence parameters might result in large deviations of the predictions. Hence, the quality of the used material and damage models is crucial to the reliable assessment of structural safety.
Our main field of competence is the modelling and the simulation of the deformation and the damage behaviour of highly loaded materials and structures, e.g., at high temperature or high speed loading.
Investigations are carried out in cooperation with research institutes and industrial partners in Germany and abroad.
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