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About DevTMF Project

DevTMF is a research project funded by EU’ Horizon2020 new research and innovation programme and and Clean Sky 2, with an aim to characterise thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) behaviour of structural alloys of interest to allow for more accurate prediction of design lives of present and future gas turbine components. The project started 1st of February 2016 with a duration of 48 months. It brings together collective technical expertise and experience of working on thermo-mechanical fatigue (TMF) problems related to large aero-engines from three major centres of TMF research, namely Linköping, Swansea and Nottingham Universities, and also one major European aero-engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce plc.

One way of making aviation more sustainable is to develop new materials or improve existing materials for more efficient aero engines. Materials in aircraft turbine engines are affected by heat and mechanical stress, and in particular the rotating turbine discs, which must withstand vast variations in temperature and mechanical stress. Therefore, their strength is crucial to engine safety. DevTMF, where TMF stands for thermo-mechanical fatigue, aims to develop methods and models for predicting how materials in turbine discs behave in conditions where both stresses and temperatures vary with time.

What is TMF?

TMF is essentially a complex failure mechanism, which is caused by combined thermal and mechanical loading cycles where both the stresses and temperature vary with time. Areas of the gas turbine particularly affected by TMF conditions include components in the combustion chamber along with turbine blades and discs.

Thermograhic view of test specimen temperatures. Image from Swansea University.

Link to the CORDIS website: https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/686600.