METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING A TEST COUPON SPECIFICATION FOR PREDICTING FATIGUE LIFE OF A COMPONENT

Abstract

A method for generating a test coupon specification for predicting fatigue life of a component includes determining a load condition for the component, providing a component design, and performing a strength analysis of the component design under the load condition determining a critical area of the component and a stress-related parameter of the critical area. The method includes providing a material condition of the component at least for the critical area of the component. To assist an end-user in determining which are optimal tests to be performed in order to obtain most relevant data for fatigue prediction of a specific component, the method also includes providing a material model and providing, as an input to the material model, the stress-related parameter, and the material condition. The material model generates, as an output, a test coupon specification for being tested in a testing machine.

Claims

1. A method for generating a test coupon (COP) specification for predicting fatigue life of a component, the method comprising: determining a load condition for the component; providing a component design; performing a strength analysis of the component design under the load condition determining: a critical area of the component; at least one stress-related parameter of the critical area; providing at least one material condition of the component at least for the critical area of the component; characterized by the additional steps: providing a material model; providing as an input to the material model: the at least one stress-related parameter; and the at least one material condition; and generating, by the material model, as an output, the test coupon specification for being tested in a testing machine, wherein the material model is a machine learning fatigue model, and wherein the machine learning model is provided by a method comprising: providing a set of test coupon specifications to the material model, wherein the test coupon specifications respectively comprise different of the at least one material condition of the coupon specifications; collecting data points for maximum stress versus cycles to failure for the test coupon specifications; and training the material model with the collected data to select a test coupon specification from the set of test coupon specifications when receiving as an input: the at least one stress-related parameter; and the at least one material condition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is at least in the critical area additively manufactured.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the component is made at least in the critical area of composite material.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the at least one material condition is: a surface condition or a surface roughness; defects; inclusions; microstructure; orientation of printing layers of an additive manufactured part; temperature history; residual stress; printing parameters of additive manufacturing; or any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the at least one material condition is: a surface condition or a surface roughness; defects; texture; inclusions; microstructure; temperature history; residual stress; a curing cycle; or any combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the providing of the at least one material condition: providing a manufacturing process plan for the component; and monitoring, simulating, or monitoring and simulating according to the manufacturing process plan of the component according to the manufacturing process plan.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising, before the determining of the load condition for the component: providing an operating load spectrum for the component; and determining a load condition from an operating load spectrum of the component.

8. The method of claim 3, further comprising, before the providing of the at least one material condition: providing a manufacturing process plan for the component; monitoring, simulating, or monitoring and simulating according to the manufacturing process plan of the component according to the manufacturing process plan.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising, before the providing of the at least one material condition: providing a manufacturing process plan for the component; and monitoring, simulating, or monitoring and simulating according to the manufacturing process plan of the component according to the manufacturing process plan.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising, before the providing of the at least one material condition: providing a manufacturing process plan for the component; and monitoring, simulating, or monitoring and simulating according to the manufacturing process plan of the component according to the manufacturing process plan.

11. The method of claim 3, further comprising, before the determining of the load condition for the component: providing an operating load spectrum for the component; and determining a load condition from an operating load spectrum of the component.

12. The method of claim 4, further comprising, before the determining of the load condition for the component: providing an operating load spectrum for the component; and determining a load condition from an operating load spectrum of the component.

13. The method of claim 5, further comprising, before the determining of the load condition for the component: providing an operating load spectrum for the component; and determining a load condition from an operating load spectrum of the component.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising, before the determining of the load condition for the component: providing an operating load spectrum for the component; and determining a load condition from an operating load spectrum of the component.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0042] Embodiments of the invention are herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

[0043] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic illustration of a system for predicting fatigue life of a component by applying a method according to an embodiment; and

[0044] FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment.

[0045] The illustration in the drawings is in schematic form. In different figures, similar or same elements may be provided with the same reference signs.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] Although the present invention is described in detail with reference to embodiments, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited by the disclosed examples, and that numerous additional modifications and variations may be made thereto by a person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention.

[0047] The use of a or an throughout this application does not exclude a plurality, and comprising does not exclude other steps or elements. Also, elements described in association with different embodiments may be combined. Reference signs in the claims should not be construed as limiting the scope of the claims.

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a simplified schematic illustration of a system SYS for predicting fatigue life of a component CMP by applying the method according to the present embodiments.

[0049] Starting with a component's CMP design CDS being put under a load condition LDC, strength analysis FEM of the component CMP is performed. During the strength analysis SVM, a critical area CRA and at least one stress-related parameter SRP are determined. Together with at least one material condition MCD, these results are provided to a material model MTM. The at least one material condition MCD may include: surface condition or surface roughness, defects, inclusions, microstructure, temperature history, residual stress, orientation of printing layers of additive manufacturing or printing parameters of additive manufacturing in case the critical area CRA is additively manufactured, curing cycle or texture in case the critical area CRA is of composite material, or any combination thereof.

[0050] An analysis of these parameters provided by the material model MTM (e.g., by calculation of the covariance) may generate a sorted list of coupons, where the coupon with the highest correlation is the one to be tested. The material model MTM generates as an output a test coupon COP specification TCS for being tested in a testing machine TST. The test coupon COP specification TCS may include a full geometric specification (e.g., a complete material specification and a complete manufacturing process plan).

[0051] FIG. 2 shows a schematic flow diagram of a method according to the present embodiments.

[0052] As a preparation act (a0), the method according to the present embodiments may include an additional act before act (a) by determining a load condition LDC for the component CMP, which may be done by: providing an operating load spectrum OLS for the component CMP; and determining a load condition LDC from an operating load spectrum of the component CMP. This kind of preparation enables a more efficient subsequent analysis. The load condition may also be termed an equivalent operational load.

[0053] Subsequently, the following acts are performed: (a) determining a load condition LDC for the component CMP; (b) providing a component CMP design CDS; and (c) performing a strength analysis FEM of the component CMP design under the load condition LDC determining (i) a critical area CRA of the component CMP and (ii) at least one stress-related parameter SRP of the critical area CRA.

[0054] Optionally, the method may include an additional act (d0) (illustrated with the dotted line frame) before below act (d) of providing at least one material condition MCD. The additional act (d0) includes: providing a manufacturing process plan AMP for the component CMP; and monitoring MON and/or simulating SIM according to the manufacturing process plan AMP of the component CMP according to the manufacturing process plan AMP. This additional act (d0) enables recorded parameters of the manufacturing process, or its simulation, to be considered as a material condition MCD in the following act (d).

[0055] Subsequent act (d) includes providing at least one material condition MCD of the component CMP at least for the critical area of the component CMP.

[0056] According to the present embodiments, a material model MTM is (e) provided receiving as an input (e.g., act (f)): (i) the at least one stress-related parameter SRP; and (ii) the at least one material condition MCD.

[0057] In act (g), the material model MTM generates as an output a test coupon COP specification TCS for being tested in a testing machine TST. As explained below, the material model MTM may have been trained to select a test coupon specification TCS from the set of test coupon specifications SCS when receiving as an input: (i) the at least one stress-related parameter SRP; and (ii) the at least one material condition MCD.

[0058] An additional subsequent act as illustrated in FIG. 1 is the generation of the test coupon COP and conduction of the coupon test.

[0059] The material model MTM may be a machine learning fatigue model MLS. The machine learning model may be provided by a method including the acts (e) of: (i) Providing a set of test coupon specifications SCS to the material model MTM, where the test coupon specifications SCS respectively include different of the at least one material condition MCD of the coupon specifications SCS; (ii) collecting data points DPT for maximum stress vs. cycles to failure are collected for the test coupon specifications SCS; and (iii) training the material model MTM with the collected data.

[0060] Each of acts (a)-(g), individually or all, may be computer implemented to be performed by at least one processing unit CPU of the system SYS. For example, the system SYS may include at least one processing unit CPU being adapted to perform computer-implemented acts (a), (c), (g).

[0061] The elements and features recited in the appended claims may be combined in different ways to produce new claims that likewise fall within the scope of the present invention. Thus, whereas the dependent claims appended below depend from only a single independent or dependent claim, it is to be understood that these dependent claims may, alternatively, be made to depend in the alternative from any preceding or following claim, whether independent or dependent. Such new combinations are to be understood as forming a part of the present specification.

[0062] While the present invention has been described above by reference to various embodiments, it should be understood that many changes and modifications can be made to the described embodiments. It is therefore intended that the foregoing description be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and that it be understood that all equivalents and/or combinations of embodiments are intended to be included in this description.