Efficient Superalloy Ingot Breakdown

The team proposes to make revolutionary advances in computational design tools that will accurately predict the Processing - Microstructure Relationships in the ingot-to-billet conversion processes. The capability of Vista's current MEMICc model to predict microstructure evolution in the middle stages of the ingot conversion process has been demonstrated in earlier work and is currently in the process of verification and validation. In Phase I, the prototype will be expanded and the feasibility of modeling the early stages of ingot conversion will be demonstrated. The arduous task of developing material specific constants to describe material behavior and model validation will be addressed in Phase II. The work will build on our current MEMICc prototype and our extensive experimental work already performed. The output of the project will be software tools that model/simulate the microstructural evolution during the ingot-to-billet conversion process and direct it to the optimal grain-refinement path. These products will be commercialized by Vista though the chain of turbine disc production involving billet makers, forgers, engine manufacturers and the DoD. Many non-DoD commercialization opportunities exist in private aerospace, NASA, DOE, nuclear and petrochemical industries.