A Tool for the Simulation of Thermal and Chemical Effects on Turbine Engine Component Parts

CompuTherm proposes to develop a tool which will enable the simulation of thermal and chemical effects on turbine engine component parts made of Alloy 718 during heat treatment and service. The proposed innovative tool will include a thermodynamic database which covers all the phases for Alloy 718 and a software package which integrates both thermodynamic and kinetic models. The tool can be used to calculate the amounts of detrimental phases accumulated in the engine components after each heat treatment cycle. This information is crucial for assisting engineers in the evaluation of the condition of an engine component and in the estimation of the maximum number of times it can be re-heat treated. Such a tool is critically needed in reducing expensive testing, which involves the parts having to be cut up and assessed. This will result in significant cost savings for the USAF and the aerospace industry. CompuTherm has significant capabilities for developing such a tool due to its experience in software and database development. In Phase I, CompuTherm have examined the feasibility of developing such a tool from the thermodynamic aspect, whilst kinetic models for the prediction of phase growth will be integrated into the tool in Phase II.