Investigation of Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue Characteristics for Cast Aluminum (AL319-T7).

摘要

In today's transient economy, the demand for new alternative technologies is increasing. Vehicle fuel economy has become the most important phrase in the automotive industry. The ability to achieve optimal fuel economy has many trade-offs. In terms of engine components, this trade-off comes in the form of component reliability. In the past, most engine components were constructed of cast iron. Currently many cast iron components have been replaced by aluminum components to reduce part weight. In parallel with the use of light weight components, higher thermal loadings have been applied to engine components due to the increasing use of fuel saving technologies.;Current aluminum reliability concerns have led to a thermal mechanical fatigue (TMF) investigation of the aluminum casting alloy, AL319-T7. This thesis attempts to model TMF behaviour for an AL319-T7 cylinder head using a combined hardening material model, in which the effects of creep and oxidation have been neglected.