Analysis and Modeling of Erosion in Gas-Turbine Grade Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs)

A significant barrier to the insertion of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) materials into advanced aircraft engines is their inherent degradation under erosion and post erosion. Our team will develop and demonstrate a physics-based model for erosion/post erosion of CMC’s at room and elevated temperatures (RT/ET). The ICME (Integrated Computational Material Engineering) Physics based Multi Scale Models will predict: a) factors affecting erosion in CMC; b) Room and High temperature (RT/ET) erosion; c) thermal history of erodent event; d) Retained Strength mechanical properties at RT/ET temperature considering effect of defects, e) Strength A-B Basis allowables, f)  fracture allowable.  and g) erosion in -Service condition of CMC material.  The model will incorporate Erosion Morphology (matrix, tunneling erosion arrests, interphase coating, fiber layers erode), damage and fracture evolution associated with erosion parameters at micro and macro levels for different size and erodent material type and shape as well as particle velocity range. The model will be incorporated into our commercial Multi-scale progressive failure analysis software that integrates commercial FEA and enhances their accuracy limitation.  A design of Experiment (DOE) Surrogate Meta modeling and optimization will be performed to  generate virtual random particles,  to redistribute  the deep crater (size, and depth) to  several  shallow craters size spread on Ceramic surface, that will be driven by Micro crack density phenomenon.  Optimization of the CMC system will design for Fiber architecture, layer thickness, fiber orientation considering several particle size, and erodent type.  Application will consider erosion design of engine blade, airfoils leading edge, and dome defined by Engine and Airframers.  Curved panels and scale up will be considered for Phase II option testing and modeling validation. Two different CMC (SiC/SiC, Oxide/Oxide) systems at RT/ET will be burner rig tested and post erosion retained strength and fatigue tests to establish end of life condition, supported by Acoustic Emission/Electrical Resistance monitoring and damage assessment and health monitoring. Phase II will involve RT/ET Burner rig test of flat plates with two commercially available CMC, and two emerging high potential CMC material system.