Identification of the Constitutive Model Parameters by Inverse Optimization Method and Characterization of Hot Deformation Behavior for Ultra-Supercritical Rotor Steel.

X12 (X12CrMoWVNbN10-1-1) ferritic heat resistant steel is an important material for the production of new-generation ultra-supercritical generator rotors. Hot compression tests of X12 ferritic heat-resistant steel were performed via a Gleeble-1500D testing machine under temperatures of 1050-1250 °C and strain rates of 0.05-5 s-1. In order to provide material model data for finite element simulations and accurately predict the hot deformation behavior, a reverse optimization method was proposed to construct elevated temperature constitutive models of X12 ferritic heat-resistant steel in this paper, according to the Hansel-Spittel constitutive model. To verify the accuracy of the model, the predicted and experimental values of the constitutive model were compared. The results indicated that the model had a high prediction accuracy. Meanwhile, the correlation coefficient between the experimental value and the predicted value of constitutive model was 0.97833. For further verification of the accuracy of the model, it was implemented in finite element FORGE@ software to simulate the compression tests of different samples under different conditions. Comparing actual displacement-load curves with displacement-load curves acquired through finite element simulations, the results indicated that displacement-load curves predicted by the model were very consistent with actual displacement-load curves, which verified the accuracy of the model. Moreover, to research the optimal processing parameters of the material, hot processing maps were drawn according to the dynamic material model. In terms of microstructure evolution, a characteristic area distribution map of the hot processing map was established. Therefore, the optimal hot forming parameters regions were in the range of 1150-1200 °C/0.05-0.62 s-1 for X12 ferritic heat-resistant steel.

Design and Mechanical Compatibility of Nylon Bionic Cancellous Bone Fabricated by Selective Laser Sintering.

In order to avoid the stress shielding phenomenon in orthopedic bionic bone implantation, it is necessary to consider the design of mechanical compatible implants imitating the host bone. In this study, we developed a novel cancellous bone structure design method aimed at ensuring the mechanical compatibility between the bionic bone and human bone by means of computer-aided design (CAD) and finite element analysis technology (specifically, finite element modeling (FEM)). An orthogonal lattice model with volume porosity between 59% and 96% was developed by means of CAD. The effective equivalent elastic modulus of a honeycomb structure with square holes was studied by FEM simulation. With the purpose of verifying the validity of the cancellous bone structure design method, the honeycomb structure was fabricated by selective laser sintering (SLS) and the actual equivalent elastic modulus of the honeycomb structure was measured with a uniaxial compression test. The experimental results were compared with the FEM values and the predicted values. The results showed that the stiffness values of the designed structures were within the acceptable range of human cancellous bone of 50-500 MPa, which was similar to the stiffness values of human vertebrae L1 and L5. From the point of view of mechanical strength, the established cellular model can effectively match the elastic modulus of human vertebrae cancellous bone. The functional relationship between the volume porosity of the nylon square-pore honeycomb structure ranging from 59% to 96% and the effective elastic modulus was established. The effect of structural changes related to the manufacture of honeycomb structures on the equivalent elastic modulus of honeycomb structures was studied quantitatively by finite element modeling.

The Parameters Identification of High-Temperature Constitutive Model Based on Inverse Optimization Method and 3D Processing Map of Cr8 Alloy Steel.

As a novel kind of cold roller steel, Cr8 alloy steel has the characteristics of high hardness, high wear resistance and good toughness, which can effectively prolong the service life of the roller that is an important part of the steel rolling mill. How to accurately define the constitutive model parameters of metal materials is the major problem, because it seriously affects the accuracy of numerical simulation results of the roller hot forming process. In the study of Cr8 alloy steel's thermal deformation behavior of the present paper, the high temperature compression test was done on a Gleebel-1500D thermal/force simulation testing machine. A novel method of parameter identification was proposed based on inverse optimization. The Hansel-Spittel constitutive model was established by using the inverse optimization method. To carry out the verification on the accuracy of the established constitutive model, the predicted flow-stress of constitutive model was made a contrast to the experimental flow-stress, and the standard statistical parameters were also applied to further evaluation. The results showed a relatively high prediction accuracy of the Hansel-Spittel constitutive model based on the inverse optimization algorithm. Meanwhile, to obtain optimal parameters of Cr8 alloy steel in the thermal processing, 3D thermal processing maps concerning strain-rate, strain and temperature were built based on the dynamic material model. According to the 3D processing map, the most adequate thermal processing parameters of Cr8 alloy steel were obtianed as follows: strain 0.2-0.4, strain-rate 0.05-0.005 s-1, temperature 1100-1150 °C.

Parameters Identification of High Temperature Damage Model of X12 Alloy Steel for Ultra-Supercritical Rotor Using Inverse Optimization Technique.

X12 alloy steel is a new generation material for manufacturing ultra-supercritical generator rotors. Cracks will appear on the forgings during the forging process and the rotors will be scrapped in serious cases. To optimize the forging process of the rotor and avoid the occurrence of crack defects in the hot forming process, based on Oyane damage model, a high temperature damage model of X12 alloy steel was proposed by introducing the influences of temperature and strain rate on the damage evolution. A reverse analysis method was proposed to determine the critical damage value of Oyane damage model by comparing experimental and simulated fracture displacement in the tensile tests. Then, the critical damage value was determined as a function of temperature and strain rate. The high temperature damage model was combined to the commercial finite element software FORGE® to simulate the high temperature tensile test. The accuracy of the damage model was verified by comparing the difference of the fracture displacement between simulated and experimental samples. Additionally, as stress triaxiality is a significant factor influencing the damage behavior of ductile materials, the effects of temperature and strain rate on the stress triaxiality of X12 alloy steel was analyzed by simulating the high temperature tensile process, and the damage mechanism of X12 alloy steel under high stress triaxiality was analyzed by SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope).

Hot Workability of Ultra-Supercritical Rotor Steel Using a 3-D Processing Map Based on the Dynamic Material Model.

As a new-type of ultra-supercritical HI-IP rotor steel, X12CrMoWVNbN10-1-1 alloy steel has excellent integrative performance, which can effectively improve the power generation efficiency of the generator set. In this paper, uniaxial thermal compression tests were carried out over a temperature range of 950-1200 °C and strain rates of 0.05-5 s-1 with a Gleeble-1500D thermal simulation testing machine. Moreover, based on hot compression experimental data and the theory of processing diagrams, in combination with the dynamic material model, a three-dimensional (3-D) thermal processing map considering the effect of strain was constructed. It was concluded that optimum thermal deformation conditions were as follows: the temperature range of 1150-1200 °C, the strain rate range of 0.05-0.634 s-1. Through secondary development of the finite element (FE) software FORGE®, three-dimensional thermal processing map data were integrated into finite element software FORGE®. The distributions of instability coefficient and power dissipation coefficient were obtained over various strain rates and temperatures of the Ø 8 × 12 mm cylinder specimen by using finite element simulation. It is shown that simulation results are consistent with the microstructure photos. The method proposed in this paper, which integrates the three-dimensional processing map into the finite element software FORGE® (Forge NxT 2.1, Transvalor, Nice, France), can effectively predict the formability of X12CrMoWVNbN10-1-1 alloy steel.