Claire Trant

Cracks were initiated and grown from notched specimens with notch lengths of 0.03 (FIB), 0.06, 0.1 and 0.5 mm(diamond blade), in cast gamma titanium aluminide at 400 degree C. Specimens with longer 0.1 and 0.5 mm notches initiated from the notch and show no effect from initial notch size on either crack growth threshold or propagation. Specimens with shorter 0.03 and 0.06 mm notches initiated naturally, cracking from microstructural features away from the notch. The fracture surfaces of these… Show more

Cracks were initiated and grown from notched specimens with notch lengths of 0.03 (FIB), 0.06, 0.1 and 0.5 mm(diamond blade), in cast gamma titanium aluminide at 400 degree C. Specimens with longer 0.1 and 0.5 mm notches initiated from the notch and show no effect from initial notch size on either crack growth threshold or propagation. Specimens with shorter 0.03 and 0.06 mm notches initiated naturally, cracking from microstructural features away from the notch. The fracture surfaces of these specimens were characterised to distinguish areas of initiation, fatigue and overload. Multiple initiation sites were observed on these fracture surfaces. It is inferred that, for this alloy and process route, microstructural initiation is dominant where notches are less than ~100 μm in size. Show less

Cast and HIP’ed gamma-TiAl 4522XD is being developed for use in jet engine low pressure turbine blades, where temperature variations occur through the flight cycle. The effects of temperature variations on fatigue cracking were therefore examined in this study. It was found that fatigue crack growth rates were higher at 750 °C than 400 °C, but that the threshold stress intensity factor was also higher. Temperature excursions between 400 and 750 °C during fatigue crack growth resulted in… Show more

Cast and HIP’ed gamma-TiAl 4522XD is being developed for use in jet engine low pressure turbine blades, where temperature variations occur through the flight cycle. The effects of temperature variations on fatigue cracking were therefore examined in this study. It was found that fatigue crack growth rates were higher at 750 °C than 400 °C, but that the threshold stress intensity factor was also higher. Temperature excursions between 400 and 750 °C during fatigue crack growth resulted in retardation of the crack growth rate, both on heating and cooling. It was also found that for notches 0.6 mm in length and smaller, initiation from the microstructure could instead be observed at stresses similar to the material failure stress; a microstructural initiation site exists. A change from trans- to mixed trans-, inter- and intra-lamellar cracking could be observed where the estimated size of the crack tip plastic zone exceeded the colony size. Show less

Most of us will have at some time thrown a pebble into water, and watched the ripples spread outwards and fade away. But now there is a way to reverse the process, and make those ripples turn around and reconverge again, ... and again, and again. To do this we have designed the Maxwell's Fishpond, a water wave or "Transformation Aquatics" version of the Maxwell's Fisheye lens [Tyc et al. 2011, Luneberg 1964] that is now well-known from transformation optics. These are transformation devices… Show more

Most of us will have at some time thrown a pebble into water, and watched the ripples spread outwards and fade away. But now there is a way to reverse the process, and make those ripples turn around and reconverge again, ... and again, and again. To do this we have designed the Maxwell's Fishpond, a water wave or "Transformation Aquatics" version of the Maxwell's Fisheye lens [Tyc et al. 2011, Luneberg 1964] that is now well-known from transformation optics. These are transformation devices where wave propagation on the surface of a sphere is not modelled on an actual sphere, but in a flat device with carefully designed spatially varying properties. And just as for rays from a point source on a sphere, a wave disturbance in a Maxwell's Fisheye or Fishpond spreads out at first, but then reforms itself at its opposing point in the device. Here we show how such a device can be made for water waves, partly in friendly competition with comparable electromagnetic devices [Ma et al. 2011] and partly as an accessible and fun demonstration of the power of transformation mechanics. To the eye, our Maxwell's Fishpond was capable of reforming a disturbance up to five times, although such a feat required taking considerable care, close observation, and a little luck. Show less