Material fatigue at high temperature

Materials carrying cyclic load at high temperature are particularly susceptible to fatigue. Material fatigue involves the development of damage in the material, crack initiation in damaged regions, crack growth and, eventually, final rupture.

In my research, I have mainly worked on high-temperature applications such as gas turbines and jet engines. The high load and harsh environment in these machines requires engineering materials of extraordinary mechanical properties such as good creep strength, excellent high-temperature strength and sufficient fatigue strength. It is also necessary to have reliable, accurate and applicable material models and fatigue models in order to design safe machines. Development of such models often relies on testing and characterisation of materials combined with numerical modelling of stress and strain as well as the use of fracture mechanics.

Visualisation of my research

ilustration that shows crack initiation site
Fig. 1: Fracture surface from a fatigue test at 600 °C: crack initiation site.
Illustration that shows region of crack propagation
Fig. 2: Fracture surface from a fatigue test at 600 °C: region of crack propagation.
Illustration that shows ductile tearing during final rupture
Fig. 3: Fracture surface from a fatigue test at 600 °C: ductile tearing during final rupture.
Illustration that shows  a finite element stress analysis
Fig. 4: A finite element stress analysis: the effect of shot peening was included to study its influence on crack initiation.
Illustration that shows the stress intensity factor.
Fig. 5: The stress intensity factor being calculated using a finite element analysis: additively manufactured materials may sometimes have unexpected crack growth behaviour.
Illustration that shows a finite element model of a thermo-mechanical load cycle
Fig. 6: A finite element model of a thermo-mechanical load cycle.

Publications

Robert Eriksson is a guest editor of the journal Damage, Fracture, and Fatifue of Metals

Guest Editor

I am a Guest Editor for the journal Materials Special Issue "Damage, fracture, and Fatigue of Metals." 

Find more information here.

2023

2022

Research

Brief facts

Academic Merits

  • MSc Engineering Materials, Linköping University, Sweden, 2008
  • PhD Engineering Materials, Linköping University, Sweden, 2013
 

Research Interests

  • Fatigue in metals and ceramics
  • Fracture mechanics
  • Finite element modelling
  • Fatigue life prediction
  • Materials testing

Online Presence

Google Scholar

ReserachGate

 

Co-workers at the division of Solid Mechanics

Organisation