Luis Saucedo-Mora

Plasma-sprayed thermal barrier coatings: numerical study on damage localization and evolution

Thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) are advanced material systems used to enhance performance and in-service life of components operated at high temperatures in gas turbines and other power-generation devices. Because of complexity, numerical methods became important tools both for design of these coatings and for in-service life estimations and optimization. In this contribution, two main features that affect the TBCs’ performance, namely the roughness of the bond coat and the microstructure of the ceramic top coat, are discussed based on Finite Element Method (FEM) and Finite Element Microstructure MEshfree (FEMME) simulations that were used to calculate stresses and assess damage within the coating. Roughness data obtained from plasma-sprayed CoNiCrAlY + YSZ coated samples are supplemented to discuss assumptions and results of employed numerical models.

Fatigue Model for the Structural Integrity Evaluation Applied to a Wind Turbine Concrete Shaft, Considering Corrosion and Freeze and Thaw Degradation

Fatigue is one of the principal damage mechanisms in a slender concrete structure under cyclic loads. And needs to be calculated locally through all the structure, considering the lading conditions and the particularities of concrete. The model presented here is capable to account for the fatigue damage in a probabilistic way, relating the annual loading conditions for each point and the degradation processes with a probability of failure. The methodology is as well capable to model the effect of a repair and control the structural integrity using the monitored data.