Research on Life Extension Method for Aero-engine Recuperator Based on Brazing Material Adaptability

doi:10.3901/JME.2025.06.103

Abstract

Abstract: Brazed structures are widely used in petrochemical, nuclear power, aerospace and other process equipment fields. However, under the harsh environment such as high temperature and high pressure, the difference in mechanical properties between brazing filler metal and base material can easily lead to cracks in the joints, which can cause structural damage. In order to find a high-temperature life extension method for aero-engine recuperator, a finite element method based on continuous damage mechanics was used to systematically analyze the effects of uniaxial and multiaxial creep properties of BNi-2 fillers containing various copper content on the creep life of brazed joints. The results show that the uniaxial creep life of copper-containing nickel-based fillers is well predicted based on the modified Liu-Murakami intrinsic model. The ductility decreases slightly with the addition of 3% Cu elements, and the creep life of filler metals with more than 6% Cu elements decreases, but the creep fracture strain increases. Under the same load level, when the minimum creep rate mismatch between filler metals and base material is reduced by 5% and 10% respectively, the creep fracture time of the recuperator will be increased by 3.2 times and 11.8 times respectively. Based on the filler metal’s modification design with multi-axial creep performance, the joint creep life increases with the decrease of filler metal’s multi-axial creep performance parameter α. When considering the minimum creep rate and the multi-axial creep performance parameter α, the brazing material change should be devised with the purpose of lowering both. The proposed method of significantly extending the service life of aircraft engine regenerators by adjusting the creep mismatch between the braze filler metal and the base metal may provide an innovative scheme for the service life design of high temperature brazed structures.

Key words: creep, filler metal modification, life extension, brazed joints, recuperator, finite element analysis

CLC Number:

TG114

LIAO Pengpeng, ZHOU Guoyan, ZHANG Yucai, ZHANG Xiancheng, JIANG Wenchun, TU Shantung. Research on Life Extension Method for Aero-engine Recuperator Based on Brazing Material Adaptability[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2025, 61(6): 103-111.

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