MOSCOW, May 31st. OmSTU scientists have proposed a unique way to assess the endurance of structures made of a popular aerospace alloy. According to them, the new technique will replace many years of expensive testing with a simple procedure that lasts a few days. The results were published in the Omsk Scientific Bulletin.
AMg6 is an aluminum-magnesium wrought alloy with good corrosion resistance and ductility. As experts explained, it is widely used in the aerospace industry. For example, ISS module cases and rocket fuel tanks are made from it.
During the operation of orbital objects and in some other situations, the destruction of AMg6 is possible, which, according to scientists, can be caused by a constant temperature difference. So, in 2020, cosmonauts discovered blind cracks in some modules of the ISS, caused by constant exposure to daily fluctuations from -150 to +150 °C.
A team of scientists from the Omsk State Technical University proposed a unique methodology for assessing the endurance of structures made of AMg6 under similar loads. According to them, it allows you to evaluate products designed for many years of use in just a few days.
“According to the method developed by us, it is possible to determine the number of cycles of temperature loading of the structure of an orbital object in a wide range of negative and positive temperatures until cracks appear and its depressurization. This will allow us to accurately calculate the lifetime of an orbital object,” said Ivan Lesnyak, Associate Professor of the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Omsk State Technical University.< br />
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As the scientists explained, the technique is based on the use of a mathematical model that allows predicting the endurance of the alloy during long-term exposure based on short-term alternating temperature data and standard mechanical tests.
«The existing analogues of our methodology involve long-term experiments under conditions as close as possible to real ones, and this is very laborious and requires significant energy costs for heating and cooling the structure. Within the framework of this approach, endurance tests of the AMg6 material, for example, for MKS modules, would have to last about 20 years,” added Lesniak.
In the future, the scientist stressed, the new technique can be adapted for other metals. In the future, the scientific team intends to continue theoretical and experimental studies of the endurance of AMg6 and other alloys, taking into account various operating parameters.
The study was carried out as part of the strategic project of OmSTU «Safe Space» of the program «Priority-2030».