Fracture-based transient thermo-mechanical analysis of reciprocating engine thermal barrier coatings

The durability of thermal barrier coatings for reciprocating internal combustion engine applications was investigated using a coupled, unsteady fracture-based thermomechanics model. The intra-cycle engine heat flux varies substantially in magnitude and has frequency similar to that of the coating thermal timescale, giving rise to relatively large spatial temperature nonuniformity within the coating that varies temporally. A finite difference scheme was used to calculate the temperature field. An analytical model that assumes equi-biaxial stress followed by plane strain delamination was used to evaluate an energy release rate that represents the driving force for cracking. Because the location and time of the peak energy release rate cannot be established a priori, they were computed for all times in the cycle. The peak energy release rate was found to occur later in the cycle than the peak surface temperature, and was often located within the coating as compared to at the coating–substrate interface where there was a mismatch in coefficient of thermal expansion. Coating thickness was found to affect both the magnitude of the peak energy release rate and its location. The residual stress, which arises from the coating deposition process, was found to have a significant effect on the peak energy release rate, and may be a process parameter that can be used to promote coating life. The computational framework demonstrated insight regarding the trade-off between engine thermodynamic performance and coating durability.