Gas turbine blades are important parts of a power plant, and thus, it is necessary to be able to predict the low-cycle fatigue life of the blades. In this study, a low-cycle fatigue test of In738LC, which is used primarily in gas turbine blade manufacture, was performed at various high temperatures (750oC, 800oC, and 850oC). From the test results, the stressstrain curve and the stress-strain hysteresis loop were obtained. It was established that In738LC has no strain hardening or softening. The life prediction equations for low-cycle fatigue were derived using the Coffin-Manson equation and the energy model. In conclusion, one equation for predicting the life low-cycle fatigue was obtained using the energy level with temperature as the varying factor.

Isothermal low cycle fatigue (LCF) behavior of a crystal nickel-based superalloy CMSX-4, a material for high-pressure turbine first stage rotor blade, was investigated at elevated temperatures. Strain-controlled LCF tests were performed under various test conditions, such as mechanical strain amplitude. Stress response and cyclic deformation were investigated, and equations of LCF life prediction were derived through the Coffin-Manson method. In addition, fatigue-induced fracture mechanism and microstructural evolution were investigated, using scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Results revealed that cyclic behavior of the CMSX-4 superalloy, was characterized by cyclic softening with increasing number of cycles at 800oC and 900oC. LCF of the CMSX-4 superalloy at 800oC and 900oC could be affected mainly by elastic damage in fatigue processing. Fatigue cracks were initiated in the surface oxide layer of the specimen. The plane of fracture surface was tilted toward <001> direction. The fatigue fracture mechanism was quasi-cleavage fracture at 800oC and 900oC. In all broken specimens, the γˊ phase morphology maintained cuboidal shape.

The differential gear distributes the power from the transmission shaft to both wheel axles and automatically ensures rotational difference to maintain the speed difference between the two axles. However, when the vehicle travels on a slippery road surface, a slip in the wheel induces improper transmission of the driving force. Therefore, the limited slip differential limits the function of the differential gear by transmitting the driving force to the normal wheel without the slip. The hydraulic differential limiting device is based on the principle that the fluid between the inner and the outer rotors is compressed by the rotation of the trochoidal gear, and the compressed fluid moves to the cylinder to generate sufficient pressure in the side pinion gear to limit the differential. In this study, the pressure is predicted by variation in viscosity and rotational speed through flow analysis.