Computational Modelling / Materials: Fully Funded PhD Studentship in More Physically Based Modelling of Single Crystal Materials Operating Under Thermo-Mechanical Fatigue (TMF)

The student will undertake a placement within Rolls-Royce for a minimum period of 3 months. The student may be required to attend a professional course in Rolls-Royce as part of their study. 

Project description: 

With the need for enhanced cooling to improve the robustness of Gas Turbine hot components the complexity of the components increases resulting in higher stresses and corresponding increased risk of fatigue. Rolls-Royce believes that the proposed TMF modelling project offers an opportunity to mitigate this risk through higher fidelity behavioural models and better understanding of the limit of applicability of existing models. Any modelling will have direct applicability to all Rolls-Royce Turbomachinery products. 

Outline and Focus 

There is a need to improve fatigue modelling capability of single crystal materials to support the complex nature of future designs. To support this, we are already testing material at Swansea as part of the ATI funded ‘HOTLINE’ project. RR will be doing some analysis of the test data but this will be limited to an engineering level assessment. To better leverage the testing and to develop more physically based models (increased accuracy / understanding of the limit of applicability of the engineering models) there is a need to do more detailed modelling work. Swansea University already have a world class testing and analysis facility, being the go-to for advanced high temperature testing. Swansea University also have a strong modelling community and this proposal allows a unique link to be developed between the testing, fractographic assessment and modelling communities at Swansea. 

Methodology 

An existing computational multiscale modelling framework developed at Swansea University, which incorporates state-of-the-art techniques especially devised to simulate various aspects of the behaviour of single crystals, will be the starting point for the development of this project. More specifically, physically-based crystal-scale models aimed at capturing TMF at crystal level will be developed and incorporated into the computational multiscale framework. Extensive numerical simulations within this framework, with benchmarking against experimental data, will then allow the assessment of existing engineering-scale models and the development of new of models of TMF with enhanced accuracy and engineering applicability to be used by RR. 

Outputs

• A physically based model to support thermo-mechanical fatigue behaviour of CMSX-4
• 2 journal publications detailing the academic outputs and developments of the work.

Funding Details

Funding Minimum

currently £20,780 for 2025/26

Funding Comment

This scholarship covers the full cost of tuition fees and an annual stipend at UKRI rate (currently £20,780 for 2025/26).

Additional research expenses of up to £2,000 per year will also be available.

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