Resource-efficient development of thermally highly resistant engine components of hybrid metal composites – experiments and numerical analysis

Requirements for protection of environment and climate, increasing energy cost and security demands form the basis for research activities in the maritime sector. Within the scope of the joint project »INKOV – development of innovative piston and valve solutions for composites in ship engines« metallic composites are developed and investigated. Their application in large engines powered by heavy fuel oil shall reduce nitrogen oxide emissions. The investigations of the publicly funded research project intend to generate high-strength components made of a hybrid composite material while simultaneously increasing resource efficiency. The focus of the research and development activities lies on components for large engines which are subject to extremely high dynamic, thermal and corrosive loads. Using conventional heat-resistant and wear-resistant steels, the wear related to the conditions of the application site can hardly be controlled. High-performance alternatives are necessary. The goal of the approach is to specifically apply a nickel-base alloy to a locally limited area by using a selected thermal joining process. Thus, a layer composite is to be produced, which corresponds to the solid material of a nickel-base alloy regarding its properties of thermal resistance and corrosion resistance. Currently, criteria for excluding the integration of these materials include high prices as well as their partly limited availability despite of their reported suitability for high-temperature applications. Using hybrid materials should open up their considerable potential in terms of increasing strength and high-temperature resistance while simultaneously reducing wear-related downtimes to a minimum. An aim of the project is to implement forming processes of hybrid composites by means of simulation as a basis for optimizations in terms of joining materials, joining processes or geometrical dimensions. Furthermore, the basic behavior of hybrid materials and their interface shall be examined in hot bulk metal forming by means of the generated FEM models.