Failure analysis of 17-4PH crankshaft in three-plunger high-pressure seawater pump

IF 4.4 2区工程技术 Q1 ENGINEERING, MECHANICAL

Engineering Failure Analysis Pub Date : 2025-04-26 DOI:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109632

Weican Wang, Qiyun Mo, Cong Xue, Jiefu Liu, Jize Jiang, Yinshui Liu, Defa Wu

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Abstract

This study investigates the fatigue failure of a 17-4PH stainless steel crankshaft in a three-plunger high-pressure seawater pump after 241 h of operation, combining experimental and numerical analyses. First, chemical composition analysis, mechanical property testing, and fracture surface microstructure characterization are conducted on the broken crankshaft to explore the relationship between material properties and heat treatment processes. Next, a three-dimensional transient finite element model is developed to analyze the stress concentration characteristics of the crankshaft under dynamic loading conditions. The results reveal that the failure mode of the fractured crankshaft is high-cycle fatigue, with crack initiation occurring at the crankpin and the crank transition fillet (radius of only 1 mm), where the stress amplitude reaches 184 MPa—significantly higher than in other areas. Material testing shows that while the yield strength (1038 MPa) and tensile strength (1221 MPa) of 17-4PH stainless steel meet technical standards, the post-fracture elongation (5.0 %) and reduction of area (8 %) are far below the design values (≥13 % and ≥45 %, respectively). This suggests that inadequate heat treatment results in insufficient material toughness, accelerating fatigue crack propagation. Further numerical simulations demonstrate that optimizing the heat treatment process can significantly increase the residual austenite content and toughness, improving the safety factor of the critical section from 0.59 to 1.649 and extending the fatigue life into the theoretically infinite life range. This study presents a fatigue life prediction method integrating transient stress field analysis with material performance optimization. It provides a theoretical basis and practical guidance for the design optimization, heat treatment process control, and reliability assessment of crankshafts in deep-sea high-pressure environments.

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三柱塞高压海水泵17-4PH曲轴失效分析

采用实验和数值分析相结合的方法，研究了三柱塞高压海水泵17-4PH不锈钢曲轴在运行241 h后的疲劳失效。首先，对断裂曲轴进行化学成分分析、力学性能测试和断口表面组织表征，探索材料性能与热处理工艺的关系。其次，建立了三维瞬态有限元模型，分析了曲轴在动加载条件下的应力集中特性。结果表明：断裂曲轴的破坏模式为高周疲劳，在曲柄销和曲柄过渡圆角处（半径仅为1 mm）起裂，应力幅值达到184 mpa，显著高于其他区域；材料试验表明，17-4PH不锈钢的屈服强度（1038 MPa）和抗拉强度（1221 MPa）满足技术标准，但断裂后伸长率（5.0%）和面积收缩率（8%）远低于设计值（分别≥13%和≥45%）。这表明热处理不充分会导致材料韧性不足，加速疲劳裂纹扩展。进一步的数值模拟表明，优化热处理工艺可以显著提高残余奥氏体含量和韧性，将临界截面安全系数从0.59提高到1.649，将疲劳寿命延长到理论上的无限寿命范围。提出了一种将瞬态应力场分析与材料性能优化相结合的疲劳寿命预测方法。为深海高压环境下曲轴的设计优化、热处理工艺控制和可靠性评估提供了理论依据和实践指导。

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来源期刊

Engineering Failure Analysis 工程技术-材料科学：表征与测试

CiteScore

7.70

自引率

20.00%

发文量

956

审稿时长

47 days

期刊介绍： Engineering Failure Analysis publishes research papers describing the analysis of engineering failures and related studies. Papers relating to the structure, properties and behaviour of engineering materials are encouraged, particularly those which also involve the detailed application of materials parameters to problems in engineering structures, components and design. In addition to the area of materials engineering, the interacting fields of mechanical, manufacturing, aeronautical, civil, chemical, corrosion and design engineering are considered relevant. Activity should be directed at analysing engineering failures and carrying out research to help reduce the incidences of failures and to extend the operating horizons of engineering materials. Emphasis is placed on the mechanical properties of materials and their behaviour when influenced by structure, process and environment. Metallic, polymeric, ceramic and natural materials are all included and the application of these materials to real engineering situations should be emphasised. The use of a case-study based approach is also encouraged. Engineering Failure Analysis provides essential reference material and critical feedback into the design process thereby contributing to the prevention of engineering failures in the future. All submissions will be subject to peer review from leading experts in the field.