Failure mode analysis of two crankshafts of a single cylinder diesel engine

This paper reports an investigation carried out on two damaged crankshafts of single cylinder diesel engines used in agricultural services for several purposes. Recurrent damages of these crankshafts type have happened after approximately 100 h in service. The root cause never was imputed to the manufacturer. The fatigue design and an accurate prediction of fatigue life are of primordial importance to insure the safety of these components and its reliability. This study firstly presents a short review on fatigue power shafts for supporting the failure mode analysis, which can lead to determine the root cause of failure. The material of these damaged crankshafts has the same chemical composition to others found where the same type of fracture occurred at least ten years ago. A finite element analysis was also carried out in order to find the critical zones where high stress concentrations are present. Results showed a clear failure by fatigue under low stress and high cyclic fatigue on crankpins.     

Failure analysis of a diesel engine piston-pin

A diesel engine piston-pin used in a truck was smashed in four when servicing. The longitudinal and transverse cracking happened on the failed piston-pin. The cracks initiated from the internal hole surface and propagated toward the external circle. The occurrence of beach marks or fatigue striations on the fracture surfaces of all crack origin regions indicates that fatigue fracture is the dominant failure mechanism of the piston-pin. The internal hole and external circle surfaces are specified to be carburized. The microstructure and the microhardness profiles on the external circle and internal hole surface regions were examined to determine the depth of the carburized layer. However, not only was no carburized layer found on the internal hole surface, but also the serious decarburization occurred on the surface region of the internal hole. Appearance of decarburization in the internal hole surface decreases intensely the fatigue strength of the internal surface so that the crack initiated from the internal surface and propagated toward the external circle, at last the fatigue fracture occurred. Improper carburizing technology is responsible for the appearance of the decarburization on the internal hole surface.     

Failure analysis of cylinder clamping rods in diesel engines

This article discusses the failure of cylinder clamping rods in single cylinder diesel engines. The AISI 4140 hardened and tempered steel clamping rods were failing after 200–250 h of operation. The fatigue failures initiated at the root of the last thread on the clamping rod that was engaged in a blind hole in the cylinder block. The failures were caused by loose tolerances on the threads that resulted in a non-uniform distribution of load. The load was concentrated on the last threads to engage, thus causing fatigue crack nucleation at the thread root and propagation until the rod broke by overload. Changing the tolerance on the threads virtually eliminated the fatigue problem.     

Failure Analysis of a Diesel Engine Connecting Rod

A failure investigation has been conducted on a diesel engine connecting rod. The fracture occurred at the small head of the connecting rod. Visual and scanning electron microscopy observations show that a lot of axial grooves appear on the internal surface close to the fracture and the fatigue cracks initiated from the axial grooves. Fractography indicates that the multiple-origin fatigue fracture is the dominant failure mechanism. The machining or assembling process was responsible for the formation of the axial grooves.     

Failure analysis of a high-speed pinion shaft

The failure of a high-speed pinion shaft from a marine diesel engine was investigated. The shaft, which had been in service for more than 30 years, failed shortly after a service operation in which the bearings were replaced. Examination of the shaft revealed cyclic fatigue as the failure mechanism, with a substantial distribution of nonmetallic inclusions near the fracture initiation site. Fracture mechanics analysis indicated that the inclusions would be unlikely to have served as failure initiation sites if only stresses acting on the shaft were induced by normal service loads. Further examination of the bearing elements revealed an abnormal wear pattern, consistent with the application of elevated bending loads to the shaft after bearing replacement. The root cause of failure was determined to be an increase in service stresses after bearing replacement along with the presence of significant nonmetallic inclusions in the pinion shaft.     

Failure analysis of a cylinder sleeve from a turbocharged diesel engine

This work presents the conclusions of a failure analysis performed on a V12 Turbo Charged diesel engine cylinder sleeve. The failure analysis carried out established the most relevant factors that caused damage to the cylinder sleeve. An examination of the internal surface of the cylinder sleeve revealed an elevated number of cavities close to the top center area, which acted as stress concentrators reducing the resistance of the component, creating crack nucleation spots. Additionally there were internal differences in the microstructure of the component, which indicate that different cooling conditions occurred during its manufacture, providing a secondary failure mechanism, due to material fragility.     

Fracture failure of a diesel engine piston-pin

Longitudinal cracking and transverse fracture took place on a diesel engine piston-pin used in a truck during service. The banded texture throughout the whole length of the longitudinal fracture is presented in the middle region of the longitudinal fracture. The longitudinal crack originated from the banded texture and propagated toward the internal hole surface and the external circle surface of the piston-pin. Metallographic and chemical inspections of the piston-pin material away from the crack origin reveal all the parameters to be acceptable. Subsequent metallographic examinations were performed on the smoothed longitudinal fracture surface. These reveal the presence of the longitudinal inclusion clusters of 25 mm long mainly consisting of calcium aluminate, associated with the banded texture on the longitudinal fracture. Under the integrated action of structure stress and service stress, the crack propagated along the longitudinal first, and then propagating along the transverse by fatigue under the alternative service load. The appearance of longitudinal inclusion clusters of excess size in the crack origin zone is mainly responsible for the failure of piston-pin.     

Failure of a stationary pump engine piston

Piston failures are not a common occurrence, but they do occur, and failure is usually associated with fatigue crack growth. Most failures initiate at the gudgeon pin hole or in the skirt of the piston. Occasionally they fail elsewhere. In the example covered in this paper, failure initiated in the crown and progressed down to the gudgeon pin before final failure occurred. This paper outlines the cause and mode of failure and shows that small metallurgical discontinuities can contribute to these failures under the right circumstances.     

Failure analysis of a second stage blade in a gas turbine engine

The failure of a second stage blade in a gas turbine was investigated by metallurgical and mechanical examinations of the failed blade. The blade was made of a nickel-base alloy Inconel 738LC. The turbine engine has been in service for about 73,500 h before the blade failure at 5:50 PM on 14 August 2004. Due to the blade failure, the turbine engine was damaged severely. The investigation was started with a thorough visual inspection of the turbine and the blades surfaces, followed by the fractography of the fracture surfaces, microstructural investigations, chemical analysis and hardness measurement.

The observation showed that a serious pitting was occurred on the blade surfaces and there were evidences of fatigue marks in the fracture surface. The microstructural changes were not critical. It was found that the crack initiated by the hot corrosion from the leading edge and propagated by fatigue and finally, as a result of the reduction in cross-section area, fracture was completed.

An analytical calculation parallel to the finite element method was utilized to determine the static stresses due to huge centrifugal force. The dynamic characteristics of the turbine blade were evaluated by the finite element modal and harmonic analyses. Finally according to the log sheet records and by using a Campbell diagram there was a good agreement between the failure signs and FEM results which showed the broken blade has been resonated by the third vibrational mode occasionally before the failure occurred.     

Failure analysis of a diesel engine cylinder head based on finite element method

Macro fatigue cracks are expected to occur in valve bridges of cylinder head when engine is operating in normal working condition. In order to determine the causes of these failures, stress analysis is carried out using finite element method with a concern of temperature dependency of material properties. Mechanical and thermal properties of material tested at high temperatures are applied to the finite element analysis. Furthermore, temperatures of the cylinder head in actual working condition are measured to validate the simulation results of finite element analysis. After that, stress computation is performed and the regions of stress concentration on the flame deck surface are obtained. The analysis results of stress show that the regions of stress concentration are in agreement with the actual failure regions of the cylinder head. When analyzing the failures on the flame deck surface of a cylinder head by evaluating stress concentration, temperature’s effect on mechanical strength of material should not be ignored. The methodology of failure analysis proposed in this paper is time-saving and also relatively accurate and predictive in actual engineering practice.     

Failure analysis of an aero engine ball bearing

An aero engine failed due to the misalignment of the ball bearing fitted on the main shaft of the engine. The aero engine incorporates two independent compressors: a six-stage axial flow low-pressure compressor and a nine-stage axial flow high-pressure compressor. The bearing under consideration is a high-pressure-location bearing and is fitted at the rear of the nine-stage compressor. It was supposed to operate for at least 5000 h but failed catastrophically after 1300 h of operation and rendered the engine unserviceable. Unusually high stresses caused by misalignment and uneven axial loading resulted in the generation of fatigue crack(s) in the inner race. When the crack reached the critical size, the collar of the race fractured, causing subsequent damage. The cage also failed due to excessive stresses in the axial direction, and its material was smeared on the steel balls and the outer race.     

Failure analysis in a vehicle accident reconstruction

A metallurgical and mechanical failure analysis was applied as part of a vehicle accident reconstruction of a multi-vehicle collision. One of these vehicles was a coal-hauling tractor-trailer. Examination of the trailer involved in the incident revealed a fatigue fracture to a primary lateral stiffener, along with a significant misalignment of the stiffener. Stress and fatigue analysis indicated that the misalignment severely degraded the fatigue life of the stiffener. Evaluation of the structural dynamics of the trailer after the fatigue fracture indicated decreased lateral stability. The decreased stability caused by fracture of the lateral stiffener allowed rollover of the trailer to occur while negotiating a curve. The failure sequence developed in this investigation proved consistent with all physical damage observed on the trailer and with witness accounts of the incident. The failure scenario developed in this investigation is compared with other conclusions made by other investigators to show that those conclusions are not consistent with all of the available evidence.     

Failure analysis of an aircraft engine cylinder head

The piston engine of the training aircraft malfunctioned during the flight due to the cracking of its cylinder head (CH), which is manufactured from an aluminum casting alloy. Based on the fractographic examination of the mating fracture surfaces, the characteristic ratchet and beach marks were observed indicating the occurrence of fatigue failure. The crack was initiated from multiple origins located on the inner flange fillet on the exhaust side of the CH. The metallography examination has shown that the fatigue was promoted from pre-existing material defect due to an elevated presence of shrinkage pores at the crack initiation zone and was most likely associated with the manufacturing process of casting. The finite element (FE) method, utilized to determine the stress state of the CH subjected to gas pressure, also confirmed that the crack origin was located at the most stress area.     

Catastrophic failure of a fan in a diesel engine cooler

The fan used to cool a diesel engine fractured catastrophically after approximately 100 h of operation. The fan failed at a spider, which was resistance spot welded to a shim placed between two circular spiders of 3 mm thickness. The detailed analysis of the fracture indicated that the premature failure of the fan was due to inadequate bonding between the sheets at the weld nugget. The fracture was initiated from the nugget-plate interface. The inadequate penetration and lack of fusion between the steel sheets during resistance spot welding led to poor weld strength and the fracture during operation. The propensity to crack initiation and failure was accentuated by improper cleaning of the surfaces prior to welding and to inadequate nugget-to-sheet edge distance.     

Failure analysis of a leak-off oil pipe from injection valves of an off-shore operating diesel engine

The failure analysis of a four-stroke 3000 kW off-shore operating diesel engine is presented. The failure occurred during engine normal operation period in the leak-off oil pipe from the injection valves, which experienced a fracture through the pipe wall and a diesel engine fire as a result. A detailed analysis of all elements which had an influence on the failure initiation was carried out, namely leak-off oil pipe vibration level, pipe stress level, presence of corrosion pits on the pipe external surface under the zinc coating and engine components temperature distribution in the failure zone. It was found that the crack initiation and propagation of the leak-off oil pipe from injection valves was driven by a fatigue mechanism, which was facilitated by loose pipe supports (excessive pipe vibration) and corrosion pits on the pipe surface that acted as stress concentrators. The contact of leak-off atomized oil due to the pipe through wall fracture with the hot engine exhaust muff (390 °C approximately) caused local fire of the diesel engine.     

Thermodynamic analysis of a divided combustion chamber diesel engine

A thermodynamic analysis of a naturally aspirated, four-stroke, diesel engine, with a precombustion chamber under firing conditions is presented. Special attention is given in setting-up the equations expressing the work, flow and heat transfer processes during the open and closed part of the cycle, as well as the combustion processes in the two chambers, taking into account their interaction. For the calculation of the heat transfer in both main chamber and prechamber, a turbulence model is proposed. Inside the throat connecting the two chambers, heat exchange takes place between gas and walls. A modification extension of the combustion model ofWhitehouse andWay is used for the divided combustion chamber. An experimental investigation is conducted on a diesel engine of this type. The experimental results concerning the performance of the engine are found to be in good agreement with the theoretical results obtained from the computer program implementing the analysis.     

Failure Investigation of a Gas Turbine Inlet Weatherhood

Analytical and experimental methods have been used to investigate fatigue failures in the weatherhood protecting the air inlet to an offshore gas turbine power generation unit. A simple method for modelling transverse vibration of the leading edge is described, and the results are compared with experimental measurements made on a prototype installation. Calculation of the stresses induced at the critical locations, where cracking has been observed, suggests the failure should be attributed to aerodynamic excitation of the leading edge.     

Failure mode analysis of a diesel motor crankshaft

A failure mode analysis of a diesel motor (110 kW) crankshaft from an automobile vehicle is presented. After 120,000 km in service, an abnormal vibration was detected which was increasing with the time. The diesel motor was first disassembled for determining the root cause, however without success. No defect was detected, but since a suspicion of damage was present, and being this failure recurrent in this type of diesel motor series, the crankshaft was disassembled again. Then the crankshaft was subjected to a simple vibration analysis and a preliminary indication of possible existence of a crack was concluded. The crankshaft was then replaced by a new one, and the old was subjected to a failure analysis for determining the root cause. A crack was found at the crankpin web-fillet and after a complete opening of the crack, the failure analysis showed that fatigue was the dominant failure mechanism. Observations were carried out by optical and Scanning Electronic Microscope. Material defects at the crack initiation zone were not found. The root cause of damage seems to be a misalignment of the main journals and a weakness of design close to the gear at the region where the crack was initiated. Therefore, probably a poor design and a deficient assembling of the crankshaft helical gear coupled to the main journal end was the first cause of the failure.     

Failure of a fairground ride

On 22 February 1997, one of the arms of an “Octopus” amusement ride, operating at the Rylestone Show in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, became detached from the central pylon, allowing the passenger carriage at the end of the arm to fall to the ground. This accident resulted in the death of one of the three young occupants. The Octopus ride is shown after the accident in Fig. 1. The ride had eight arms that rotated along with the central pylon while also moving up and down by pivoting through an axle attached to the central pylon. The axle pivoted in two bearings (one at each end of the axle) fitted to housings attached to the central pylon. To allow disassembly of the arms when the ride was transported from town to town, a cast steel bearing cap was fitted to the top of each housing. The cap was hinged to the housing at the inboard end and bolted to the housing by a retaining bolt at the outboard end. Detachment of the arm was found to have occurred as a result of fracture of the bearing cap and the retaining bolt, which then allowed the axle to move out of its housing. The ride was first registered in 1956 (the year that registration became compulsory in NSW) but had been in service for some time prior to that and may have been built as early as 1939.^[1] This paper presents the findings of a metallurgical analysis of the failure.     

Failure analysis of a Ti-6Al-4V rotating main rotor component from an army helicopter

This paper discusses the failure analysis of a Ti-6Al-4V rotating main rotor component and contrasts the perspectives of the design/mechanical engineer and the manufacturing/materials engineer. Cracking initiated at mechanical marks located on the surface of the outer diameter of a planetary post at the transition radius and was propagated by high-cycle fatigue in service. These crack initiation defects were most likely produced by a machining or a surface finishing tool. Fractographic evidence suggests that high stresses were also encountered in service and played a significant role in the premature cracking of these components. The debate centers on whether the components would have failed in the absence of the surface defects. There were several manufacturers of this component, which are compared in this study. The workmanship on the outer diameter of the planetary post at the transition radius of a carrier that had not failed, manufactured by Company B, was superior to that of the two cracked carriers produced by Company A. However, analysis of the service conditions indicates that the components may have been loaded near the yield strength of the material.