Project Info
*Additive Manufacturing of High Temperature Materials for Power Generation Applications
Jonah Klemm-Toole
jklemmto@mines.edu
The failure of power plant components can cause long shut downs because replacement parts are often not quickly available. The use of wire arc additive manufacturing can provide for fast production of large custom replacement parts for power generation plants that can reduce plant down time, thus reducing the cost of power generation. The goal of this project is to investigate wire-arc additive manufacturing (similar to gas metal arc welding) of high temperature alloys used in power generation applications. The interested student will work with a graduate student on developing process parameters, performing state-of-the-art process simulations, characterizing the material microstructure, assessing defects, and evaluating the mechanical properties.
More Information:
Grand Challenge: Not applicable
Related work on the use of wire arc additive manufacturing can be found here: https://www.imts.com/show/newsletter/insider/article-details.cfm?articleid=1196&start=1&cat=
Primary Contacts:
The primary contacts will be Jonah Klemm-Toole (Professor) and Luc Hagen (Graduate Student)
Student Preparation
Qualifications
The student should be interested in welding or additive manufacturing. Experience with at least one of the following areas would be helpful: gas metal arc welding (GMAW), metallographic preparation, mechanical testing, finite element modeling or other computational simulations.
TIME COMMITMENT (HRS/WK)
4-5
SKILLS/TECHNIQUES GAINED
Depending on interest, the student can gain experience in a broad range of very useful skills for graduate school or industry. The student can work with a graduate student on wire-arc AM process development, metallographic preparation, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD), state-of-the-art multi-physics welding simulations, X-ray computed tomography (XCT), and mechanical testing. The student will be given flexibility to work on areas of interest.
MENTORING PLAN
The student will regularly meet with a graduate student in the project. Additionally, the student will participate in weekly meetings with graduate students and professors. Realistic goals will be set at the beginning of the project, and they will be continuously updated as needed. The frequent interaction with professors and graduate students will ensure all resources are being provided to ensure the student gets the most out of the project.
PREFERRED STUDENT STATUS
Junior
Senior