Fatigue tolerant design in green fuel environment

FADEFUEL (Fatigue tolerant design in green fuel environment) project is advancing the implementation of new technologies in utilization of green fuels. The Zero Emission Marine (ZEM) ecosystem, to which the project is related to, seeks to enable a 60% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in the maritime industry. Although tribological and fatigue behavior may significantly influence the performance and lifetime of engine components and thus the whole engine, the effects of green fuels on them actually remain unclear. The tribological and fatigue mechanisms in green fuels environments, for example under hydrogen of hundreds of bars, are not understood well enough to enable the safe operation of tribosystems. In general, fatigue causes the majority of structural failures, and the induced costs represent a notable portion of the global Gross Domestic Product. Combined with new technologies relating to green fuel environments, this combination can be seen as an increased risk for unexpected component and machine failure. The project aims to understand the effect of green fuel environments in both dry and lubricated machine elements and their contacts, on component performance and durability of engine systems. This includes detailed studies how green fuels impact fatigue, fretting fatigue and tribosystem behaviour. The project will affect several value chains, aiming to advance improvement in material selection, mechanical design, and lubrication conditions optimized for the environments. This cutting- edge research with innovations in fatigue and tribology is crucial for ensuring the safe, reliable, and efficient operation of zero-carbon marine engines, enabling the transition towards emission-free marine operations, thus providing economic and competitive advantages.