Title: An investigation on fatigue failure of turbine blades of aircraft engines by high cycles fatigue test

Authors: Massimo Cavacece, Pier Paolo Valentini, Leonardo Vita

Addresses: Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Cassino, Via G. Di Biasio No. 43 – 03043 Cassino (FR), Italy. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via del Politecnico, 1 – 00133 Rome, Italy. ' Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Rome 'Tor Vergata', Via del Politecnico, 1 – 00133 Rome, Italy

Abstract: Thermal stress, wear and material damage produce effects of high-cycle fatigue failures in aircraft engines. The loading configuration on turbine blades of aircraft engines consists of an axial load. The axial load is the centrifugal force combined with the tensile and compressive loads, caused by the natural vibrations of the blades themselves. Low-cycle fatigue and high-cycle fatigue loading tests simulate these flight loads experienced by engine components. The objective of this study is to illustrate the most important features of high-cycle fatigue to pass the final controls for the assurance of quality of turbine blades in aircraft engines. A finite element model, useful to predict the results of experimental tests, is also presented.

Keywords: aircraft engines; fatigue testing; natural vibrations; finite element method; FEM; modelling; fatigue failure; turbine blades; blade failure; quality assurance; thermal stress; wear; material damage; axial load; loading tests.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAT.2007.014560

International Journal of Computer Applications in Technology, 2007 Vol.28 No.4, pp.275 - 280

Published online: 16 Jul 2007 *

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