Residual Stress Evolution Due to Local Damage

Jet engine components may experience physical damage from foreign objects during service. Due to the high safety standards in the aerospace industry, materials and hardware designs, as well as damage monitoring systems, are very robust to ensure safe engine operation. However, understanding how much component life may be compromised remains a critical task for system designers and structural engineers. Residual stress is one of the key parameters used to illustrate the effects of local damage. Pratt & Whitney performed various types of damage on coupons and simplified engine components to track residual stress evolution. The results show that the development of tensile and compressive residual stress is not always straightforward or intuitive but instead depends heavily on hardware geometry. In addition to residual stress measurements, other types of supplemental data will also be presented.