Gas Turbine Blade Failure Analysis

After a speed balance test a gas turbine blade within a rotor in a multistage ethylene train was discovered to have several cracks within the blade. Examination of the cracks, and the subsequent analysis of the opened fracture surface indicated high cycle fatigue initiation from the arms of the root connector between the blade and the rotor. This presentation will give an overview of the failure analysis performed on the turbine blade.