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Copyright 0 1995 by ASME All Rights Reserved Printed In U.S.A.
Cyrus B. Meher-Homji
Boyce Engineering International, Inc.
10555 Rockley Road,
Houston, Texas.
111111111111,1)(1111111111
2
IIIIIIIII
As cracks occur in blading, the natural frequency decreases.
Thus, a cracked blade may experience resonance conditions even
when operating at, say, 3,600 rpm (60Hz). With the acoustic a
Doppler technique, these occurrences can be monitored and a C
historical record maintained. tAt
2.8_1/EL.W.Infcaresilbnrathaisaranramrs
Measurement of Hot Section Bladlne,
The use of infrared pyrometery is an increasingly popular tool
for condition monitoring and has been applied to a wide range of
gas turbines. Some high performance military jet engines have,
for several years, used pyrometers for control purposes. In the
industrial turbine market, pyrometers are becoming increasingly
popular as a condition monitoring tool that can provide valuable
insight to hot section blading problems Kirby et al (1986).
Further details are provided by Barber(1969), Kirby (1986),
Beynon(1981) and Schulenerg and Bals(1978).
Figure 2 (Meher-Homji, et al, 1993) depicts a pyrometer trace
from the 1st stage of a 160 MW GE Frame 7F gas turbine.
Pyrometers were installed under an EPRI Durability Study
Program (Ondryas, et al, 1992). The pyrometer had the
capability of measuring approximately 40 points per rotating
blade as the blades rotated at 3,600 RPM.
Pyrotnetry enables the detection and pinpointing of blades
which run hotter than others and is a valuable condition
monitoring tool. Individual blade temperatures can be identified
by use of a key phasor.
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light is focused on a spot on the turbine blade tip. The spot on 2. Erosion.
the blade is then imaged by the probe on the face of the fiber 3. Creep damage (elongation, necking, etc.).
optic bundle. Because of the angle at which the light strikes the 4. Blocked cooling holes.
blade, any change in distance between the blade tip and probe 5. Blade attachment problems.
will cause the imaged spot on the fiber optic to move across the 6. Evidence of rubs, over temperature (examine stators,
face of the bundle, the distance being directly related to change rotors and casings)
in blade to probe separation. This system has been surrssfully 7. Unusual nicks, evidence of foreign and domestic object
tested in a rig and could be used to monitor gas turbine blading. damage (FOX) and DOD).
The system frequency response is adequate to provide real time 8. Unusual coloration.
capability to measure tip clearance and time of arrival 9. DOD/FOX) locations.
measurements for each blade in a blade row. 10. Failure mode, if clearly evident.
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3. Mechanism: Low Cycle Fatigue 6. Mechanism: High Cycle Fatigue
Environment and Operating Conditions: Excessive number of Blade Design Aspects: Can occur in any blades or vanes
start stop cycles, emergency trips or fast loading. (compressor or turbine).
Failure Location: Turbine and compressor disks. Typically occur Manufacturing: Variances in blade quality can cause small
in regions of low steady state stress 1st stage turbine blades often differences in fn .stress concentration of notches can women the
prove to be thenno mechanical fatigue. Cracks in nozzles, vanes. problem.
While some cracking is normal crack patterns that can allow part Environment and Operating Conditions: Corrosive environment
breakaway cannot be accepted. can dramatically drop fatigue strength. Natural frequencies can
Metallurgical and Fracture Analysis: High temperature ICE change with dirt buildup, excessive temperature or change in
cracks are similar to creep cracks (intergranular fracture path and boundary conditions. Combustion system distress or nozzle distress
presence of intergranular voids). Voids often larger than creep can also cause HCF on blading Self excited vibrations and flutter
voids. Lower temperature LCF occurs where plastic deformation can also cause HCF.
occurs with transgranular crack propagation. Low cycle fatigue Maintenance: Nicks, pits or damage can cause problems and act as
striations arc typically broader than HCF striations. crack initiators.
Failure History: I Arge number of start/stop cycles. Machine in Failure Location: Cracks can be located at the base of the airfoil or
operation for several years. Peaking duty. root. Failures on the airfoil other than at the base could imply a
higher mode of resonance.
4. Mechanism: Creep Rupture Metallurgical and Fracture Analysis: Elastic deformation
Blade Design Aspects: Expected in high temperature, highly predominates in all temperature regimes. Cracks initiate and
stressed blades and disks. propagate transgrannularly. Fractures often have a smooth
Manufacturing: Blockage of cooling passages dining blade appearance with the presence of clam shaped beach marks (ductile
manufacture can cause overheating and subsequent damage in a very failure). There is also typically a region of tear when crack has
short time (possibly hours). QA procedures of importance. reduced section size sufficiently. Striations perpendicular to the
Environment and Operating Conditions: Excessive temperatures, direction of the crack may be found. This may not be easily detected
loss of cooling and increased wheel space temperatures can promote on some high temperature superalloys.
creep. Surrounding Evidence: Resonance conditions can rause HCF.
Failure Location: In blades- highest temperature region midspan. Check for blockage, distortion, high FLIT spread, blocked fuel
In disks depends on stress temperature distribution. In nozzles nozzles, etc. Also check for loss of damping, increase or decrease in
creep distortion will be at the trailing edge or may result in sidewall mass fouling corrosion.
waviness. See sketch. Failure History: Noticed early in startup process as few hours at
resonance are required. Several blade failures not unconuncm. Can
occur relatively rapidly (close coincidence with resonance) or over
time with resonance coming in and out. Can occur after a chang,e in
process design point (operating in a new speed regime etc.). 10 1
cycles is commonly accepted as a point where S-Isl curve flattens
(i.e., infinite life but under ideal conditions - no corrosion, etc.).
Operating Symptoms: Typically no wanting. Cracks may be noted
on borescope inspection.
7. Mechanism: Tangential Mode Fatigue
Metallurgical and Fracture Analysis: Microscopic voids along Blade Design Aspects: Can affect all types of blades. Vane Pitch
grain boundaries. In final stages of failure, voids can link up to form variations can set up excitation or vane bowing.
intergranular crack. Creep region often discovered by oxidation. Manufacturing: Shroud assembly problems.
Often exhibits two zones - creep zone and final overload failure Maintenance: Blades damaged during handling.
(bright metallic appearance). Can also get multiple branch cracks Failure Location: Can be at foil base, root or an airfoil.
rumt#1 8 Parallel to the main crack. Coarsening of y precipitates and Metallurgical and Fracture Analysis: (See 13C,E)
cavities at grain boundaries noted. Surrounding Evidence: Erosion/Damage of stator vanes.
Surrounding Evidence: Possible loss of cooling, failure of external Failure History: (See HcE)
coolers blocked passages. Overtemperature-check for excessive
FLIT and/or spreads, fire in turbine etc. Noise from rubs may be S. Mechanism: Suite Stall
noticed during shutdown. Heavy tip nibs may indicate higher Environment and Operating Conditions: Excessive fouling,
temperatures or problems with internal alignment Seal rubs may corrosion, rapid acceleration or turbine section blockage. Excessive
also be noted. steam injection. Part Load Operation.
Failure History: More common on machines operating for a large Failure Location: Clash failures (Rotor Stator Contact) causes
number of hours (assuming normal blade cooling). triangular trailing edges impact of previous row of stators near outer
Notes: Steam /Water injection increases metal temperature of flow path. Vanes often broken. Damage will be rnidcompressor
blades (increase in K and C which increases heat transfer coeff.) (normal operation) and early stages (during startup). gang Occurs
when blade groups deflect tip of rotor tracking Impact LE of
5. Mechanism: Fretting Failure adjacent edge on pressure side tip corners bend or tear.
Manufacturing: Coating should be used in the dove tail region. Surrounding Evidence: Problems with anti surge bleed valves,
Dovetail/Fir tree tolerances important. mis-scheduled fuel curve, deteriorated compressor. Failure very
Environment and Operating Conditions: Peaking gas turbine and often results in massive DOD.
high humidity can induce crevice corrosion. Bucket rock can aid this
mechanism. 9. Mechanism: Oxidation
Failure Location: Blade attachment regions(wheel dovetails). May Environment and Operating Conditions: Excessive cycling can
see reddish brown debris of ferric oxide. Can also occur in wires, promote damage of the Ni-oxide layer.
tie pins, wire holes, tip shrouds or platform seal pins Failure Location: On Hot section nozzles and blades. Can occur
Surrounding Evidence: High vibration can promote fretting. on external or internal blade surfaces. On nozzles it is typically
Failure History: Considerable length of time. located non-uniformly concentrated in localized hot spot regions
Operating Symptoms: Excessive vibration. Failure History: Occurs over time
Surrounding Evidence: Possible high EGT spreads