Computational and fractographic study of the stable growth of low cycle fatigue cracks in the disk of an aircraft engine turbine under complex loading cycles

The results of a comprehensive computational and experimental study of the kinetics of low-cycle fatigue cracks (LCF) in a turbine disk made of EP741NP granular nickel alloy of an aircraft gas turbine engine under complex loading cycles (CLC) are presented. The configuration of crack fronts was reconstructed using light microscopy. Steps of the blocks of fatigue striations characterizing the crack increment under CLC at the stage of steady crack growth are measured using scanning electron microscopy during microfractographic analysis. The period of LCF crack steady growth is estimated and the reproducibility of the regularities of steady growth is demonstrated which testifies the capability of reliable prediction for LCF crack steady growth. The finite element modeling of the reconstructed crack fronts has been carried out. The values?? of the range of stress intensity factor at each crack front in the area of measuring the pitch of the striation blocks were calculated for the subcycles of complex loading cycles. Using the previously developed physically grounded mathematical model and calculation methodology, forecasting of stable growth of the LCF crack was carried out. The results of forecasting match the data of micro-fractographic analysis unlike the results of LCF crack growth prediction based on Paris law which differ significantly from experimental data.

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