Using FEM analysis for evaluation of lifetime of the turbine blades repaired by the different kinds of titanium and nickel alloys

With increasing attention being devoted to the problem of reducing service costs for a wide range of turbines and compressors, an attractive option is repair of damaged blades, instead of replacing them by new ones. A lot of different methods are used to repair blades and other parts of turbines and compressors. The processes of laser metal deposition (LMD) and direct laser forming (DLF) are modern methods used to repair blades made of titanium alloys. In the present study, the finite element analysis (FEM) has been applied to determine the stress-strain state of the repaired blades in service conditions. Different forms and sizes of the damaged zones have been analyzed. Several kinds of alloys, such as Incoloy 903, Carlson C800 and Inconel 718, appropriate for the LMD and DLF methods, have been utilized in repairing the blades. Two kinds of blades, with and without cooling hollows, have been examined. Lifetime of the repaired turbine has been evaluated by comparing the results obtained from the modal and stress-strain state analyses of the repaired and original parts. The results allow evaluating influence of sizes and forms of the damaged zones, as well as choice of the alloys applied, on lifetime of the repaired blade