A method for the assessment of operational severity for a high pressure turbine blade of an aero-engine

This paper provides a tool for the estimation of the operational severity of a high pressure turbine blade of an aero engine. A multidisciplinary approach using aircraft/ engine performance models which provide inputs to a thermo-mechanical fatigue damage model is presented. In the analysis, account is taken of blade size, blade metal temperature distribution, relevant heat transfer coefficients and mechanical and thermal stresses. The leading edge of the blade is selected as the critical part in the estimation of damage severity for different design and operational parameters. The study also suggests a method for production of operational severity data for the prediction of maintenance intervals