Journal of Computational & Applied Research in Mechanical Engineering (JCARME)

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

A. Zolfaghari ¹
A. R. Shahani ²

¹ Department of Applied Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Applied Mechanics, Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, K. N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, 19395-1999, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22061/jcarme.2026.113064.2825

Abstract

The first stage compressor blades of the gas turbine are subject to occasional failure due to their operating conditions. Initial evaluations indicate that microcracks that form in critical areas of the blade during fatigue loading make the blade prone to failure. Therefore, it is of great importance to find the locations of the blade where microcracks are most likely to form. In this study, extensive numerical and analytical investigations were performed to evaluate the observed failures, and Abaqus software was used for finite element analysis of the first stage compressor blade of the gas turbine model. In pursuit of this goal, initially, finite element simulations were conducted on an intact blade, followed by analyses on a blade incorporating a V-shaped notch, and subsequently, applying stress analysis, the critical positions that are the main candidates for the formation and initiation of microcracks in the blade were determined. In addition, a new critical plane fatigue model was applied to evaluate and investigate the fatigue behaviour of the compressor blade. Then, through coding in MATLAB software, the plane that suffered the maximum damage based on the critical plane fatigue model was determined and its direction was calculated for the critical positions of the compressor blade. Finally, the compressor blade fatigue life was determined based on this criterion and compared with traditional critical plane fatigue criteria such as Brown-Miller and SWT, and the reduction in life due to foreign object damage to the blade was determined and compared to an intact blade.

Graphical Abstract

Keywords

References

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Journal of Computational & Applied Research in Mechanical Engineering (JCARME)

Articles in Press, Corrected Proof
Available Online from 11 August 2026

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