STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY ANALYSIS OF LIGHTWEIGHT ALLOYS FOR AEROSPACE APPLICATIONS

In the present investigation, a structural integrity analysis of an HPT blade made of three state-of-the-art nickel-based single-crystal superalloys, namely, CMSX-4, CMSX-8, and CMSX-4 Plus, is discussed. The finite element method (FEM) analysis has been performed for analysing the distribution of stresses, strain, deformation, and the factor of safety under practical mechanical and thermal loads that occur under the aero-engine environment. The geometry of the blade was modelled with critical aerodynamic characteristics, meshed using detailed tetrahedral elements, and exposed to suitable boundary conditions such as fixed support at the root and constant surface pressure. Material properties for every alloy were inputted according to experimentally confirmed data. The outcome indicated similar maximum equivalent stresses for all materials but displayed variation in strain, deformation, and safety margins. CMSX-8 had the lowest deformation and strain and the highest factor of safety, which means better mechanical performance than CMSX-4 and CMSX-4 Plus. The results agree that the selection of material strongly affects the HPT blades durability and performance. CMSX-8 turned out to be the strongest of the materials researched and thus became the best bet for future applications as high-performance turbine blades.