Theoretical investigation of stresses induced at blade mounting locations in steam turbine rotor system

One of the most common incipient losses of integrity in mechanical structures is the development and propagation of cracks. Especially in rotating members like steam turbine rotors etc. cracks, because of their potential, cause catastrophic failures and are a grave threat to an uninterrupted operation and performance. A crack may propagate from some small imperfections on the surface of the body or inside of the material and it is most likely to appear in correspondence to high stress concentration. Crack propagation path is generally determined by the direction of maximum stress or by the minimum material strength. Hence determination of stresses induced has been the focus of attention for many researchers. In the present work, development of a mathematical model to determine the stresses induced in a rotating disc of varying thickness is studied. This model is applied to a steam turbine rotor disc to determine the induced stresses and radial deflection. The mathematical modeling results are validated with the results obtained using Ansys package. The results of the present study will be useful in diagnosing the location and magnitude of maximum stress induced in the turbine rotor disc and stress intensity factor due to the presence of crack.