Design considerations for reduction of

fatigue failure in gas turbines casing

Shanmugam Sa K Venkatesh Rajaa Manikandan Mb Saravanakumar Cc Annamalai Nd
b cd

PG scholar of ACCET, karaikudi,India.

Asst.Prof of V S A Group of Institutions

a

mmanikandan008@gmail.com

Abstract: Gas turbines casings are very vulnerable to involve cracking in locations where there is a sudden change in
cross section, holes and sharp edges as stress concentration is locally great at these critical points because the casing
experiences both thermal and structural cyclic loads inside it during in its regular operation. The failure of the casing
due to cracking is considered as fatigue failure. Most of the research work carried out till now on the gas turbine
casing is either in consideration of thermal loads or structural loads acting on the casing with features such as holes
or sharp edges. None of them included the consideration of pre tension effect of casing due to bolt pre tensioner while
calculating the fatigue failure and its fatigue life.
Keywords: Gas turbine Casing, Creo 2.0, Ansys workbench 15.0, Fatigue Analysis.

1.

casing, which is one of the most probable positions

INTRODUCTION

for crack initiation and propagation. The crack

An important issue for thermal power plants is the
maintenance of reliability and safety under
operating conditions that include frequent start-ups
and load changes. Unstable states arising during
startups, shutdowns, and load changes give rise to
an unsteady temperature distribution with respect
to time in steam turbine components. Thermal
stresses caused by rapid increase in temperature
render the components susceptible to failure and
reduce their operating life. The internal stationary
and rotating components of the turbine in such
power plants are encased in massive steel-cast
casings. These high- and intermediate-pressure
casings are susceptible to frequent cracking due to
thermo mechanical low-cycle fatigue (LCF) at the
nozzle

fit

corner

radius

or

other

stress

concentration shapes. Cracking of the casings can

lead to steam leaks and, in extreme cases, bursting
of the casing itself. This approach is to predict the
fatigue life of the detected crack on the edge of
eccentric pin hole of a heavy duty gas turbine

position and direction was determined, by using

non-destructive test1. The particular, high-pressure
and intermediate-pressure casing components are
susceptible to frequent cracking due to thermomechanical low-cycle fatigue at the nozzle fit
corner radius and other stress concentration shapes.
Thus, for effective maintenance, it is necessary to
have accurate knowledge of transient thermal
stresses at critical positions that are susceptible to
failure. In this paper, thermal stress concentration
factors for the inner surface of the casing and valve
are defined to account for variations in the
geometry using three-dimensional finite element
analysis2 .The gas turbine operation history shows
that the most fractures occur at the beginning of the
cold seasons which may corroborate the probability
that the compressor casing distortion due to the
non-uniform temperature distribution, can lead to
touch the blades tip section with the casing and
their failures. Results show that the temperature
distribution on the compressors casing is non-

uniform at the cold season and this causes

distortion on the casing3.The factors affecting crack
on turbine casing arising from temperature
gradients.

Hence,

making

determinations

of

temperature distribution on gas turbine casing is the

4

Fig no 2
The real size of the casing is simplified further by

first step in stress analysis . An Analysis showed

the advantage of symmetry in order to reduce the

that multiple cracks had been initiated in the

computation time in Ansys. Only the portion near

interface of the disks and shaft by the fretting

the flange with the bolt and nut assembly alone

fatigue mechanism and had been propagated by

is taken for the analysis.

fatigue mechanism. Finally, unexpected and/or

Simplified Casing Model to reduce computation

excessive forces or impact loads had led to the final

time

brittle fracture of the disks. Some recommendations

are proposed for preventing similar failures in the
future5.
TURBINE CASING

Fig no: 3
Casing Material A395 Ductile Cast Iron

fig no 1
The red colour shown in parts of the turbine parts

Table no: 1

then that casing parts to be draft from the creo 2.0

Static Structural Analysis of the turbine casing

with the specification of casing taken from the gas

Ansys Workbench Static Structural Analysis step

turbine power plant and then analysed for various

load and stress for whole body of casing and bolt &
nut from ansys work bench 15.0 software after that
calculate the fatigue life to the casing to prevent the
fatigue failure
Modelling of the turbine casing

Step 1 - The material properties were entered into

the Ansys engineering database to define casing
material in the analysis part.
Step 2 the material of the casing is assigned for
the upper and lower casing

Step 3 Contact between the bolt and nut, upper

The above fig analysis the tension load acting

casing and bolt and lower casing with nut was

between the blot and flange. This analysis showing

established

the load deformation of the bolt and casing.

Step 4 - The imported simplified geometry of the

CASE 2

casing is Meshed with elements 6774 and nodes

LOAD-PRESSURE ONLY

12259 as shown in figure

Fig no:5
Fig No: 3
In the figure with bolt & nut. This is meshing of

CASE 3

find the fatigue life from various load and stresses

LOAD - PRESSURE AND BOLT TENSION

from under various load condition operation during

the power plant when producing the power shows

that the meshing of whole body of casing
CASE 1
LOAD BOLT TENSION ONLY

Fig no: 6
REDESIGNED CASING
In order to improve the strength of the casing, the
existing design of the casing is redesigned as
shown in the figure. The conceptual idea is
reinforcement of ribs to the structure and reducing
Fig no: 4

the surface area of contact between the flange

Inference from the static structural analysis

interfaces.

It is evident from the results from the static analysis

that the portion of the casing flange near the bolt
are subjected to minimum stress without pretension
and the same is subjected to higher stress when
pretension is applied along with the pressure.
Though the difference in the stress magnitude is
marginally small, it makes a big difference If
analysis is carried out for high pretension and
pressure values.
In the redesigned casing the stress in the flange of
the casing is less than the existing casing model
subjected to static loads
Fig no: 7

RESULTS

OF

REDESIGNED

UNDER COMBINED LOADING

FATIGUE ANALYSIS
CASING

Results of Redesigned casing

a] Fatigue life Redesigned casing

Equivalent Stress at flange surface

Fig no: 10
b] FATIGUE STRESS
Fig no: 8
Equivalent Stress at flange surface

Fig no: 11

Fig no: 9

RESULTS OF EXISTING CASING

conditions, the redesigned casing still survives for

A] FATIGUE LIFE

the fatigue life of 16533 cycles but the existing

casing almost failed.i.e. Fatigue life is zero cycles

RESULT COMPARISION
COMPARISON OF THE STRESS RESULT
LOADING

EXISTING

REDESIGNED

AREAS

DESIGN

MODEL

Bolt Tension

12.625

9.25

268.97

180.65

271.3

113.12

Only
Fig no: 12

Load
Pressure

EXISTING CASING B] FATIGUE STRESS

Only
Load
Pressure And
Bolt Tension
Table no:2

COMPARISON

OF

THE

FATIGUE

ANALYSIS
FATIGUE

EXISTING

REDESIGNED

ANALYSIS

DESIGN

MODEL

Fatigue Life

9.9661

9.9591

Fatigue Stress

226.23

5444

Table no:3
CONCLUSION
In the present study, the stress distribution was
calculated by performing static structural analysis
in Ansys software for the existing and the
redesigned casing. it is concluded from the results
that the redesigned casing offers high strength than
the existing one under all the three loading cases.
Fig no: 13

Also by performing fatigue analysis, fatigue life of

the existing and the redesigned casing was found

From the fatigue analysis it was found that the

out and the results show that the fatigue life of the

fatigue life of the redesigned is higher than the

redesigned casing is improved under the same

existing casing model. For the same loading

loading conditions.

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6.

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SIEMENS Gas Turbines., prepared by
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