Finite Element Simulation and Fretting Wear Prediction of a Tenon Connection Structure

Abstract

A tenon connection structure is widely used for the blade-disk connection in turbomachinery, and its ability to resist wear influences operation life. The finite element method (FEM) has been extensively applied in predicting fretting wear due to its advantage in solving problems like the non-linearity of boundary conditions. This work proposes a model that combines a modified Archard model with FEM to simulate fretting wear in multiple pairs of contact curved surfaces of the tenon connection structure. The model considers various factors, including the direction of fretting, time, load magnitude, and the application of aerodynamic load. The results indicate that the direction of fretting has a significant effect on the wear of the tenon connection structure. The wear depth of the tenon connection structure caused by axial fretting is nearly twice that of circumferential and radial fretting, and the corresponding wear depth values are 57.22, 30.85, and 24.36 µm in this study, respectively, and the rate of change in wear depth increases over time, while the contact pressure decreases initially and then increases with continuous wear. This study provides valuable insight into the impact of fretting under different working conditions on the wear of turbine tenon connection structures, which is of great significance for their wear-resistant design and life prediction.