Development of a Probabilistic Methodology for Predicting Hot Corrosion Fatigue Crack Growth Life of Gas Turbine Engine Disks

Abstract

Advanced Ni-based gas turbine disks are expected to operate at higher service temperatures in aggressive environments for longer time durations. Exposures of Ni-based alloys to alkaline-metal salts and sulfur compounds at elevated temperatures can lead to hot corrosion fatigue crack growth in engine disks. Type II hot corrosion involves the formation and growth of corrosion pits in Ni-based alloys at a temperature range of 650 °C to 750 °C. Once formed, these corrosion pits can serve as stress concentration sites where fatigue cracks can initiate and propagate to failure under subsequent cyclic loading. In this paper, a probabilistic methodology is developed for predicting the corrosion fatigue crack growth life of gas turbine engine disks made from a powder-metallurgy Ni-based superalloy (ME3). The key features of the approach include: (1) a pit growth model that describes the depth and width of corrosion pits as a function of exposure time, (2) a cycle-dependent crack growth model for treating fatigue, and (3) a time-dependent crack growth model for treating corrosion. This set of deterministic models is implemented into a probabilistic life-prediction code called DARWIN. Application of this approach is demonstrated for predicting corrosion fatigue crack growth life in a gas turbine disk based on the ME3 properties from the literature. The results of this study are used to assess the conditions that control the transition of a corrosion pit to a fatigue crack and to identify the pertinent material parameters influencing corrosion fatigue life and disk reliability.