Abstract:
Timeous prevention of, and recovery from, downtimes due to in-service failure of
crucial power plant components, like turbine blades, portends huge consequences in the form
of operational and financial viability concerns. Intensive research and development in
manufacturing, re-manufacturing and condition-based maintenance of these components have
birthed a novel technique, which deploys high intensity lasers to induce compressive residual
stresses to the surface of the blades. This paper presents the application of an alternate
computational modelling technique in simulating this surface treatment technique on X12Cr
steel, an exotic steam turbine blades material, while also investigating the economic parameters
of the induced residual stresses. A numerical model is developed in this work using the
commercial finite elements software ABAQUS©. The results show this computational
modelling technique as being time efficient. The parametric outcomes of the simulation agreed
with experimental results, lending credence to its validity. Induced compressive stresses as
high as 700 MPa and depths close to 1 mm from the surface of the blade were obtained. This
by indication can prospectively quell crack initiation, growth and unplanned failure of the
blade while in service, with the introduced simulation technique offering a solution for timely,
non-destructive mechanical integrity enhancement of engineered components.
