Int. J. Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2013 329
Copyright © 2013 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.
Improved fillet stresses in steam turbine blade
D. Tulsidas*
ACS College of Engineering,
Kambipura, Mysore Road,
Bangalore-560 074, Karnataka, India
E-mail: tulsidala@yahoo.co.in
*Corresponding author
M. Shantharaja
University Visvesvaraya College of Engineering,
K.R. Circle, Bangalore-560 001, Karnataka, India
E-mail: shantharajam@gmail.com
Kenche Gowda Kumar
INFOSYS India Pvt Ltd.,
#48, 4th Cross, 5th Main, Annapurnaeshwarinagara,
Nagarbhavi 2nd Stage, RHCS Layout,
Bangalore-560 091, Mysore, Karnataka, India
E-mail: kumar_gowda@infosys.com
Abstract: The large variety of turbo-machinery blade root geometries used in
industry prompted the question if an optimum geometry could be found. The
present paper outlines the improved fillet stresses in a steam turbine blade and a
special attention is made on SCF of the blade root (T-root) which fails and to
guarantee for safe and reliable operation under all possible service conditions.
An optimum blade root was defined, as a root with practical geometry, which
when loaded returns the minimum fillet stress concentration factor. Finite
element analysis is used to determine the fillet stresses and Peterson’s stress
concentration factor chart is effectively utilised to modify the blade root. The
root is modified due to the difficulty in manufacturing the butting surface of the
tang which grips the blade to the disk crowns having small contact area.
Keywords: steam turbine blade root; stress concentration factor; fillet stresses;
disk stresses.
Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Tulsidas, D.,
Shantharaja, M. and Kumar, K.G. (2013) ‘Improved fillet stresses in steam
turbine blade’, Int. J. Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, Vol. 5,
No. 4, pp.329–342.
Biographical notes: D. Tulsidas is an Assistant Professor in Mechanical
Engineering at ACS College of Engineering, Bangalore. He obtained his BE in
Mechanical Engineering, ME in Mechanical Engineering, specialisation in
Machine Design, and pursuing his PhD from Bangalore University, Karnataka.
His areas of interest are FEA in both static and dynamic and design and
optimisation. He has one year of industry and ten years of teaching experience.