Analysis of a J69-T-25 engine turbine blade fracture

Myounggu Park, Young-Ha Hwang, Yun-Seung Choi, Tae-Gu Kim

To cite this version:

Myounggu Park, Young-Ha Hwang, Yun-Seung Choi, Tae-Gu Kim. Analysis of a J69-T-25 engine
turbine blade fracture. Engineering Failure Analysis, Elsevier, 2002, 9, pp. 593-601. <10.1016/S1350-
6307(02)00003-1>. <hal-01333729>

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 Analysis of a J69-T-25 engine turbine blade fracture
Myounggu Parka,*, Young-Ha Hwanga, Yun-Seung Choib, Tae-Gu Kimc
a
Engine Division, ATRI(Aero-Tech Research Institute), ROKAF, PO Box 304-160, Kumsa dong, Dong gu, Deagu 701-799,
Republic of Korea
b
Samsung Techwin Co., Ltd., 28 Sungju-Dong, Changwon City, Kyungnam 641-717, Republic of Korea
c
Department of Industrial Safety and Health, College of Biomedical Science and Engineering, Inje University,
Gimhae, Gyeongnam 621-749, Republic of Korea

The
fracture
of
a
turbojet
engine
turbine
blade
w as
investigated.
Visual
and
surface
examination
show ed
that
the

turbine
blade
had
initially
cracked
by
a
fatigue
mechanism
over
a
period
of
time
and
then
failed
by
overload
at
the
last

moment.
The
fatigue
crack
initiated
on
a
surface
damaged
by
rubbing.
Also
the
cracked
turbine
blade
w as
severly

damaged
by
hot
gas
flow and
discolored.
This
heat
damage
made
the
gamma
prime
phase
in
the
matrix
(Ni-base

superalloy)
coarsen
and
low ered
the
fatigue
strength
of
the
base
material
assisting
to
the
premature
fatigue
fracture.

The
decrease
of
the
strength
of
the
material
due
to
degradation
of
gamma
prime
phase
was
verified
by
hardness
mea-
surements.
The
possible
relevance
of
other
parts
attached
to
the
engine
shaft
to
the
fracture
was
review ed.
From
this

reviewit
is
inferred
that
the
root
cause
of
cracking
and
excessive
heat
damage
might
be
attributed
to
eccentricity
of
the

shaft
resulting
from
various
reasons—shaft
misalignment,
uneven
wear
of
bearing
elements
and
mismatch
in
clearance,

etc.
However
this
is
an
assumption
that
should
be
verified
by
positive
supporting
evidence
from
condition
monitoring
of

engines
Keywords: Engine failures; Turbine blade failures; Fatigue failure; Fretting; Overheating

1. Background

Regarding the J69-T-25 turbojet engine installed on the T-37 trainer, the turbine section consists of a
turbine stator and a turbine rotor. The major function of the turbine is to extract energy from the hot gas
flow to drive the compressor and the accessory gearbox. If a problem arises in the turbine section it will
significantly affect the whole engine function and, of course, safety of the aircraft. In this paper a sudden
turbine blade fracture leading to a fatal engine failure is investigated. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to
improve the safety of the aircraft and the maintenance practice.

1
2. Visual examination

Fig. 1(a) is the rear view of the turbine section of the J69-T-25 engine. One of the 38 blades (see the
arrow) separated without any preliminary symptoms and at the same time the fragment hit the other tur-
bine blades, stator and casing. In Fig. 1(b) is the close-up view of the blade fracture site. It reveals that the
turbine stator vanes and casing as well as the rotor assembly were badly damaged during the incident.

2.1. Turbine blade

Fig. 2 is a magnified view of the fracture surface of the turbine blade root disassembled from the turbine
rotor. Macroscopically there are two distinctive regions on the fracture surface. The region I is called the
‘thumb nail’ shaped region which is partially discolored. This region has a smooth and flat surface. The region
II has a fresher and rougher fracture surface than that of region I. From the surface shape and condition it is
thought that the crack origin is at the corner of the fracture region [‘O’ in Fig. 2(b)]. Fig. 3 indicates the front
side of the turbine blade root. It is evident from the rubbing marks that the turbine blade was touched by
other objects during revolution and that surface damage might act as a stress raiser for crack initiation. Fig. 4
shows the discolored pattern of the turbine blade. Especially, the discolored pattern on the root area reveals
that hot gas flow was directed onto the turbine blade root area which was not a normal situation.

2.2. Hub

Fig 5.(a) is the hub disassembled from the turbine rotor assembly. The dovetail slots in the hub are
severely discolored due to hot gas flow [Fig. 5(b)]. This means that the heated gas stream was not following
the normal route, which might explain the heat damage on the slots. On the front side of the dovetail slot
in the hub there was a rubbing mark and this observation is in agreement with the turbine blade root
having a wear mark on the front side. Therefore, it is obvious that the turbine rotor assembly was touched
by an object when it revolved at high speed (see Fig. 6).

3. Fractographic analysis

Careful observation using SEM (scanning electron microscopy) showed that most of the fracture surface
was covered by corrosion products. So a partial crack which was not much affected by heated gas was
chosen for fractographic analysis. This crack was found during FPI (fluorescent-penetration inspection) of
the turbine blades. Fig. 7 is the fluorescent indication of a crack on the turbine blade root. Fig. 8 shows the
optically observed partial crack. The crack was opened with care after cutting one side. Close observation
of the fracture surface revealed striations. From these results it was confirmed that the fracture mode was
fatigue [see Figs. 9(a) and (b) and 10(a) and (b)]. At the crack origin fatigue striations were not observed
(covered by corrosion product). In the middle and edge regions of the fracture surface, the striation marks
are evident and well observable.

4. Metallography

4.1. Microstructural analysis

There was no pertinent specification about the base material of the turbine blade. To identify the
material, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis was done and the results indicated that the base material was a

2
 Fig. 1. The rear view of the turbine section of the J69-T-25 turbojet engine.

Fig. 2. The cracked and partially discolored turbine blade root (6).

Ni-base superalloy. From the EDX spectrum (Fig. 11) the presence of Al and Ti which produce the gamma
prime phase was confirmed. Longitudinal and transverse cross sections were prepared and examined
revealing typical cast structure of Ni-base superalloy [Fig. 12(a) and (b)]. No signs of any microstructural
anomalies were noticed.

4.2. Cracking path

To analyze the cracking path a sample which included flat and rough surfaces was prepared. The sample
also has a discolored region on its surface. From the microstructure, it is confirmed that the crack growth
mode changed from transdentritic to interdendritic. Transdentritic crack growth indicates that cracking
occurred by a fatigue mechanism and interdendritic crack growth by overload. Usually this cracking mode
transition phenomenon is one of the typical features of casting fracture by a fatigue mechanism. Fig. 13(a)
and (b) shows the cracking path from the origin of the crack to the end of the crack area.

4.3. Precipitate ( 0 phase) analysis

It is well known fact that nickel-base superalloy is used at temperatures of 540  C (1000 F) and above [1].
The common strengthening mechanism of this alloy is precipitation hardening through gamma prime (g0 )
precipitation in the matrix. The g0 is an intermetallic compound of nominal composition [Ni3(Al,Ti)] which

3
 Fig. 3. The front side of the turbine blade root indicating the rubbing mark (3).

Fig. 4. Abnormal discoloration of the turbine blade root caused by heat damage.

is stable over a relatively narrow range of composition. It is precipitated as spheroidal particles in the early
Ni-base alloys, which tended to have a low volume fraction of particles. Later, cuboidal precipitates were
noted in alloys with higher aluminium and titanium contents. The examination of the gamma prime of the
fractured turbine blade was done using FE–SEM (field emission scanning electron microscope). Fig. 14(a)
is the morphology of g0 which is directly affected by heated gas and its shape is not in order. However, as
shown in Fig. 14(b) the morphology of g0 which is not touched by hot gas is square and in good order. So it
can be guessed that the subsurface region affected by hot gas began to coarsen. Thus, though the fatigue
crack initiated by surface damage, the heat damage might have had a contributing effect on the fracture of
the turbine blade.

4
Fig. 5. The hub disassembled from the turbine rotor assembly; (a) the overall view of the hub and (b) the discolored dovetail slots in
the hub.

Fig. 6. (a) Wear marks on the front side of the dovetail in the hub and (b) enlarged view of Fig. 6(a).

Fig. 7. Indication of crack revealed during the FPI (fluorescent-penetration inspection).

5
 Fig. 8. Optically observed partial crack (40x).

Fig. 9. Crack origin sites; (b) (300 x) is a magnified view of (a) (100 x).

Fig. 10. Fatigue striations; (a) middle region of the fracture surface and (b) edge region of the fracture surface, both 5000 x.

6
 Fig. 11. EDX spectrum of turbine blade.

5. Hardness test

Microhardness measurements were taken on the longitudinal cross section including the fracture surface
at a load of 1 kg. The measured microhardness values were converted into Vicker’s hardness number and
the results are shown in Fig. 15. The subsurface which showed degraded gamma prime had the lowest
value and the hardness number increased gradually away from the subsurface. This tendency correlates
with g0 phase examination results.

6. Discussion

In the previous sections it was shown that the fractured turbine blade had score marks on the surface and
was excessively heated. The surface damage supplied the fatigue crack initiation sites and the abnormally
directed hot gas degraded the gamma prime phase which was the main strengthening element of the matrix.
Then what was the root cause of these two phenomena? To solve this problem, we consulted other case
histories about the same type of engine. From the data, it is known that the compressor rotor and nearby
parts—compressor cover and radial diffuser vane which have wide enough clearance—had collided. In the
same context it can be postulated that the blade had also been rubbing against other parts internally. The
relative positions of the parts are indicated in Fig. 16. The possible sources of this kind of failure can be
shaft misalignment, uneven wear of bearing elements and mismatch in clearance, etc. If this happens
internal collision takes place among parts and though the hot gas stream is normal, the turbine blade root
region can be directly impinged by heated gas flow due to shaft eccentricity. However, this is an assump-
tion and there is no positive supporting evidence of this scenario. Thus, condition monitoring of the engine
is indispensible for the better understanding of these phenomena.

7
Fig. 12. Etched microstructure of the fractured turbine blade; (a) longitudinal cross section and (b) transverse cross section, both 100 x.

Fig. 13. Cracking path transition; (a) transdendritic; fracture mode is fatigue and (b) interdendritic; fracture mode is overload, both
200x.

Fig. 14. The morphology of g0 phase; (a) the subsurface region of the fracture surface affected by heated gas flow and (b) the region
without heated gas flow, both 20, 000x.

8
 Fig. 15. Hardness test results of the fractured turbine blade.

Fig. 16. The cross sectional view of the J69-T-25 turbojet engine.

7. Conclusion

From a consideration of the results, the premature fatigue fracture of the turbine blade can be attributed
to the surface damage on the front side and the abnormally induced heat damage. The root cause of these
two phenomena is now under systematic study. During depot and field maintenance, the condition of the
shaft and its relative parts is thoroughly monitored. The results of the engine condition monitoring will be
ready to feedback into improvement of engine integrity and aircraft safety.

Reference

[1] AMS specialty handbook—heat-resistant materials. ASM International, 1997. p. 221–54.