Design of the gas turbine engine rotor wheel with ceramic blades

Abstract

The use of ceramic parts in the hot section of a gas turbine engine will make it possible to increase theengine efficiency due to the increased operating gas temperature at the combustion chamber outlet and reducedair consumption for blade cooling, as well as significantly reduce the weight of the parts due to the low densityof ceramics. The main disadvantage of ceramic parts is the brittleness of the material. Mechanical properties ofadvanced ceramic materials are insufficient for making a whole wheel, however, they are sufficient for makingblades. The main problem in making a structure of this kind is ensuring the strength of the interlock between ametal disk and ceramic blades. Previous works of the authors presented analysis of various types of interlocksbetween ceramic blades and a metal disk. This paper is devoted to the design of an aero engine gas turbine rotorwheel using a high-strength silicon nitride ceramic material. A software code in the APDL Ansys environment iscreated that makes three-dimensional design definition possible. A rotor wheel with ceramic blades is designedon the basis of a typical aircraft high-pressure gas turbine engine. A commercial heat-resistant nickel alloy isconsidered as the disk material, while silicon nitride is used for the production of blades. Evaluation of thestress-strain state and strength analysis are conducted, the properties of the ceramic material are analyzed. Theresults of the research show that it is necessary to make a special cooling system for a metal disk and that theproperties of the ceramics presented are to be improved. It is reasonable to apply similar constructions on stationarygas turbine plants.