In order to expedite the structural analysis of ceramic components, Sundstrand Power Systems has developed a proprietary computer code called “SPSLIFE,” which can substantially reduce the time spent on the design assessment of ceramic components. The life assessment computations for the various failure modes are performed using the structural analysis and materials files as input data. A number of “menus” are incorporated to request user input data and to guide the user through the problem definition process. The user has the capability to select existing material data files or create new ones. The computational modules are based on the analytical approaches currently used in the industry. The modular construction of the code facilitates making revisions or adding new modules. Graphic display is used to provide a visual summary of the life assessment calculations for the various failure modes. The output files generated provide a detailed review of the results, which is helpful for design optimization. Independently derived component fast fracture and static fatigue survival probabilities using the NASA CARES and CARES/LIFE codes are displayed for reference. The paper provides an application example using a patented design of a ceramic monorotor for the Sundstrand Power Systems TJ-50 small gas turbine engine.

Issue Section:
Gas Turbines: Vehicular
Topics:
Industrial ceramics, Structural design, Design, Failure mechanisms, Power systems (Machinery), Structural analysis, Analytical methods, Ceramics, Computation, Computers, Fatigue, Fracture (Materials), Gas turbines, Modular construction, NASA, Optimization, Probability
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