Residual life estimation of a thermal power plant component: The high-pressure turbine housing case

Abstract

This study focuses on the estimation of residual life of damaged thermal power plant components. The high-pressure turbine housing was chosen as an example of thermal power plant component where, during the years of exploitation, damage appeared in the form of dominant crack. Residual life estimation procedure, based upon experimental and numerical methods has been introduced and applied. Material properties were determined experimentally both at room and operating temperature, while all necessary calculations were performed by the special finite element method, so-called X-FEM. The residual life estimation of the damaged high-pressure turbine housing was performed by applying the Paris's law for crack growth analysis.