Investigating the effect of struts arrangement on the mechanical characterization of the gas turbine power section

Purpose Gas turbines are recognized as important equipment in industries, and struts in a gas turbine are important components that keep rotary and stationary components concentric together. The arrangement of struts affects the air-flow, temperature distribution and mechanical characteristics of a gas turbine. There is limited research on the mechanical effects of struts arrangement on turbine behavior. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of strut arrangement on the mechanical characteristics of gas turbines in order to achieve a better turbine design, resulting in lower in-service stress and longer working lifetimes. Design/methodology/approach In this research, experimental data, three-dimensional modeling and finite-element analysis have been used. In this way, the five common arrangements of struts were studied. The natural frequency, stress distribution and buckling load of struts in each arrangement were investigated, and the effect of struts on critical points of the gas turbine was evaluated. Findings The analysis of the results revealed that tangential strut arrangements have a higher natural frequency than radial arrangements by up to 35.5%. Stress distribution and the position of maximum stress are dependent on the strut arrangement. Maximum stress could be reduced by over 44.5% depending on the arrangement of the struts. Also, radial strut arrangements have a buckling load 12.6 times higher than tangential arrangements due to using struts with shorter lengths. Originality/value The arrangement of struts has an important effect on the air-flow, temperature distribution and mechanical characteristics of a gas turbine. Most research has focused on the effect of struts on the air-flow and temperature of gas turbine diffusers, and there is limited research on the mechanical effects of struts arrangement on the gas turbines. In this research, the effect of strut arrangement on the mechanical characteristics of gas turbines including natural frequency, stress distribution, buckling load and critical points was investigated.