Crack Initiation and Propagation Life Assessment of Gas Turbine Compressor Disc.

Gas turbine engines are the backbone of modern aviation and power generation, valued for their exceptional power-to-weight ratios and operational flexibility. As the industry transitions through advanced generations of aircraft technology, the demand for higher turbine inlet temperatures and pressure ratios has intensified, imposing stringent structural demands on rotating components. The compressor disc, in particular, must withstand complex centrifugal, thermal, and vibrational loads without succumbing to buckling or permanent deformation. A primary challenge in modern turbine design is balancing weight reduction with the necessity of meeting static and fatigue requirements under these coupled mechanical and thermal loads. Service conditions are variable; for instance, engines in high-performance maneuvers may accumulate life cycle losses significantly faster than those in standard operations. A major challenge during the design process of a modern low weight turbine disc is to find rotor disc geometries that meet both static and fatigue requirements for both mechanical and thermal loads. This study presents a systematic evaluation of the criteria used for designing rotating components in gas turbines with focus on compressor disc. Information on various methodologies used for evaluating the initiation and propagation life of the compressor disc are studied from the available literature and factors to be considered to design a compressor disc is discussed in this study.