Finite element structural and thermal analysis of JT9D turbofan engine first stage turbine blade

The objective of this work was to conduct a preliminary finite element static structural and transient thermal analyses of a first stage turbine blade which was previously assembled on a Pratt & Whitney JT9D-7A turbofan engine. This turbine blade was obtained from a collector of aircraft scrap parts. After an extensive theoretical background on airbreathing jet engines and materials used for such components, the process behind the creation of a 3D model was explained. The laser scanning technique and a piezoeletric digitizer were employed to recreate the blade inside a 3D modelling software. The model was then imported into the finite element analysis software ANSYS; the analyses were performed, and the most interesting results were evaluated. The structural and thermal results were found to be congruous with the literature on similar applications of components with the same material, and appear to be a realistic representation of the blade behaviour inside the first stage turbine environment.