Lifetime Prediction for Ceramic Gas Turbine Components

At the Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery, University of Karlsruhe (ITS), theoretical and experimental investigations of ceramic gas turbine components are performed. For the reliability analysis by finite element calculations the computer code CERITS has been developed. This code is used to determine the fast fracture reliability of ceramic components subjected to polyaxial stress states with reference to volumetric flaws and was presented at the 1990 IGTI Gas Turbine Conference. CERITS-L now includes subcritical crack growth. With the new code CERITS-L, failure probabilities of ceramic components can be calculated under given load situations versus time. In comparing these time-dependent failure probabilities with a given permissible failure probability, the maximum operation time of a component can be determined. The considerable influence of the subcritical crack growth upon the lifetime of ceramic components is demonstrated at the flame tube segments of the ITS ceramic combustor.