DESIGN OF CERAMIC GAS-TURBINE COMPONENTS

At the Institute for Thermal Turbomachinery (ITS), University of Karlsruhe, detailed theoretical and experimental studies concerning ceramic gas turbine components have been performed. For the analysis of the reliability of ceramic components by finite element calculations, the numerical code CERITS has been developed, which follows a strategy similar to that suggested by Gyekenyesi. CERITS determines the failure probability of ceramic components with reference to volumetric flaws. Different fracture criteria can be considered. CERITS is coupled to the finite element code ADINA, which facilitates the prediction of the required temperature and stress distributions. The procedure is demonstrated utilizing gas turbine combustor components.