An investigation of the feasibility of composite turbine compressor blades
A study has been conducted as to the feasibility of using a carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) composite to replace the titanium alloy (Ti-6Al-4V) for the manufacture of turbine compressor blades. These blades are used in the first compression stage of a gas turbine and suffer from high stresses at the roots and rotor discs induced by the high centrifugal forces during operation and are sensitive to vibrations. The blades are of a transonic type with typical rotational speeds of up to 10 000 rpm. The lighter composite blade will reduce stresses on the rotor disc and on the blade root itself as well as having more controllable vibration frequencies. This project considers the potential problems of replacing a titanium alloy with a carbon epoxy composite.
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