Stress analysis of rotating disc with non-uniform thickness using finite element modeling

There are numerous applications of rotating disc in the aerospace industry such as in gas turbines. In this paper, stresses of an existing turbine disc were studied. It is aimed to highlight the stress distribution in order to benefit the design purposes of the disc and implies the importance of using finite element (FE) analysis in simulating the real design case. Then, to present the real model, a two-dimensional (2-D) axisymmetric model for non-uniform disc was analyzed using FE. Stresses developed due to the disc operating conditions at high rotational speeds and thermal gradients were evaluated using conduction heat transfer mode, taking into consideration the material behavior at elevated temperatures as well as the effect of the real boundary conditions. The FE model reveals that the greatest stresses in the disc result from rotation and thermal loads, and they are located at the center of the disc.