Background/Introduction Steam turbine blades operate under severe thermal, mechanical, and environmental loads, making them vulnerable to multiple degradation mechanisms. Failures such as fatigue, creep, fracture, and vibration-induced damage can lead to catastrophic shutdowns, high maintenance costs, and safety concerns. Understanding these mechanisms through systematic analysis is essential for improving reliability and extending service life. Purpose This review consolidates published research on major steam turbine blade failure modes, including fatigue, creep, fracture, modal/vibration analysis, and microstructural degradation. It aims to provide a unified understanding of the factors influencing blade failure and highlight effective diagnostic and preventive strategies. Methods A comprehensive literature survey was conducted covering experimental studies, numerical simulations, metallurgical investigations, and real-world failure case reports. The reviewed works were categorized into failure mechanisms—fatigue, creep, fracture, vibration/modal analysis, recent advances, and microstructure analysis—to extract trends, correlations, and recurring causes of failure. Results The survey reveals that fatigue failures commonly originate from stress concentration, flow-induced vibration, and resonant excitation. Creep damage results from long-term high-temperature exposure leading to microstructural instability and plastic deformation. Fracture failures are strongly linked to combined creep–fatigue interaction and material embrittlement. Modal and vibration analyses confirm resonance and dynamic stress amplification as key contributors to crack initiation. Microstructure studies show oxidation, erosion, grain boundary weakening, and carbide coarsening as dominant degradation indicators. Conclusions Steam turbine blade failures are governed by complex interactions between operational stresses, material behavior, and vibrational dynamics. Integrating mechanical analysis, vibration characterization, and microstructural evaluation provides a coherent framework for understanding and preventing blade failures. The insights synthesized in this review support the development of improved life prediction models, better material selection, and more effective monitoring strategies for safer and more reliable turbine operation.

Failure Analysis of Steam Turbine Blades: A Comprehensive Review

期刊论文
发表日期：

2025年12月1日

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Pooja Rani,
Atul K. Agrawal

摘要

Background/Introduction

Steam turbine blades operate under severe thermal, mechanical, and environmental loads, making them vulnerable to multiple degradation mechanisms. Failures such as fatigue, creep, fracture, and vibration-induced damage can lead to catastrophic shutdowns, high maintenance costs, and safety concerns. Understanding these mechanisms through systematic analysis is essential for improving reliability and extending service life.

Purpose

This review consolidates published research on major steam turbine blade failure modes, including fatigue, creep, fracture, modal/vibration analysis, and microstructural degradation. It aims to provide a unified understanding of the factors influencing blade failure and highlight effective diagnostic and preventive strategies.

Methods

A comprehensive literature survey was conducted covering experimental studies, numerical simulations, metallurgical investigations, and real-world failure case reports. The reviewed works were categorized into failure mechanisms—fatigue, creep, fracture, vibration/modal analysis, recent advances, and microstructure analysis—to extract trends, correlations, and recurring causes of failure.

Results

The survey reveals that fatigue failures commonly originate from stress concentration, flow-induced vibration, and resonant excitation. Creep damage results from long-term high-temperature exposure leading to microstructural instability and plastic deformation. Fracture failures are strongly linked to combined creep–fatigue interaction and material embrittlement. Modal and vibration analyses confirm resonance and dynamic stress amplification as key contributors to crack initiation. Microstructure studies show oxidation, erosion, grain boundary weakening, and carbide coarsening as dominant degradation indicators.

Conclusions

Steam turbine blade failures are governed by complex interactions between operational stresses, material behavior, and vibrational dynamics. Integrating mechanical analysis, vibration characterization, and microstructural evaluation provides a coherent framework for understanding and preventing blade failures. The insights synthesized in this review support the development of improved life prediction models, better material selection, and more effective monitoring strategies for safer and more reliable turbine operation.