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Failure Analysis and Root Cause Determination of Failure in Air-Fuel after

Burner Pipe of Turbo Jet Engine [1]

Conference Paper · November 2020

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 Failure Analysis and Root Cause Determination of
Failure in Air-Fuel after Burner Pipe of Turbo Jet
Engine
[1]
Mian Imran, [2]Azhar Hussain, [3]Tauseef Ahmed
[1][2]
Department of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology Taxila,
Rawalpindi, Pakistan
[3]
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Petronas, Malaysia

Abstract— Air- Fuel After burner pipe of turbojet Engine was failed. This caused a reduction in performance of jet Engine during
takeoff, climb and other operations. Failure analysis of this fracture pipe was performed using Characterization approach. Using
the results of metallographic test, Hardness test, X ray florescence spectrometry and Energy dispersive spectrometry, the material
used for manufacturing of this pipe was stainless 304 grade. The operating temperature at which this failure happened was in the
range of 650°C to 700°C. Fractographic tests were performed to find the cause due to which this failure happened. Scanning
Electron microscopy shows striations in fracture parts, which is a clear sign of failure due to fatigue. Brazing process was used to
join parts of after burner pipe. Fatigue crack was initiated from imperfection/voids present at interface between base metal and
filler metal alloy. Filler metal alloy used to join after burner pipe parts was silver base alloy during Brazing process.

Index Terms— After burner pipe, Brazing, Fatigue, imperfection/void

I. INTRODUCTION
After Burning is a process in which some remaining
oxygen at exact end is reignited by supply of extra fuel.
After burning increases the performance of turbojet engine
for short time during takeoff, climb and combat[1]. Brazing
process is use to join parts of after burner pipe. Brazing is a
process in which two or more metallic components are
joined together by flowing of filler metal alloy into joint.
The main advantage of brazing process is that it can join Fig: 1 after Burner Pipe
same or different metallic materials with desirable strength.
Brazing required closely fitted parts such that the filler After Burner pipe fails and fig below shows the fracture
metals flow through capillary action into the gap of closely parts of after burner pipe.
fitted parts [2]. Failure in after burner pipe is severe problem
and factors links to failure in after burner pipe are pipe
geometry [3], internal/external loading state [4][5], material
characteristics [6], environmental conditions [7] and
manufacturing Flaws [8]. In order to find the main leading
factor that causes failure can be differentiated on basis of
operating conditions [9]. In jet engine piping system,
pressure variations and fluid flow generate cyclic stresses
directing to fatigue failure [10]. After Burner pipe has an
internal diameter of 10mm while outer diameter is 13mm
and thickness is 1.5mm as shown in figure

Fig: 2 Fracture parts of After Burner pipe

ISER International Conference ICIET 20 44

 Failure Analysis and Root Cause Determination of Failure in Air-Fuel after Burner Pipe of Turbo Jet
Engine

Table 1 After Burner Pipe Composition

The fracture parts in separated form are shown below
Fig: 3 Fracture part 1 While composition of Filler metal alloy used are shown
below.

Table 2 Filler metal Alloy composition

Fig: 4 Fracture part 2
III. METALLOGRAPHY:

II. EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURES AND RESULTS:

Hardness Testing:
The harness testing of sample cut from after burner pipe
was performed using Brinell Hardness Machine and results
of two testing sample were same as 201.

X-Ray Florescence Spectroscopy:

X-ray Florescence spectroscopy shows the amount of
carbon present in after pipe material and result of X-ray
florescence spectroscopy was 0.07% Carbon.

Energy Dispersive spectroscopy:

EDS technique was used to show the chemical
composition of after pipe material [11].result are below Fig: 5 Microstructure of after Burner pipe

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 Failure Analysis and Root Cause Determination of Failure in Air-Fuel after Burner Pipe of Turbo Jet
Engine

The etchant used for revealing of microstructure was

Glyceregia [12]. Glyceregia can make by mixing 15ml
glycerol, 10ml Hcl, and 5ml HNO3.use this etchant freshly.
The microstructure of after Burner are show below.

IV. STEREOGRAPHY:
The stereography result of Fracture part of pipe shows
imperfection at interface between base metal and filler metal
alloy.

Fig: 8 Striations in fracture sample

There were rupture zone of failure during failure of after

burner pipe.

Fig: 6 imperfection at interface.

V. FRACTOGRAPHY:
Fractography of samples were performed using scanning
electron microscopy.
Fractography of fracture surface show some imperfection
at interface between filler metal and base metal.

Fig: 9 Rupture zone

Fig: 7 imperfection at interface.

Striations were found during fractograpghy.

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 Failure Analysis and Root Cause Determination of Failure in Air-Fuel after Burner Pipe of Turbo Jet
Engine
[6]
[7]
[8]
[9]
Fig: 10 Stages of Failure
[10]
The corresponding region regarding stages of fatigue are
shown below
VI. CONCLUSION
Hardness, EDS composition and XRF spectrometry result
[11]
shows that material used for manufacturing of after burner
pipe is stain less steel of 304 grade as comparing with
literature of 304 stain less steel and also comparing the [12]
microstructures
Fatigue is responsible for this failure as there are
striations found and this fatigue crack was initiated from the
imperfection comes out during brazing process.
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