REINFORCEMENT OF NON-CENTRAL

HOLES IN ROTATING DISCS

H. FESSLER Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nottingham

T. E. THORPE Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Nottingham

The frozen-stress photoelastic technique was used to determine the stresses around reinforced non-central
holes in discs. Both circular bosses and a thickened annulus were used as reinforcements. Calculations by
Green, Hooper, and Hetherington were found to predict the mean stresses (through the thickness) well but
these calculations cannot predict the peak stresses. The latter were not significantly less than the values of
the unreinforced perforated discs. The stresses in a taper disc were lower than in a disc of constant thickness.

INTRODUCTION Pitch diameter of holes.

THE CONSTRUCTION OF some compressors and turbines for Diameter of non-central hole.
aero engines requires that the blade-carrying discs shall Fillet radius at boss-disc junction.
contain a central hole and an array of non-central holes. Stress index = measured stress x 4/pw2Di2.
Both these features give rise to high-stress concentrations Radial stress index at radius p .
which must be reduced for efficient design. This paper is Radial stress index at radius q.
concerned with the effect of additional material around the Radial stress index at any radius.
non-central holes. Hoop stress index at any radius.
The effect of the size and proportions of bosses was Length of boss measured at the pitch circle.
studied with tapered discs of proportions similar to those Particular radii in plain portion of disc.
used in actual aero engines, except for the hub around the Radius.
central bore which was omitted. These discs each con- Thickness of disc.
tained eight non-central holes, reinforced by circular Thickness at radius p .
bosses of different lengths and diameters. Thickness at radius q.
The applicability of two-dimensional relaxation calcu- Density of disc material.
lations was investigated by testing models of the same Measured stress.
shapes as calculated by Green, Hooper, and Hetherington Angular velocity of disc.
(I)*. Each of these discs contained 20 non-central holes
reinforced by a thickened annulus containing the holes,
or by a circular boss around each hole, or by a tapered
profile. DISC SHAPES
Green, Hooper, and Hetherington solved the equations All discs were symmetrical with respect to the plane of the
of generalized plane stress for discs of uniform thickness mid thickness (z = 0) using r, 8, z cylindrical polar co-
containing 10, 20, and 45 holes, in addition to the rein- ordinates. The basic disc with eight holes, used for varying
forced discs already described. Their method of solution is boss shapes, is shown in Fig. 1 and the disc containing 20
clearly a powerful one for discs which are in a state of holes in Fig. 2. The main dimensions of the discs are
plane stress, i.e. discs of uniform thickness, but for discs defined in Table 1.
of variable thickness in which there is axial variation of This notation is consistent with (2) but not with (I). In
stresses some discrepancies between calculated and actual the eight-hole discs the diameter d of the non-central
stresses may be expected. The frozen-stress photoelastic holes was kept constant but the boss diameter b and boss
technique is the best method by which to investigate this length L were varied as shown in Table 2. (L is measured
effect. at the pitch circle.)
The size of the bosses may be defined in many ways.
Notation One way, used in aircraft and pressure-vessel practice, is
A, B, C Positions at bores of non-central holes defined to compare the cross-sectional area of the boss with that of
in Fig. 1.
b Diameter of boss. Table I . Disc sizes and proportions
Di Bore of disc.
Do Outside diameter of disc. Type of disc

The M S . of this paper wasfirst received at the Institution of Mechani- 8-hole .

cal Engineers on 24th January 1967 and in its revised form, as
accepted by the Council for publication, on 17th March 1967. 23 20-hole . .
References are given in the Appendix.

J O U R N A L O F S T R A I N A N A L Y S I S VOL 2 N O 1967 317

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 H. PESSLER AND T. E. THORPE
I Because the variations in boss size were small two types
were tested on each disc. They were arranged in identical
pairs, the identity including the fillet radius, so that the
models were balanced.
Stress index is defined as the measured stress divided by
the stress in a radially thin ring equal in diameter to the
bore of the disc, made of the same material and rotating at
the same speed, i.e. I = 4u/pw2Di2.
This makes the results applicable to any geometrically
similar discs. The bore diameter was chosen as the
reference diameter so as to be consistent with (I).
The fillet radius f was made -&in and Q in for different
bosses of the types Nos 2-5. When it was found that this
variation of f / d from 0-16 to 0.31 did not affect the peak
stresses at the centre of the bores (positions A and C in
Fig. l), the other bosses were made with f = &in only.
In the 20-hole discs the fillet radii were made as small as
practicable in order to maintain similarity with the models
of (I).

EXPERIMENTAL TECHNIQUES
The models were cast in epoxy resin Araldite CT 200,
cured, annealed, and machined to the final dimensions.
The circular bosses of models Nos 2-5 were made
separately and cemented into the main body of the disc,
but this technique proved to be unsatisfactory and sub-
sequent reinforcements were made integral with the discs
by profile machining.
For the freezing-in of the centrifugal stresses, each
Fig. 1. Hole reinforcement for an eight-hole disc model was located on a turntable by four radial pins which
were sliding fits in four holes drilled approximately 1 in
the hole in the unreinforced component. The boss size deep from the outside surface of the disc. This method of
can be expressed as the location allowed radial growth of the disc during loading
to take place without constraint. The turntable was driven
Cross-sectional area of boss through a suitable reduction gear by a 3 hp synchronous
Area ratio =
Cross-sectional area of hole in plain disc motor at a speed of 857 rev/min, chosen to produce the
and this definition has been used in this paper. The boss lowest fringe orders which were sufficient to give accurate
is shown cross-hatched in Fig. 1. results. The axis of rotation was horizontal, so that the

Fig. 2. Hole reinforcement for a 20-hole disc

318 JOURNAL OF STRAIN ANALYSIS V O L 2 NO 4 1967

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 REINFORCEMENT OF NON-CENTRAL HOLES IN ROTATING DISCS

No. 1 Boss proportions Peak stress indices

Shape, Area Hoop Axial Shear
-.
Llb ratio at A I at C at A I at C at A I at C
1 - 0 66.4 59.1 -2.2
9 0.09 0.49 0.06 0.63 59.0 56.7
7 0.09 1.oo 0.08 0.83 58.6 54.0 -1.4 -5.6
_ . 30.0 29.8
6 0.09 1.34 0.09 0.94 60.5 54.0 0 -3.2 30.2 28.6
2 0.14 1.oo 0.10 0.71 56.1 49.5 -12.8 32.0 31.1
3 0.18 1.oo 0.12 0.64 53.4 48.5 -11.0 -14.5 32.2 31.5
4 0.29 1.oo 0.16 0.54 50.3 52.6 - 12.4 -14.9 31.3 33.7
8 0.41 1.oo 0.20 0.48 51.0 45.8 -12.5 -13.8 31.7 29.8
5 0.53 1.oo 0.23 0.44 52.7 43.0 -14.4 - 18.5 33.5 30.7

stresses due to self-weight were reversed many times dur-
ing cooling and were not frozen in. The complete assembly
was contained in a thermostatically controlled oven, so
that each model could be cooled at about 2 degC/h from
135 to 85°C while the disc was spinning.
Thin slices (about 0.06in) were cut from the models
with a high-speed diamond-impregnated cutting wheel,
copious quantities of coolant being used to ensure
that no partial annealing of the slices occurred during
cutting. A typical slice had a fringe order of about unity.
Fractional fringe orders were determined by the Tardy
method of compensation.
No attempt was made to determine the separate princi-
pal stresses because peak stresses were expected to occur
at the hole boundaries where one of the principal stresses
is known to be zero and comparisons with theoretical
results could readily be made using only boundary stresses
and principal stress differences away from boundaries.
and the body force causing the above is
The square-bracket terms have been determined for
each of four discs by graphical summation and the results
are given in Table 3.
EIGHT-HOLE D I S C S
The results for the tapered eight-hole discs with circular
reinforcements are presented in Table 2. In every case the
hoop and axial stresses at the non-central-hole boundaries
were a maximum in the centre plane of the discs and on a
radial line through the hole centres (points A and C in
Fig. 1). Most of the peak stresses occurred at the inner
point A but for completeness the stress values at both A
and C are tabulated, and are plotted in Figs 3 and 4.

I I I I I I I

CALIBRATIONS
In order to determine the stress-optical coefficient of the
model material, which may differ for each casting, a small
tensile specimen was cut from each model and the fringe 40
( +
X
w
order resulting from ‘freezing-in’ a known stress was A

measured. The material density was determined by

weighing a part of each model both in air and in water.
T o investigate the overall accuracy of the results, the
equilibrium of portions of some discs under the action of \BOSS LENGTH/BOSS DIAMETER I
centrifugal forces and the hoop and radial stresses acting 0.4 0 5 0.6
on them were checked.
For part of an annulus, inside radius p and outside
radius q, subtending an angle of 7r/2 at the disc centre, the ----e ------ -- - - - ~
AXIAL
3
<
:
resultant boundary force normal to one radial face of the
part may be expressed as x, A, 0 refer to point A; +, v, refer to point c.
Fig. 3. Stress indices at the centre of bore of eight-hole
discs: effect of change of boss shape for unit area ratio

Table 3

Disc Boundary ‘force’ Body ‘force’ on Boundary force

on 4 annvlus 4 annulus Body force

20-hole. Annular-reinforced 5.87 8.81 59.3 55.1 1.075

Boss-reinforced . 5.87 8.81 57.9 55.1 1.050
Tapered . . 5.87 8.81 72.6 74.4 0.976

J O U R N A L OF S T R A I N A N A L Y S I S VOL 2 NO 4 1967 319

5
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 H. PESSLER AND T. E. THORPE

greatest shear stress is half of the hoop stress: this is shown

in Figs 3 and 4 by a series of dots.
The fact that the peak stress at the non-central holes
appears as a hoop stress at the point on the hole boundary
nearest the disc centre indicates that an increase in the

r,-I5 8' 1--i5

in AREAiATIO
0
--- --_______ - -----
__--
AXIAL
- 20
x , A , 0 refer to point A; +, v, 0 refer to point C .
Fig. 4. Stress indices at the centre of bore of eight-hole
discs: effect of size of boss for lengthldiameter = 0.09
The peak hoop stress at a non-central hole can be re-
duced by about 25 per cent by the choice of a suitable
cylindrical reinforcement, but this reduction is gained at
the expense of a considerable increase in the axial stress at
that point. Indeed Fig. 3 shows that there is a slight in-
crease in the shear stress in the centre plane of the disc,
which suggests that the reinforcement may be detrimental
to the structure. Changing the boss size, while maintaining
the same length/diameter ratio, appears to have no effect
on the maximum shear stress.
The full lines marked 'shear' in Figs 3 and 4 are
obtained from the difference between hoop and axial
stresses. Where the axial stresses become tensile, the
number of holes would be of advantage (2). It is estimated
that a reduction of 22 per cent in the hoop stress in these
discs could be effected without using boss or rim reinforce-
ments by increasing the number of holes to 22. There
would be no increase in axial stress.
TWENTY-HOLE DISCS
Although the discs containing 20 non-central holes were
analysed fairly extensively, a requirement for the equili-
brium checks, only the stress distributions close to the ring
of non-central holes are of interest and these are presented
here.
Figs 5, 7, and 9 show the radial distributions of hoop
and radial stresses on the surface of the discs, both in a
radial plane containing the centre of an eccentric hole and
in a radial plane midway between adjacent hole centres.
Also shown are the radial distributions of 'mean' hoop and
radial stresses, interpreted from the figures of (I), deter-
mined by the solution of the generalized plane-stress
equations.
Figs 6,8, and 10 show the axial distribution, at various
radii, of the difference between hoop and radial stresses in
planes through a hole centre and between adjacent holes.
These hoop and radial stresses are in fact the secondary
principal stresses in planes normal to the axis of rotation.
Again the theoretical values of (I) are shown by horizontal
dashed lines, being constant with change of axial position.

Type of stress Experiment (1)

Radial Full line x Dotted

HOOP Long chain dotted 0 1 Short chain dotted

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 REINFORCEMENT OF NON-CENTRAL HOLES IN ROTATING DISCS

MIDWAY BETWEEN 0 1
THROUGH HOLE
HOLES CENTRE
Full lines and o experimental, dotted lines from (I). For key see Fig. 6.
Fig. 6. Stresses near holes in 20-hole disc with thickened Fig. 8. Stresses near holes in 20-hole disc with circular
unnulus: distributions of the differences of the hoop and bosses: distributions of the differences of the hoop and
radial stress indices (Ze -I,) radial stress indices (ZB-ZR)

For key see Fig. 5.

Fig. 7. Surface stresses near holes in 20-hole disc with circular bosses

JOURNAL O F S T R A I N A N A L Y S I S VOL 2 N O 4 1967 321

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 H. FESSLER AND T. E. THORPE

Type of stress I Experiment

First Second
model model
Radial Full line x + Dotted
Hoop Longchaindotted 0 Short chain
dotted

At the hole boundary the radial stresses are zero and the
plotted curves represent the hoop stresses. For complete-
ness one curve of radial stress distribution for the line on
the hole boundary (not in the plane through the hole
centre) at the pitch-circle radius is also shown. On this line
the hoop stress is zero.
To avoid confusion caused by overlapping of stress
graphs, these graphs have been spaced out arbitrarily and
are connected to the section to which they refer by inclined
lines from the zero stress-index value for each curve. The
stress-index scale for all graphs is indicated in the figures.
It should be emphasized that the graphs in Figs 6, 8, and
10 represent differences between hoop stress and radial
stress. Negative values (plotted downwards of course)
therefore indicate that the radial stress exceeds the hoop
stress.
over the complete thickness of the disc and reinforcement,
and not simply the semi-sum of the maximum and
minimum values.
It may be seen that the calculated mean values exceed
the experimental mean values in all except one position
but are smaller than the experimental maxima in a number
of positions. There is good agreement between calculated
and experimental mean values for the disc with annular
reinforcement.
The hoop stresses at the hole boundary in this disc
varied little through the thickness (see Fig. 6, right-hand
side), indicating that the thickened annulus did not greatly
disturb the hoop stresses in the disc. As may be expected
Table 4. Stress indices in 20-hole discs
~~ ~~

The experimental work revealed that axial variation of Type of Position Experimental
reinforcement
stress existed in regions close to the holes, and a state of
almost plane stress occurred in parts of the disc more than
~ ~ Max. 1 Min. 1 Mean
I 1 91.0 I 73.0 I 87.0 I 92.0 I
1 I 1 1 1
two diameters away from the pitch circle of the holes. Thickened A 1.06
. ..

The theoretical values of mean stress through the thick-

ness of the disc agreed closely with the mean of the experi-
annulus

Circular bosses
I 75.0 -9.0 34.0 35.6
86.3 60.0 81.3 95.0
1.01
1.17

if
mental curves. 100.0 -13.7 56.0 77.0 1.38
81.7 -10.0 433 38.0 0.87
In the vicinity of the non-central holes the greatest 100.0 -15.5 56.0 79.0 1.41
stresses occur in the surface of the holes. Values of hoop
stress at positions A and C and of radial stress at position Tapered profile A 75.0 62.5 71.3 92.0 1.29
63.5 57.7 61.3 74.2 1.22
B are given in Table 4 together with calculated mean
values. The experimental mean values are the averages i e 74.7
-
73.0 73.9 93.0 1.26

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 REINFORCEMENT OF NON-CENTRAL HOLES I N ROTATING DISCS

Table 5. Predicted stress indices in unreinforced 20-hole

discs

Reference
Poisson’s ratio
.
. : :1 I

0.3 ~
2

0.3 ~
a

0.5

Position B {*c .
*
.
:. 82.7
79.2
87.8
84.0

dimensional stress systems, but the discrepancy between

I I
5o SCALE OF
STRESS INDEX
25
MIDWAY BETWEEN THROUGH HOLE
‘HOLES 751
0 CENTRE
For key see Fig. 6.
Fig. 10. Stresses near holes in 20-hole disc with tapered
profile: distribution of the differences of the hoop and
radial stress indices (lo-Zr)
from the shapes, the radial boundary stress in the annular-
reinforced disc and radial and hoop boundary stresses in
the bossed disc show considerable axial variations. These
stresses show a marked decrease in the reinforcement com-
pared with those in the main body of the disc. This is further
shown by a rise in the difference between hoop and radial
stresses in parts of the annulus not on the hole boundary,
Thus, although the mean of the radial component through
the disc thickness was smaller than would be expected in
an unreinforced disc, this was due to the low radial stress
in the annulus and not the reduction of the peak in the
centre plane of the disc. The radial stress concentration
predicted in (I) for the unreinforced disc was 75 units, but
whilst the mean radial component was reduced to 35 units
by this type of reinforcement, the peak radial concentra-
tion remained at 75. The conclusion of the theoretical
work that this type of reinforcement is suitable for closely
spaced holes, in which the radial concentration is highest,
is unjustified. Indeed, this type of reinforcement, which
carries hoop stress only, can be expected to be most bene-
ficial for widely spaced holes, which have the greatest hoop
concentration, but the improvement has been shown here
to be marginal.
In a comparison of the theoretical results of (I) with the
experimental values obtained for the similar discs, the
differences between the annular reinforced disc and the
boss-reinforced disc can be explained by the inability of
the plane-stress concept to describe adequately three-
the experimental and theoretical values for the tapered
disc cannot be explained by this. The experimental work
shows that the tapered disc approaches closely to a general-
ized plane-stress case and good agreement with calculated
values could be expected. The experimental results have
been verified by repeating the analysis of the tapered disc,
results from both discs being plotted in Fig. 9.
T o assess the effectiveness of the various reinforcements
it is necessary to compare the measured peak stresses with
those occurring in a plain disc. No plain disc of the same
geometry as the 20-hole discs was tested but values
may be obtained from (2) and from the calculations of (I).
These values are given in Table 5.
It should be noted that the change of Poisson’s ratio has
no significant effect on the stresses in discs with non-central
holes and that there was fair agreement between the
calculated values and those predicted from experimental
results. The greatest stresses occur at position A; com-
parison of the maximum values at this position in the
reinforced and unreinforced discs therefore gives the
efficiencyof the reinforcement.
CONCLUSIONS
It may be concluded from this work that the reinforce-
ment of non-central holes in rotating discs by a thickened
annulus or by bosses of any shape does not reduce the peak
stresses by a significant amount. However, the use of a
tapered disc, which has a generally lower stress level than
a similar disc of uniform thickness, does result in lower
peaks at the non-central holes.
The plane-stress theoretical results of Green, Hooper,
and Hetherington give only the mean-stress values through
the disc thickness. These values are considerably lower
than the peaks in the central plane of the discs at the hole
boundaries.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Mr L. D. McConnell suggested the method of rim loca-
tion. Part of the work on the eight-hole discs was supported
by Rolls-Royce Ltd. The authors wish to thank the
technicians and workshop staff for their skilful assistance.
APPENDIX
REFERENCES
(I) GREEN, G. T. J. and HETHERINGTON,
W. A., HOOPER, R.
‘Stress distribution in rotating discs with non-central
holes’, Aeronuut. Q. 1964 15, 107.
(2) H. and THORPE,
FESSLER, T. E. ‘Optimization of stress con-
centrations at holes in rotating discs’, J . Struin Analysis
1967 2,152.

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