Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

www.elsevier.com/locate/engfailanal

Failure analysis of steam turbine last stage blade

tenon and shroud
J. Kubiak Sz. *, G. Urquiza B., J. Garcı́a C., F. Sierra E.
State University of Morelos, Centro de Investigación en Ingenierı́a y Ciencias Aplicadas, CIICAp, Av. Universidad 1001,
Col. Chamilpa, C.P. 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico

Received 30 August 2006; accepted 6 January 2007

Available online 27 January 2007

Abstract

This paper presents an analysis of the cause of steam turbine blade fractures. Recently, several L-0 blades 28.5 (725 mm)
long of a steam turbine fractured 5 in. (125 mm) from the blade root platform, causing the forced outage of the turbine. A
finite-element analysis (FEA) of the blade was carried out in the beginning of the last decade to calculate the natural fre-
quencies and de vibratory stresses on the blade. A telemetry test was also conducted. The current investigation analyzed
the operational data during the last two years, reviewed the results of previous studies, conducted metallurgical investiga-
tions, and identified the mechanical and metallurgical modes of the failure. The results of the investigations showed that
improper welding of the shroud to the blade was the principal cause of blade fracture.
Ó 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Turbine blade failure; Blade vibration; Fatigue

1. Introduction

Steam turbines as any other rotating machine produce noise and vibrations, which may be assumed as
acceptable phenomena proper to rotation. Steam flows and spinning solid components, all of them contribute
to this noise in one or other level, either independently or through their interaction [1,2]. However, during nor-
mal operation a strange noise was detected in a low pressure (LP) stage of a 37.5 MW steam turbine. Also, the
vibrations from bearings were noticed to increase considerably. Because of this event the machine was imme-
diately stopped and the casings opened. One part of the shroud corresponding to one blade group was found
out of place. It belonged to the last stage. Other loosed parts were found within the condenser where several
pipes suffered damages. Also the casing of the turbine was affected as well as much of the main body of the
turbine, which was observed through a careful inspection.

*
Corresponding author. Tel./fax: +52 777 3 29 79 84.
E-mail address: janusz@uaem.mx (J. Kubiak Sz.).

1350-6307/$ - see front matter Ó 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.engfailanal.2007.01.012
 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1477

In order to conduct a blade failure analysis the following actions were carried out:

 Review of the history of the blades repairs and/or modifications.

 Review of the history of the unit operation.
 Inspection in situ.
 Measurement of the natural frequencies of the blades still mounted on the rotor.
 Metallurgical investigation of the fractures to identify the metallurgical mode of failure.
 Application of the finite element method for calculation of the natural frequencies and the stresses; this
action was reserved to just in case the cause of the failure was not yet identified.
 Recommendations for replacement or repair the affected parts.
 Measurement of the natural frequencies of the reinstalled blades.

2. Review of the repair and operation history and visual inspection

Half a year before the accident, some repairs were conducted to the machine. The blades were modified by
adding materials looking for better protection against erosion caused by moisture, which had been formerly
detected. A stelite strip was installed to each blade while the whole blade group was welded to the shroud.
Originally, the blades were not protected with shield strips. Instead they were hardened by induction. Instal-
lation of the strips must play some role since some of them cracked as well. Part of the investigation of the
failure in this work was focussed on proving that the natural frequency of the blade group was modified this
way. It is clear that adding weight to the shroud affects their dynamic behaviour. The operating conditions

Fig. 1. The six blades group affect through a missing shroud: (a) perspective view of the six blades group and (b) front view of the group
without a shroud.
1478 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

Fig. 2. Evidence of the damaged section: (a) one piece of a damaged shroud and (b) cracked tenon in the sixth blade.

corresponding to the status of the machine before and after the repair period were checked out and found with
no anomalies. The damaged shroud is shown in Fig. 1a and b. As observed in these figures, the whole six
blades group was missing the shroud. One small part of it is shown in Fig. 2a, which apparently corresponds
to the region of the first blade, since a fracture of the tenon was identified to match both parts, see Fig. 2b.
Fig. 3 shows the missing tennon in the blade referred to above. The NDT and penetrating liquid tests revealed
that tenons of blades 3rd and 4th cracked.

Fig. 3. Front view of the missing tenon on the first blade.

 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1479

3. Analysis

After the visual inspection some drawbacks were identified and may be attributed to the repair techniques
utilized. The cracks in the tenons of blades 3rd and 4th may indicate that the welding grade was not uniformly
applied to all the blades of the group. The excess of adding material during welding, as observed in Fig. 3 can
produce a weak union between the tenons and the shroud giving place to more vibration. Silver was used as
adding material during welding, which normally is not used for this task.
Through a careful inspection it is possible to observe beach marks on the trailing edge of the blades (see
Fig. 2b). Typical beach marks indicate that high cycle fatigue propagates the crack. Modal vibration analysis
reveals that an axial-torsion mode can contribute to generate high frequency vibration like the one responsible
for this kind of failure.
Metallographic studies of the cracked materials in the shroud and the tip zone of the blades, including the
tenons may highlight about how much the overheating produced during the welding process contributed to

Fig. 4. Rotor of stage L-0 with partially damaged shroud and accelerometer probe.

Fig. 5. New blades group, replacing the failed ones in the L-0 stage of the 37.5 MW steam turbine.
1480 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

the failure. Underbracing is an acceptable practice to repair the blades, but not to be used in the joint between
the tenon and the shroud. Any extra weight should cause change of natural frequencies of the blades, both
alone and in groups. The risk emerges when these frequencies approximate to the magnitudes of resonance

Fig. 6. The apparatus used to measure the natural frequencies of the blades.

Table 1
Results of natural frequency measurements for failed blades
Natural frequency Hz
1st 128.8–130
2nd 280–283.8
3rd 397.5–400
4th 405–407.5
5th 417.5

128.75
1.0
cracked blade
283.75
0.8 398.75
Amplitude (dimensionless)

0.6

0.4
417.5

0.2

0.0

-60 0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 600
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 7a. Results of natural frequency based on measurements of the failed six blades group. The position of the probe was close to the
tenon.
 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1481

and harmonics. ND tests were applied to the rest of the junctions tenon-shroud. These tests proved that no
evidence of new cracks appeared, which ensures that risks of future failures are not evident at the moment.

3.1. Measurement of natural frequencies of the failed blades

A small accelerometer Klister type 8720A500 was used to measure the natural frequencies of the six blades
group that presented the failure, as shown in Fig. 4 [3,4]. A new blade wheel is shown in Fig. 5. The same
probe was used later for measurements of randomly selected blades of other groups of the same wheel. In these

1.0
cracked blade,
accelerometer at middle of blade

0.8
Amplitude (dimensionless)

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

-60 0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 600
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 7b. Results of natural frequency based on measurements of the failed six blades group. The position of the probe was in the middle
length of the blade.

1.0
Amplitude (dimensionless)

0.9
0.8
0.7
0.6
0.5
0.4
0.3
0.2
0.1
0.0
1
es

2
es ci
ad en
bl qu

3
of fre

4
l
u ra
at

60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540

N

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 8. Results of natural frequency obtained for cracked blades.

1482 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

tests a soft hammer Klister type 9722A2000 equipped with a load cell was used to excite the system. A pho-
tograph of the whole equipment is shown in Fig. 6. Table 1 contain the results of the measurements, while
Figs. 7a and 7b show the spectrum amplitude plotted against the frequency for one blade of the group where
the failure was found. A small difference of frequencies magnitude is observed as a function of changing the
probe position.
In addition, the blades with cracks were selected for better description of their natural frequency [5,6]. The
results are given in Fig. 8. These results were compared with the results obtained from blades with no cracks as
shown in Figs. 9a and 9b. Fig. 9a contain the natural frequency for a six blades group, while Fig. 9b presents

1.0

Amplitude (dimensionless)
0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
1

2
2

p
ou
3

gr
4

in
es
5

ad
6
0 60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540 Bl
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 9a. Results of natural frequency obtained for a six non-cracked No. 2 blades group.

1.0
Amplitude (dimensionless)

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
1
2
3
p

3
ou
gr

4
in

5
es
ad

6
Bl

60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 9b. Results of natural frequency obtained for a six non-cracked No. 3 blades group.
 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1483

(gn/LBF)
140.0000

130.0000 H1_2,1(f)

120.0000

110.0000
1
100.0000

90.0000

80.0000 H1_2,1(f)
X Y
70.0000 1 407.5 101.421
2 2 283.8 65.595
3 416.3 25.8004
60.0000 4 242.5 18.3631
5 392.5 13.72
50.0000

40.0000

30.0000
3
20.0000 4
5
10.0000

0
-10.0000
-12.0000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

(gn/LBF)
150.0000

140.0000 H1_2,1(f)

130.0000
120.0000 H1_2,1(f) 1
X Y
110.0000 1 407.5 118.567
2 416.3 77.8474
100.0000 3 398.8 64.958
4 130 39.2539
5 393.8 15.5103
90.0000
80.0000 2
70.0000
3
60.0000
50.0000
40.0000 4

30.0000
20.0000
5
10.0000
0
-10.0000
-14.0000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 10. Frequency spectrum from measurements of the new blades group: (a) Results for the 1st blade; (b) results for the 2nd blade;
(c) results for the 3rd blade; (d) results for the 4th blade; (e) results for the 5th blade; (f) results for the 6th blade.

the natural frequency for a five blades group. One result observed from the whole set of measurements is that
the failed group has the 4th or 5th natural frequency close to resonance condition.
These results are plotted for each blade as show the sequence of Fig. 10a–f.
1484 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

(gn/LBF)
540.0000
H1_2,1(f)
480.0000 1

440.0000

400.0000

360.0000

320.0000

280.0000

240.0000

200.0000

160.0000
2
H1_2,1(f)
120.0000 X Y
1 406.3 477.046
2 393.8 145.18
80.0000 3 218.8 47.184
4 283.8 37.5016 3
40.0000 5 400 34.9886 4 5

-40.0000
-49.0000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

(gn/LBF)
72.0000
H1_2,1(f)
65.0000 1
60.0000
2
55.0000

50.0000

45.0000

40.0000
3
35.0000 4

30.0000

25.0000

20.0000
H1_2,1(f) 5
15.0000 X Y
1 392.5 63.3888
10.0000 2 130 56.2131
3 282.5 36.6171
4 415 34.2101
5.0000 5 560 17.579
0

-5.0000
-6.5000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 10 (continued)

3.2. Measurement of the natural frequencies of the new blades

The new blades were also measured and some comparison with the results obtained with the failed blades
revealed that the natural frequency of each group, news and old, does not match. Fig. 11a and b show the
results obtained with the new blades.
It is observed on the Fig. 11a and b that the new blades have not any natural frequency close to the 420 Hz.
 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1485

(gn/LBF)
940.0000
900.0000 H1_2,1(f)
X Y H1_2,1(f)
1 400 833.426
2 283.8 165.075 1
800.0000 3 128.8 69.0193
4 408.8 55.7073
5 277.5 38.8417
700.0000

600.0000

500.0000

400.0000

300.0000

200.0000
2

100.0000
3 4
5
0

-85.0000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

(gn/LBF)
490.0000
H1_2,1(f)
X Y H1_2,1(f)
450.0000 1 390 427.576
2 400 403.433 1
420.0000 3 406.3 320.984
4 131.3 175.618 2
390.0000 5 282.5 90.2143
360.0000
330.0000 3
300.0000
270.0000
240.0000
210.0000
180.0000 4
150.0000
120.0000
90.0000 5

60.0000
30.0000
0
-30.0000
-45.0000
0 40.00 80.00 120.00 160.00 200.00 240.00 280.00 320.00 360.00 400.00 440.00 480.00 520.00 561.25
Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 10 (continued)

4. Comments

After the study described above it was recommended to replace all the blades of the L-0 wheel with the
original blades delivered by the manufacturer of the turbine. As observed in Fig. 10, the 4th natural frequency
of the new blades is above 500 Hz. Moreover, the 4th frequency of the new blades is not close to any harmonic
1486 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487

1.0 blade 6 in the group 1

0.8
Amplitude (dimensionless)

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0

60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540

Frequency (Hz)

1.0

Amplitude (dimensionless)
0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0.0
1
2
5
p

3
ou
gr

4
in

5
es
ad

60 120 180 240 300 360 420 480 540

Bl

Frequency (Hz)

Fig. 11. Results obtained with the new blades, which replaced the damaged blades: (a) natural frequencies of sixth blade of a six blades
group and (b) natural frequencies of the whole group of the new blades.

leading to resonance. Instead, in the failed blades the 5th mode is 417 Hz, which is very close to the 7th har-
monic (420 Hz). This result indicates that the 2nd failed blade is close to the condition of resonance. This small
difference of natural frequency between new blades and failed blades may be attributed to the repair procedure
described above. The vibration amplitude of the answer has its maximum in the vicinity of 400–417 Hz, which
corresponds with resonance in the 7th harmonic. The strips of stellita were found cracked as well, a distance of
12 cm from shroud [7].

5. Conclusions

In this work the failure of stage L-0 in a steam turbine of 37.5 MW was analysed. Both measurements and
visual inspections revealed that previous repairs were the main cause of the failure. Abnormal application of
 J. Kubiak Sz. et al. / Engineering Failure Analysis 14 (2007) 1476–1487 1487

welding material modified the natural frequency of the blades leading to vibration in resonance mode of the
7th harmonic. The first natural frequency of the L-0 blades were 127.5–128.8 Hz for damaged and replaced
blades.
The 5th mode of vibrations of 417 Hz was very close to the 7th harmonic causing the conditions of reso-
nance; the new blades were free of this conditions (no natural frequency of 417 Hz was detected). The mea-
surement of the natural frequencies of the replaced blades installed on the rotor were tested with no
detected any abnormalities of installation and design.

References

[1] Internal report of the CIICAp-UAEM, project CFE-2004-C01.

[2] Garcı́a JC, Kubiak J, Sierra F, Urquiza G. Flow analysis of the steam turbine Curtis stage in steady and transient conditions applying
CFD, Electric Power Conference 2007, May 1–3, Rosemont, I1. USA; 2007.
[3] Agilent Technologies, The fundamentals of signal analysis, Application note 243, USA; 2000.
[4] Nicolet Inc., Dynamic signal analyzers user’s guide, 5225-4 Verona Road, Madison, WI 53711, USA; 1999.
[5] Kistler Corp., User manual for impulse force hammers, 75 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228, USA; 2002.
[6] Kistler Corp., Operating instructions for K-Shear accelerometers, 75 John Glenn Drive, Amherst, NY 14228, USA; 2002.
[7] Kubiak J., Sierra F., Garcı´a J., Reports No. 48 y 49 (in Spanish) CIICAp, UAEM; 2004.