Thermal Fatigue Test of an Annular Structure

A half-scaled large test model for the main components of the real annular structure was built and the thermal behaviors were experimented and obtained by thermal cyclic loads. The model design and the test conditions for the thermal loads were determined to take into consideration the thermal and mechanical loads acting on the real annular structure by finite element analyses. Temperature profiles and strains of the main components of the model were measured at an early stage of the test and periodically throughout the test in the given test conditions. After completion of the thermal cyclic tests, no evidence of crack initiation and propagation were identified by a dye penetration test. The measured strains at the critical parts were slightly increased proportionally with the increase in the number of the thermal cycles.