Fatigue Failure Analysis of a Cooling Fan Blade: A Case Study

Triloki Nath Kushwaha*

NTPC Limited,Farakka,742236,india
Email:[email protected]

Abstract
Cooling tower (CT) fan blade are long in size and made up of FRP(Fibber reinforced plastic)
because of their mass saving advantage, high stiffness-to-density etc. During fan operation,
the blade undergoes many forces such as gravitational, centrifugal, forces due to fluid (Drag
force) and in addition of it many un-design forces such as non uniform airflow through the
fan caused by unevenness of blade pitch angle, difference in height of blades etc. These
multiple forces cause loading and unloading of the blade numerous times per revolution and
is cyclic in nature and causes fatigue failure of the blade. The failure of one blade also
damage other blades, drive shaft and motor frame leg and hence causes huge financial
impact as well as fan availability. In this article, the author present a case study of fatigue
failure analysis of the fan blade used in a 500MW unit of a thermal power plant. A 3D
modelling of the blade has been developed by Pro-Engineer based on dimensions of the
actual blade used at site and same analyse by finite element method. Concurrence between
FEM results and observations of failing pattern at site has been found.
Key words: CT Fan, Blade, Fatigue failure, FRP, FEM

1. Introduction

Thermal power plants use a significant volume of water to dissipate the heat of the hot water received
from the condensers. Cooling tower (CT) are used in thermal power plant to cool the circulating water
are an important part of power plants as it has direct impact on unit efficiency. Induced draft cooling
tower as shown in Fig. 1 which required fan to create the daft across inlet and outlet of the tower
IDCT fan availability is vital for the power plant efficiency as well as to keep unit running. The fan
assembly consists of fan blades, hub plate and holding V-block gear box and drive shaft shown in Fig.
3

Fig:-1.A top view of CT showing fan and stack Fig.:-2. Exploded view of The fan assembly
 Fig:-3. Schematic representation of the cooling fan assembly, gear box, drive shaft and motor

The blades are made up of FRP (Fibber reinforced plastics) the nature of FRP allows us to make any
desired shape and twist of the blade as needed to achieve maximum performance. A properly
designed fan blade will have a non-symmetrical air foil with a variable chord and twist to compensate
for the peripheral change in speed from the blade tip to the wide chord.

. Fig.:-4. Schematic representation of the cooling fan blade.

2. Problem Definition
The blade of IDCT fan of the 500MW thermal power unit was failing while in operating at its design
point although the fan having its on line protection system for high vibration (velocity above 10mm/s)
of its gear box assembly. As blade having low RPM (105) and made up of FRP as shown in Fig.4 the
pre failure symptom could not got acknowledge many times by accelerometer mounted at its gar box
casing. The damage of any one blade become primary reason of failure for the other components like
drive shaft and motor leg as shown in Fig.-3a-e. The failure is in catastrophic in nature and hence
causes huge financial impact as well as availability of the fan

a b
 c d
e

Fig. 3 .Actual image of damaged Fan components(a)Complete Fan Assembly with Gear box (b) Failed fan blade
(c)failed from its neck side (d)Fan motor Damaged leg (e)Damaged drive shaft

2. Material and method

FRP composites are frequently used in such structural applications, Because of their excellent
formability, their mass saving advantage, their high stiffness-to-density and strength-to-density ratios
and the greater freedom to use these properties in the desired orientation and position. Furthermore,
these lightweight structural materials have some precise objectives, which cannot be reached with
some other conventional materials.
The necessary raw materials for the fan blade include Fibber Reinforced Epoxy Resin in various
forms like chopped strand mat, ravings, woven ravings, cloth surface mat and resin (vinyl ester &
polyester), catalysts, accelerator, hardener, pigments, surface treatment agents. The material
property of Discussed FRP is given in Table-1.

Fig:-4 Actual image of FRP blade used at site

Table -1: Material Properties of FRP Composite

4. Forces on fan blade

During its operation, the fan blade undergoes many forces such as gravitational, centrifugal and air
resistance force (Drag force). These forces can cause the failure of the blade .Many factors such as
variation of the centrifugal stress, shut up/down of the cooling system and mass imbalance make the
fatigue to be the most probable cause of failure in cooling fan systems.
The various forces acting during fan operation are shown in Fig.5 the primary component of the blade
force on the air is directed axially from inlet to outlet. The blade force necessarily has an additional
component in the tangential direction, providing the reaction to the driving torque. Since mounting
orientation of cooling fan shaft is horizontal, weight of blades and its moment must be considered in
analysis. From input data and detailed results for the fan type, weight, Fw centrifugal, Fc axial, Fa and
tangential, Ft forecasting on blades are calculated as follows
 2
Fw = mg =(64 kg)x ( 9.81m/s )=627.84
2 2
Fc = mrmw = 64 kg x (1.93 m)x(10.9red/sec)
=1357.48N

Fa =Axial thrust/6 =9761/6=1626.8 N

Ft =Fan shaft power/6 x rA x w =123; 700 W

Fig. 5 Applied forces on the cooling fan assembly.

Where m is the mass of each blade and w is the angular velocity of blades. rm is the distance between
the origin of the coordinate in the centre of the hub plate and mass centre rA is the distance between
the origin of the coordinate in the centre of the hub plate and area centre of blades. After the blade is
modelled, rm and rA are calculated using modelling software Pro-E.
The directions of applied forces on blades of the cooling fan are shown in Fig. 5. It is noted that the
condition of loading is multi axial. Among all forces, the only alternating force is weight force. Except
the weight, all forces acting on the blades have fixed direction in relative coordinate system whose
axes are rotating with the blade. To obtain the stresses on the blades the forces are exerted to the
blade, which contact with hub plate and V-block.. Geometry modelling of the cooling fan including fan
blades, hub plate and V-block is shown in Fig. 5.

4.3 Blade failure analysis

A failure analysis of twisted FRP blade has been carried out at site by its failure pattern, following
points were observed:

(a)Fan blade is failing due to excessive deflection caused by crack initiation at its root
(b)The excessively deflected blade hits other fan components such as drive shaft got beaked.
(c)As every time blade failed has some similarity about weakest failing cross section.
(d)Failed blade indicates that its weakest cross-section is neck and at distance ¾ of its total length
(L) from tip end.
(e) Failure of any one blade becomes primary reason of failure of other Fan components.
3. Finite element analysis of FRP blade
Pro-Engineer software is used for geometry modelling of CT fan blade individually and as complete
fan assembly with hub and V-block as shown in Fig. 5. Force applied to the finite element model is
according to the operating condition the fan model MPI1000. An axial fan blade can be considered as
cantilever beam on which air pressure and centrifugal force are applied Blade failure due to different
forces during its operation is analysed by fixing its one end at hub by V-block as shown in Fig. 0 and
setting the blade with 16 degree angle with horizontal.FRP composite blade can be considered as a
stepped, taper, continuous cantilever beam. The circular (hob) section of FRP blade has been fixed.
Finite element analysis simulation has been done by doing modal analysis using CFD solver tool. A
three dimensional model of blades has been generated in Pro-Engineer. The modal analysis in CFD
solver is carried out. In modal analysis, first refresh the material and geometry then do meshing,
further in an analysis system select number of modes required, Apply fixed support at circular section
of the blade then, Find the solution. The Solution gave maximum principle stress, maximum shear
stress and Total deformation.
 a b

Fig. 6. (a) A 3D Blade modelled in Pro-E (b) Mesh generated by FAM (c) Blade (FEM) showing maximum
principle stress (d) shear stress distribution

5. Results and discussion

On analysis of failed blade by Visual inspection revealed that the blade is failing repeatedly at mainly
two point one at its shank/neck portion shown in fig.8a. and second near 1/3 of the blade length
Fig.8b. From its tip side.
 a b

Fig. 7 FEM result showing distribution of the stress (a) At shank portion (b) Near 1/3 of the blade length from its
tip end

5.1 Results of FEM Simulation

In line with observation from on site failing pattern and data analysis a FEM analysis of CT fan blade
also carried out by use of Finite element analysis software. It involves study of different modal
parameters of system. Finite element analysis simulation has been used to analyze the modal various
parameters of FRP blades. Thus avoiding the need for carrying out several experiments which is time
consuming and costly. The results presented ahead are the most stressed section of the blade from
which probability of blade failing is highest .The section of blade with higher stress is also shown in
Fig.8 (a) and Fig.8 (b) .

a b

Fig. 8. Image showing actual crack location of fan blade (a)Crack at the neck/shank of the blade (b) Crack from
L ¾ of blade from tip side

6. CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of loading condition indicates that the blade is under multi axial fatigue. The finite element
analysis shows that the nodes having the high stress values are near the neck/shank of the blade and
L 1/3 length of the blade from its tip.
As compared Finite element analysis results, with site failure pattern, it is being observed that Good
agreement between Finite element analysis results and experimental results has been found in the
failure for a the FRP Composite blade. FEM results are close to the site results. Therefore the above
obtained FEM failure analysis can be considered to increase the reliability of the blade while
designing it.

References
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