Finite Element Modeling of Shot Peening Residual Stress Relaxation in Turbine Disk Assemblies

Surface enhancement techniques such as shot peening are extensively used to increase the fatigue life of components in gas turbine engines. Due to the combined thermomechanical nature of the loading encountered within an engine, aeroengine designers have avoided incorporating the beneficial effects in their analysis. This can lead to overdesign and early retirement of critical engine components. A finite element modeling procedure is introduced that incorporates the shot peening residual stresses on a fir-tree turbine disk assembly. Unlike traditional equivalent loading approaches, the method models the actual impact of shots on the assembly and is the first time this approach is used to introduce peening residual stresses in turbine disks. In addition, the stability of these residual stresses in response to cyclic thermomechanical loadings at the contact interface is also studied. The results reveal that thermomechanical overload can nearly fully relax the shot peening residual stresses within the first cycle due to the combined effects of decreased material yield strength and plastic deformation. This work will enable aeroengine designers to assess critical surface treated components for structural integrity, optimal design, and residual life.