Uncharacteristic Circumferential TMF Cracking in a Heavy-duty Stationary Gas Turbine Engine Burner Outlet

Burners are key components of turbomachinery with internal combustion. They allow for a particularly lean combustion in heavy-duty stationary gas turbine engines for power stations and thus contribute significantly to economical operation. Depending on their design, burners are often subject to thermomechanical stress. This failure analysis is concerned with thermal cycling cracks at the burner outlet. Circumferential cracking, parallel to the component surface, is untypical for this damage mechanism. Thermal cycling and thermal-mechanical fatigue cracks usually spread in a radial direction. Possible causes could be the special kind of centrifugal casting structure or the high thermal tension, which might have built up during burner operation.