Operational causes of fatigue failures within passages of gas turbine engines

In this paper a short presentation of fatigue wear process of structural elements of gas turbine engines has been given. The primary causes of fatigue crack formation within engine mechanical system and flow passages have been highlighted. Special attention was paid to low-cycle fatigue associated with unsteady heat-and-gas-flow processes developed in the passages. The selected damages have been demonstrated of gas flow paths of the engines operating in aviation, navy and power industry, along with origins of their formation and growth.