During their operation, modern aircraft engine components are subjected to increasingly demanding operating conditions, especially the high pressure turbine (HPT) blades. Such conditions cause these parts to undergo different types of time-dependent degradation, one of which is creep. A model using the finite element method (FEM) was developed, in order to be able to predict the creep behaviour of HPT blades. Flight data records (FDR) for a specific aircraft, provided by a commercial aviation

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... mpany, were used to obtain thermal and mechanical data for three different flight cycles. In order to create the 3D model needed for the FEM analysis, a HPT blade scrap was scanned, and its chemical composition and material properties were obtained. The data that was gathered was fed into the FEM model and different simulations were run, first with a simplified 3D rectangular block shape, in order to better establish the model, and then with the real 3D mesh obtained from the blade scrap. The overall expected behaviour in terms of displacement was observed, in particular at the trailing edge of the blade. Therefore such a model can be useful in the goal of predicting turbine blade life, given a set of FDR data. Abstract The Extended Finite Element Method (xFEM) has been applied to simulate fatigue crack growth in an AA2024-T351 T welded joint, 5 mm thick, made by friction stir welding. The ABAQUS and Morfeo software has been used. Tensile fatigue loading (mean stress 10 MPa, stress ratio R=0) is applied to Tjoints with a configuration suitable for reinforced panels where both skin and the web (reinforcement or stiffener) is made of a high strength AA2024-T351. Crack is introduced in one edge of the skin base material. The properties of materials in the areas of joints and geometry measures of Tjoint are adopted from available experiments. Following numerical results are obtained: crack front coordinates (x, y, z) and stress intensity factors (KI, KII, KIII and Kef) distribution along the crack tip, as well as the fatigue life estimation for every crack propagation step. The main objective of this research is to better understand fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded T joint of AA2024-T351. Abstract The Extended Finite Element Method (xFEM) has been applied to simulate fatigue crack growth in an AA2024-T351 T welded joint, 5 mm thick, made by friction stir welding. The ABAQUS and Morfeo software has been used. Tensile fatigue loading (mean stress 10 MPa, stress ratio R=0) is applied to Tjoints with a configuration suitable for reinforced panels where both skin and the web (reinforcement or stiffener) is made of a high strength AA2024-T351. Crack is introduced in one edge of the skin base material. The properties of materials in the areas of joints and geometry measures of Tjoint are adopted from available experiments. Following numerical results are obtained: crack front coordinates (x, y, z) and stress intensity factors (KI, KII, KIII and Kef) distribution along the crack tip, as well as the fatigue life estimation for every crack propagation step. The main objective of this research is to better understand fatigue behaviour of friction stir welded T joint of AA2024-T351.