Steam turbines are a fundamental component in most electrical power generation systems around the world. Their efficiency and capital cost are dependent on the quality of the blade roots which secure the thermodynamic aerofoil sections to the high speed rotor. This paper outlines a design analysis for such a root system using classical stress analysis and the finite element method. Comparisons are made between the results of both and experimental pull tests. For reasons of simplicity, the analysis considers only the primary centrifugal load on the root and not secondary steam bending loads.
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