Failure Investigation on Inducer Blades of Locomotive Turbocharger

摘要

Damage to varying degrees including fracture, cracking, and scraping occurred on inducer blades used in a locomotive turbocharger which had run for 3626 km. The blade fracture was formed by the propagation of axial and radial cracks forming an L-shape. Fractography investigation indicates that the axial fracture mode of the blade was by fatigue. The radial fracture was formed by one instantaneous crack. A strike dent was present on the leading edge of the fractured blade and this dent became the initiation site of fatigue crack. Failure of other blades was subsequent to the original fracture.