A comprehensive three dimensional coupled thermo-mechanical finite element study is performed on turbine blade attachments in gas turbine engines. The effects of the self-generated centrifugal forces of the disc and the associated blades, thermal loads, and shot peening residual are all considered in this thesis. Three aspects of the work were accordingly examined. The first was concerned with the coupled thermo-mechanical stress analysis and load sharing between the teeth of the fir-tree root. The second was devoted to the development of a complete model incorporating the effect of shot peening residual stresses upon the developed stress state. The effectiveness of shot peening treatment in response to cyclic thermo-mechanical loadings at the contact interface has also been studied. The third was concerned with the validation of some aspects of the developed models analytically using closed form solutions and experimentally using photoelasticity.

A comprehensive three dimensional coupled thermo-mechanical finite element study is performed on turbine blade attachments in gas turbine engines. The effects of the self-generated centrifugal forces of the disc and the associated blades, thermal loads, and shot peening residual are all considered in this thesis. Three aspects of the work were accordingly examined. The first was concerned with the coupled thermo-mechanical stress analysis and load sharing between the teeth of the fir-tree root. The second was devoted to the development of a complete model incorporating the effect of shot peening residual stresses upon the developed stress state. The effectiveness of shot peening treatment in response to cyclic thermo-mechanical loadings at the contact interface has also been studied. The third was concerned with the validation of some aspects of the developed models analytically using closed form solutions and experimentally using photoelasticity.