Stress analysis of gas turbine engine structures using the boundary element method

The theory of the boundary element method is briefly reviewed with particular reference to the feasibility of elastic and inelastic three-dimensional stress analysis of complex structures characteristic of gas turbine engine components. Particular requirements of gas turbine analysis are defined, and examples of the use of a boundary element code designed for the three-dimensional stress analysis of turbine components are presented. It is shown that the general-purpose boundary element code can accurately and efficiently analyze many of the gas turbine engine structures.