Impact Resistance of Fiber Composite Blades Used in Aircraft Turbine Engines.
Abstract
Resistance of advanced fiber reinforced epoxy matrix composite materials to ballistic impact was investigated as a function of impacting projectile characteristics, and composite material properties. Ballistic impact damage due to normal impacts, was classified as transverse (stress wave delamination and splitting), penetrative, or structural (gross failure). Steel projectiles were found to be >gelatin >ice projectiles in causing penetrative damage leading to reduced tensile strength. Gelatin and ice projectiles caused either transverse or structural damage, depending upon projectile mass and velocity. Improved composite transverse tensile strength, use of dispersed ply lay-ups, and inclusion of PRD-49-1 or S Glass fibers correlated with improved resistance of composite materials to transverse damage. In non-normal impacts against simulated blade shapes, the normal velocity component of the impact was used to correlate damage results with normal impact results. Stiffening the leading edge of simulated blade specimens led to reduced ballistic damage, while addition of a metallic leading edge provided nearly complete protection against 0.64cm diameter steel, and 1.27 cm diameter ice and gelatin projectiles, and partial protection against 2.54 cm diameter projectiles of ice and gelatin.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1973
- Accession Number
- ADA307365
Entities
People
- J. L. Preston Jr
- L. A. Friedrich
Organizations
- Pratt & Whitney